Tursac

Tursac
region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Dordogne
Arrondissement	Sarlat-la-Canéda
Canton	Vallée de l'Homme
Community association	Vallée de l'Homme
Coordinates	44 ° 58 ′ N , 1 ° 3 ′ E Coordinates: 44 ° 58 ′ N , 1 ° 3 ′ E
height	57-237 m
surface	17.71 km 2
Residents	339 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	19 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	24620
INSEE code	24559
Website	Tursac
	; Village view

Tursac is a French municipality with 339 inhabitants (as of January 1 2017) in the department of Dordogne in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine . It is part of the Sarlat-la-Canéda arrondissement and the Vallée de l'Homme canton .

Location and climate

Tursac is located on the Vézère river in the wooded Périgord noir at an altitude of approx. 80 m . The city of Périgueux is about 35 km (driving distance) to the northwest; Sarlat-la-Canéda is about 25 km south-east. The climate is temperate; Rain (approx. 850 mm / year) falls over the year.

Population development

year	1800	1851	1901	1954	1999	2016
Residents	730	789	505	293	340	347

The phylloxera crisis in viticulture, the increasing mechanization of agriculture and the abandonment of small farms led to a lack of jobs in the 20th century, which in turn led to the migration of several families to the cities ( rural exodus ).

economy

For centuries, people lived as self-sufficient farmers from agriculture, which to a large extent also included livestock. One of the few tradable goods was charcoal . Since the 1960s tourism has also played a not unimportant role for the income of the municipality in the form of the rental of holiday homes ( gîtes ) .

history

The area around Tursac was visited by prehistoric hunters and gatherers who found shelter under the numerous rocky cliffs ( abris ) in the Vézère valley; One of these abris was even used from the 10th to the 17th century and especially during the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) as a well-fortified settlement area. The Maison forte de Reignac , built in the 16th century, also uses a high rock overhang as a natural bulwark. The name Tursac probably comes from Gallo-Roman times ; it has been documented since the 13th century.

Attractions

Wisent figurines from the Abri de la Madeleine (today in the Musée National de Préhistoire in Les Eyzies )

Tursac is at the center of the prehistoric sites of the Vézère Valley, all of which are registered as Monuments historiques ; With the exception of the Abri de la Madeleine , most are not open to the public:

Abri de la Madeleine
Abri Cellier au Ruth
Abri Ruth
Abri du Facteur
Gisement Liveyre
Roc du Barbeau
Grotto de la Forêt

But there are also other monuments from other eras to be found in the municipality:

The Église Saint-Julien (sometimes called the Église Notre-Dame ) dates from the 12th / 13th centuries. Century; During the Hundred Years' War the nave was raised to create an escape or shelter for the residents of the place. The church has been recognized as a monument historique since 1927 .
The Château de Marzac is mentioned as early as the 13th century; the current building, however, dates from the 15th century. The building has been recognized as a Monument historique since 1963 .
The Maison forte de Reignac was built in the 16th century under a rocky cliff (abri) and was inhabited until the 20th century. It has now been converted into a museum. The building ensemble has been recognized as a monument historique since 1964 .
Not uninteresting for young and old is the Préhistoparc near Reignac , which presents possible scenarios from the life of the Neanderthal and the Cro-Magnon man .