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The village of Roque-Gageac
is considered as one of the most beautiful villages of
France. Of an almost completed homogeneity. Its beautiful
houses in the brown roofs squeeze up between river and
cliffs. The bishops of
Sarlat, who posseded a very
safe taste, had,
naturally, a second home there (very
troglodytic that we can visit). Roque-Gageac is in 8km in the South of
Sarlat. (See the map: click here)
To
make: The
village :
| Make a commitment in the
street which leaves the post office and let invade you by
the beauty of places. Next to the shy church of the 15th
century sculptured in the rock, blooms a
tropical garden. This exotic garden is on free visit all
year, you will find banana trees, lemon trees,
pomegranate trees there, etc... From there leave seeing the troglodytic fort,
in renovation since 1992 and admire the Dordogne panorama.
Two curiosities to the
Roque (which do not visit):
- The manor house of Tarde,
delicious périgourdine, recognizable small
manor house in its elegant turret, accommodated the family Tarde,
famous thanks to Jean, chaplain of Henri IV and Galilee
friend. |
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- The castle of Malartrie,
in the entrance of the village by coming from Beynac, who dates
the 19th century but built in XVth style respecting
the local architecture, it was built for certain
Saint-Aulaire, France
ambassador.
Between the castle and
the village, a building of the 16th century, austere, was
of use as place of about forty to plague-stricken.
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Stroll
in lighter: Balade
en gabare :
You can take a boat (the
gabarde) along the Dordogne (the river hope)
to discover 5 of the most beautiful castles of the valley.
Price : adult 8 €, child 5 €. |
History:
This site was populated
from the prehistory and the abundance of cut stones
found in fields and gardens shows it.
The Gallo-Roman period
and the "Pax Roman" allow a wide populating
of flat slopes east of the village, with a Roman
way. But from the years 850, the insecurity,
owed in particular to the raids of the Norman longships,
incites the population to strengthen and to shelter in
the site protected between cliff and river.
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The One hundred years war,
then the religious wars make of Roque-Gageac,
an important, impregnable and very populated fortified town.
Of this period date the biggest part of the
current structure of the village, with its troglodytic forts and
the tracks of the Castle of the Sarlat Bishops.
The time Renaissance
which is going to follow embellishes it of beautiful houses, as the
Manor house of Tarde which always dominates the heart of the village.
The canal transport plays
an important role with a very active commercial
traffic of gabares (traditional boats profoundly flat), as
well as the fishing in this full of fish river, and this
till the beginning of the 20th century. |
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