Carennac

Carennac
region	Occitania
Department	Lot
Arrondissement	Gourdon
Canton	Martel
Community association	Causses et Vallée de la Dordogne
Coordinates	44 ° 55 ' N , 1 ° 44' E Coordinates: 44 ° 55 ' N , 1 ° 44' E
height	110-340 m
surface	19.00 km 2
Residents	408 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	21 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	46110
INSEE code	46058

Carennac is a French commune with 408 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Lot department in the Occitanie region (previously Midi-Pyrénées ). The village is located directly on the banks of the Dordogne and about 25 km east of Souillac .

It has been declared one of the most beautiful villages in France by the association Les plus beaux villages de France, particularly because of its picturesque and well-tended appearance . Motor vehicles are left outside in front of the closed development. The place is known by lovers and connoisseurs of historical architecture for its abbey and the tympanum of the narthex portal of its church and their well-preserved condition.

history

The rocky terrace overlooking the left bank of the Dordogne on which Carennac is located was inhabited from Gallo-Roman times to the early Middle Ages. Longer-term ownership claims only existed with the establishment of the Priory of Carennac around 1047. The development of the monastery and its buildings were under the supervision of the Benedictine Abbey of Moissac . Later it belonged to the Cluniac Church Association .

The priory quickly grew larger and more affluent. In the 13th century its prosperity had consolidated to such an extent that it became a deanery . The monastic settlement developed around the core of the priory. This included a port on the Dordogne and three mills. Nearby limestone quarries made construction work easier.

During the Hundred Years War the village was destroyed and only in the second half of the 15th century the houses and cloister of the monastery were rebuilt. In the course of the following 100 years, the style elements of the Renaissance found their way into Carennac and the residence of the deans was built along the northern flank of the church. Protected by fortifications, the village and monastery remained undisturbed during the wars of religion .

After the controlling influence of Moissac and Cluny had declined significantly over time, the priory finally passed into the possession of the Salignac-Fénelon family from the Périgord in the 17th century . Its best-known member was François Fénelon , later Archbishop of Cambrai . The last structural improvements to the residence date from this time, before the decline of the village and monastery began in the following century.

In the period after the French Revolution , the monastery buildings were sold and used for agricultural purposes. It was not until the 20th century that the half-ruined buildings began to be restored. Today these buildings are in the hands of the civil parish and together with the houses of the village and some mansions decorated with turrets form an impressive urban ensemble.

church

St.-Pierre Carennac, from SO, with weir systems

Village

The old houses of the village from the 15th and 16th centuries are grouped around the abbey, which has largely retained its medieval ambience and which is appropriately maintained. With the lane in front of the church portal and access to the abbey buildings, there is even a small center of old four-storey residential buildings, supplemented by even higher towers and recognizable fortifications. Together with the arched passage, similar to a city gate, through which the narthex portal of the church is presented so photogenic, this is the original cell of a fortified village ( castrum ) with small-town building structures. The crossing tower of the church has battlements on its wall crown, which indicate a defensive tower. There are also remains of defensive walls with round towers east of the church (see photo at the top)

Last but not least, the location on the unspoilt Dordogne , together with the island of Calypso , which it bathes, increase the attractiveness of the village.