Abbey of Saint-Sauveur de Sarlat

The first reliable document mentioning the monastery dates from 1094, in a donation record. During the 12th century, it experienced a period of prosperity as an independent abbey, which explains the greater abundance of documentation from this time. It is recorded that Bernard of Clairvaux visited Sarlat in 1147 as part of his campaign against the heresy of Henry of Lausanne. In 1153, Pope Eugene III placed the abbey under the protection of Rome and confirmed its assets and privileges, a confirmation later ratified by Alexander III in 1170.

In 1317, a papal bull from John XXII divided the Diocese of Périgueux into two parts, creating that of Sarlat. Its first bishop was Raymond de Roquecorn (1318-1324). The cathedral chapter was initially composed of the same Benedictine monks, a regular order that, over time, incorporated canons until it was secularized in 1561. As for the diocese, it was suppressed during the French Revolution and merged into that of Angoulême until the Diocese of Périgueux was restored.

The vast majority of the surviving structures belong to the episcopal period, with very few remnants of the medieval monastery. Among these, the bell tower stands out, located above the atrium on the western façade of the church. It is essentially a Romanesque structure, heightened in the 17th century, and still retains elements of its original sculptural decoration. The cloister has almost entirely disappeared, with only the façade of the chapter house and some tombs remaining. Next to it, the medieval chapel of Saint-Benoît has been preserved. Also still standing is the Lanterne des Morts, a unique funerary structure with a circular floor plan, believed to date from the second half of the 12th century.