![]() The church is a sanctuary built mainly in the Romanesque style flanked by a massive fortified bell tower dating from the 12th century. The steep narrow lanes command some fine views over Saint-Cyprien and the Dordogne Valley below. In the old town © French MomentsĪbove the abbey church lies the district of Montmartre where houses are squeezed together as most villagers wanted to live sheltered within the village’s walls. A few little squares can be crossed such as Place de la Liberté, Place des Oies (Geese square) where the market place was dedicated to the trade of all sorts of poultry, and Place du Terme (an Occitan word meaning “hill”). The old town of Saint-Cyprien starts behind the Rue Gambetta with its narrow steep streets leading up towards the abbey church. The Tourist Information Office is located at the western end of the street, on Place Charles de Gaulle. The Sunday morning event is very popular in the area where many delicious traditional local Périgordian foods are sold: Foie gras, saucissons, goat’s milk cheese, walnut cake, wines of Monbazillac, Pecharmant and Bergerac, without forgetting affordable fresh fruit and vegetables. Rue Gambetta on Market Day © French Moments With façades featuring fine iron-wrought balconies and carved stone window surrounds, Rue Gambetta is the perfect location for the traditional Sunday market. The main street of Saint-Cyprien is Rue Gambetta, lined with shops, restaurants and bars. The first listing dated back to 1841 before being downgraded in 1883. In 1923, the church was listed as a “Monument Historique” for the second time. The cloister was destroyed and the doors leading to the church blocked off. ![]() In 1871, the abbey was used as a warehouse by the French State Tobacco Company (Régie des Tabacs) for storage purposes. The abbey was sold to the municipality on the 23rd April 1791 as a “bien national” (national asset) and the church was transformed as a “Temple of Reason dedicated to the Supreme Being” in 1792. The priory was partially rebuilt in 1685 and the keep tower connected clumsily to the church. It is said that the nave of the church was used as an arsenal where cannons were melted down. The village and its abbey were ransacked and burnt by the Protestant armies in 1568 during the Wars of Religion. In 1076, the Augustine priory was so flourishing that the archbishop of Bordeaux, Bertrand de Got (later known as Pope Clement V), placed it under his jurisdiction.ĭuring the Hundred Years War, Saint-Cyprien suffered from its position at the border separating the Kingdom of France and the English province of Aquitaine. The miracles that supposedly took place at his tomb compelled other monks to start a monastic community.įrom 848, the Barbarian Invasions led the monks to protect themselves behind the high walls of the monastery. The village owes its name to Cyprien, a hermit who settled in the nearby Fages caves circa 620 AD. The history of Saint-Cyprien is closely linked to that of the abbey. History In the old town of Saint-Cyprien © French Moments The narrow streets wind uphill towards the abbey church which dominates the charming village and looks down on the typical Périgordian roofs. ![]() Saint-Cyprien enjoys an enviable position established on a hillside on the right bank of the Dordogne Valley.
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