Vestiges de l'enceinte
MonumentHidden Treasure
Vestiges de l'enceinte, located in Sarlat-la-Canéda (Dordogne), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8880, 1.2155
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082931
Mediaeval defensive perimeter of Sarlat, these fourteenth-century remains bear witness to the power of the Périgourdine city, with their semi-circular towers and their ochre limestone construction characteristic of the Périgord noir.
History
In the heart of the Périgord Noir region, Sarlat-la-Canéda preserves the precious fragments of a fortified wall that once protected one of the most prosperous towns in the south of France. These remains, soberly set between medieval alleyways and Renaissance town houses, are a rare testimony to 14th-century urban military architecture in the Dordogne. What sets these remnants of the ramparts apart is their organic integration into Sarlat's urban fabric. Where other towns have destroyed their defences as they have expanded, Sarlat has managed to preserve significant sections of its walls, some of which have been absorbed into the walls of middle-class houses and private gardens, giving the town a historical stratification that can be read right in the stone. Visiting these remains is a natural part of strolling through the narrow streets of the old town. Sections of wall can be discovered at the bend in an alleyway, popping up unexpectedly between two 16th-century facades, revealing the thickness of the walls - sometimes more than a metre and a half thick - and the precision of the work of the Périgord stonemasons. The remaining towers offer a striking insight into the original defensive system. The setting is exceptional: the light-coloured limestone, tinged with gold and ochre depending on the time of day, captures the Périgord light with particular intensity. At sunset, the stones seem to burst into flames, transforming these functional ruins into a living tableau. For the attentive walker, these walls tell as much about the history of the Hundred Years' War as they do about the merchant bourgeoisie who, when it was over, were to cover Sarlat with their magnificent mansions.
Architecture
Sarlat's town walls belong to the tradition of urban fortifications in the south of France as they developed in the 13th and 14th centuries. Built of Périgord limestone - the famous local 'blonde stone' mined in the surrounding quarries - the walls are made of carefully coursed rubble, bound with lime, and vary in thickness from 1.20 to 1.80 metres depending on the section preserved. The curtain walls, segments of wall linking the towers together, were originally between six and ten metres high, crowned with battlements for active defence. The towers that remain or whose traces are visible have a semi-circular or polygonal plan, characteristic of the evolution of medieval fortification towards greater resistance to projectiles and better flanking. Their protrusion from the curtain walls enabled the defenders to fire obliquely at attackers approaching the foot of the walls. The base of the towers was sometimes heeled to deflect siege missiles and discourage attempts to undermine them. The city walls originally included several monumental gates - traces of which can still be seen in the urban topography - to control access to the city. These gates were flanked by towers and equipped with harrows, in a classic 14th-century defensive system. The ensemble formed a perimeter that followed the natural topography of the site, taking advantage of the uneven terrain to reinforce the defensive effect of the wall.
Related Figures
Jean II le Bon — roi de France dont la capture à Poitiers (1356) accéléra le renforcement des défenses de SarlatLes consuls de Sarlat — édiles médiévaux qui organisèrent et financèrent la construction de l'enceinte au XIVe siècleAndré Malraux — ministre de la Culture qui fit de Sarlat un laboratoire de sa politique de rénovation des centres historiques (loi 1962)Étienne de La Boétie — humaniste sarladais (1530-1563) dont la demeure jouxte les vestiges de l'enceinte médiévaleL'abbé Fenelon — issu d'une famille noble du Périgord, lié à la mémoire de la cité
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Vestiges de l'enceinte located?
Vestiges de l'enceinte is located in Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Vestiges de l'enceinte built?
Vestiges de l'enceinte dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Vestiges de l'enceinte open to visitors?
Vestiges de l'enceinte is currently closed to visitors.