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The paintings in the cave at Font-de-Gaume were the first to be discovered in the Périgord province. [3] Prehistoric people living in the Dordogne Valley first settled in the mouth of Font-de-Gaume around 25,000 BC. The cave mouth was inhabited at least sporadically for the next several thousand years.
Périgord (UK: / ˈ p ɛr ɪ ɡ ɔːr / PERR-ig-or, US: / ˌ p ɛr ɪ ˈ ɡ ɔːr /- OR; [1] [2] French: [peʁiɡɔʁ] ⓘ; Occitan: Peiregòrd [pejɾeˈɣɔɾ(t)] or Perigòrd [peɾiˈɣɔɾ(t)]) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
The castle was built in the 12th century by the barons of Beynac (one of the four baronies of Périgord) to close the valley.The sheer cliff face being sufficient to discourage any assault from that side, the defences were built up on the plateau: double crenellated walls, double moats, one of which was a deepened natural ravine, double barbican.
Because modern history has largely passed it by, Sarlat has remained preserved and one of the towns most representative of 14th-century France. Its historic centre, with 77 protected monuments, was added to France's Tentative List for future nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. [ 8 ]
In the courtyard, the façade of the Hall (1576) is an example of Renaissance architecture. Its characteristic features are carved in the golden stone of Périgord. On the riverside the grandiose terrace built on the cliff offers a view down the Vézère valley. The grand staircase with stone ornaments leads to rooms with sculpted mantelpieces.
Périgord was a fief of the Duchy of Aquitaine, consisting of the three subregions of Périgieux, Bergerac, and Sarlat. The Seneschal of Périgord was responsible for the affairs of the county, ruled as a fief by the Counts of Périgord. The county was bounded on the north by Poitou, on the northeast by Limousin, on the southeast by Quercy.
The east wing presents major works of medieval art such as a diptych from Rabastens dating to 1280 [13] and a stained glass from the now lost 14th-century church of Saint-Silan; [14] works of art ranging from the 16th to the 20th century, which evoke the quality and characteristics of the works on display and the collections of non-European ethnography (seventh most important collection in ...
Périgord Pourpre (Purple Périgord) with its capital of Bergerac, is a wine region. Périgord Noir (Black Périgord) surrounding the administrative center of Sarlat, overlooks the valleys of the Vézère and the Dordogne, and takes its name from the nearby oak and pine forests. The river Dordogne near Castelnaud-la-Chapelle