Cathédrale Saint-Sacerdos

Gothic and Renaissance cathedral at the heart of Sarlat's medieval core

The Cathédrale Saint-Sacerdos is the architectural anchor of Sarlat's old town, a former Benedictine abbey church that became a cathedral in 1317 and was modified and expanded over the following three centuries. The result is an engaging mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance elements — most visible in the nave, where different campaigns of construction are legible in the stonework.

The interior is relatively plain, which makes the quality of the light through the upper windows more effective. The organ case is a notable piece of 17th-century woodwork. Behind the cathedral, the atmospheric Jardin des Enfeux — an old open-air ossuary with pointed arches — and the mysterious Lanterne des Morts can both be reached by passing through the side door.

things to do sight architecture
A story
Saint Sacerdos was a 6th-century bishop of Limoges, born near Sarlat, who founded a Benedictine monastery on this spot. The town that grew around it inherited his name as its patron. The cathedral itself was not completed until the 17th century — a span of nearly six hundred years from groundbreaking to consecration, reflecting every shift in French ecclesiastical taste along the way.