Périgord noir

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The Périgord noir , also known as Sarladais , is a traditional French landscape in the southeast of the Dordogne department . Its center is the city of Sarlat-la-Canéda in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region .

etymology

The name Périgord noir, German black Périgord , is derived from the dark color of the vast holm oak forests ( Quercus ilex ) as well as from the dark, fertile soils in the Sarladais and not - as often wrongly claimed - from the black truffles . Historically, the Périgord noir is the oldest of the four subdivisions of the Périgord .

geography

Location map of the Périgord noir (in yellow) in the Dordogne department

The Périgord noir is located in the southeast of the Dordogne department.

The landscape is surrounded by the following natural spaces:

Further landscape subdivisions in Périgord noir are:

The term Périgord noir is to be distinguished from the very similar term Pays du Périgord noir . The latter is mainly used in tourism and is more broadly defined as it includes the Pays d'Hautefort . Usually the Pays d'Hautefort is included in the Périgord central.

administration

Administratively, the Périgord noir essentially corresponds to the Arrondissement of Sarlat-la-Canéda . It is made up of the following cantons:

and parts of the canton of Haut-Périgord Noir .

The Périgord noir also has the following associations of municipalities ( French : communauté de communes ):

and parts of the Communauté de communes du Terrassonnais en Périgord Noir Thenon Hautefort .

Hydrography

The confluence of the Dordogne (right) and the Vézère (left) at Limeuil at 45 meters above sea level

The Périgord noir is crossed roughly in the middle by the Dordogne flowing westwards . The Vézère flows through the north-east coming to the northwest of the Périgord noir to at Limeuil as a right tributary to the Dordogne to lead. Tributaries of the Dordogne are Borrèze , Énéa and Doux (on the right) and Marcillande (Germaine), Céou , Nauze and Bélingou (on the left). Laurence , Thonac , Moustier and Manaurie flow into the Vézère on the right , and tributaries on the left are Coly and Beune . Both river systems meander , well-known examples of the Dordogne are the Cingle de Montfort and the Cingle de Trémolat . The valley height is between 70 and 40 meters, whereas the undulating surrounding sediment table can reach heights up to a maximum of 349 meters, but is usually around 200 meters. The two rivers have therefore dug themselves a good 150 meters in relation to their immediate surroundings.

geology

Beynac Castle stands on Upper Coniacium

Geologically, the Périgord noir lies entirely in sediments of the Aquitaine Basin, which dip slightly to the southwest . Upcoming are the Jurassic , Upper Cretaceous , Eocene and Oligocene . The valleys are filled with alluvial sediments of the Quaternary .

The Jurassic rocks belong to the inner platform facies and consist of limestone, dolomites and marls . Among the limestone there are micrite, sparite, oolite and siliciclastic limestone of the beach area. The marls have been deposited near the continent and are partly rich in lignite that was previously mined near Allas-les-Mines . The Jurassic deposits are limited to the northern edge of the Périgord noir around Terrasson-Lavilledieu , where they are separated from the Upper Cretaceous by the southeast-trending Cassagne Fault , and to the tectonically-induced, southeast-trending bulge of the Saint-Cyprien anticline near Le Bugue and Saint-Cyprien . East of Sarlat, the Upper Cretaceous lies slightly discordant over the Middle and Upper Jura of the Causse de Martel. Due to the Saint-Cyprien anticline around Sarlat, it forms a syncline . The predominantly calcareous and mostly karstified Upper Cretaceous extends from the Cenomanium to the Campanium and covers the main part of the Périgord noir. Here and there the Upper Cretaceous is still overlaid by continental fluvial and lacustrine molasse sediments from the Eocene and Oligocene, seen for example in the Forêt de la Bessède near Le Buisson-de-Cadouin .

The geological northern limit of the Périgord Noir is marked by the south-south-east to south-east trending Condat fault , where the Horst von Châtres - a crystalline basement block of the Massif Central - is raised against the Jura.

history

Remains of Carlux Castle

The Périgord noir is best known for its numerous cave sites and abrises , such as Lascaux , Rouffignac or Cro-Magnon near Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil . Troglodytic dwellings at Le Moustier are remarkable . Archaeological research has been carried out in the Périgord noir since the 19th century and highlights the importance of the Vézère valley for early history . Around Les Eyzies, 147 sites dating back a good 40,000 years are grouped, which is why the Musée national de Préhistoire was established here. Archaeological cultures were named after several sites in the Périgord noir , such as the Moustérien , the Micoquien , the Périgordien and the Magdalenien .

In addition to the cities of Sarlat and Domme, many classified settlement sites have been preserved from the Middle Ages - examples are Belvès , Beynac , Castelnaud-la-Chapelle , Limeuil , La Roque-Gageac , Saint-Amand-de-Coly and Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère . The rich past of the Périgord noir is also manifested in a large number of castles, palaces and religious buildings, including many churches and an abbey. To be mentioned are: As the Beynac Castle , the castle Castelnaud , the Château des Milandes , the Church of Saint-Martin-de-Besse and Cadouin Abbey .

During the Hundred Years War (1337 to 1453), the Périgord noir was the scene of numerous armed conflicts between the kings of England and France and was devastated several times. For example, Carlux Castle was attacked several times and finally burned down in 1406. During this time, the population was decimated and parts of the region continued to suffer from the consequences of the war, despite attempts to revitalize the economy in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Huguenot Wars (1562 to 1598) also left their mark on Périgord noir.

Photo gallery

  • Sarlat-la-Canéda

  • Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil with the Musée national de Préhistoire

  • Montignac on the Vézère

  • Abri des Roque Saint Christophe in Peyzac-le-Moustier

  • Castelnaud Castle

  • Church in Saint-Martin-de-Besse

  • Cadouin Abbey

See also

literature

  • Frédéric Zégierman: Le Guide des Pays de France, Sud . Fayard, 1999.
  • G. Karnay et al .: Le Bugue . In: Carte géologique de la France at 1/50 000 . BRGM, 1999.
  • J.-P. Capdeville and J.-P. Rigaud: Sarlat-la-Canéda . In: Carte géologique de la France at 1/50 000 . BRGM, 1987.
  • R. Feys et al .: Terrasson . In: Carte géologique de la France at 1/50 000 . BRGM, 1979.