Lanterne des Morts

12th-century funerary tower whose original purpose remains disputed

The Lanterne des Morts is a 12th-century cylindrical tower, about 15 metres high, that stands in the garden behind the cathedral. Its purpose is unknown. The most common theories are that a flame was lit at the top to guide souls of the dead, or that it served as a charnel tower where bones were stored after the surrounding graveyard reached capacity. Neither is proven.

The tower is one of only a handful of surviving examples in France, and Sarlat's is the best preserved. It cannot be entered, but the exterior in the quiet cathedral garden — away from the tour groups on the main square — is one of the more genuinely mysterious spots in the Dordogne.

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A story
Local tradition holds that the tower was built to commemorate a miracle performed by Saint Bernard during a visit to Sarlat in 1147 — that he blessed bread, which multiplied to feed the crowds, and that no one who ate it died during the epidemic then sweeping the region. A lantern was lit at the top to mark the spot. Whether any of this is true is unverifiable, which only adds to the tower's atmosphere.

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