top of page
Search

A visit to Périgueux

Writer's picture: Michelle ManganielloMichelle Manganiello

If you are looking for a lovely historic town to see in the Dordogne region, Périgueux is a perfect choice. Périgueux has not one, but two historic centers to see: a medieval town and the Roman town. The Gaillic people, the Petrocorri, held this area before the Roman conquest in 200 BC. After the Roman invasion, the town, Vessuna, was created and the Petrocorri left to establish themselves on the plain of L'Isle. In 1240, Vesunna, the Roman city, and the Ville du Puy-Saint-Front, the medieval city, united to form Périgueux.


The amazing Saint Front Cathedral dominates the town square. The original church was built in 1120 and changed in the 19th century by Paul Abadie, who later designed the Sacré-Coeur in Paris. Its layout is in the shape of the Greek cross, similar to St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and above the center and each arm a lovely domed roof (cupola) has been added. The cathedral was classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1998 as an important stage on the St James of Compostela Pilgrimage.



There is a colorful market in Périgueux on Wednesdays and Saturdays, right in front of the Saint Front Cathedral.

Two interesting fruits I saw: On the left is Main de Bouddha. This citrus has unusually segmented fruit resembling fingers, hence its name -- Buddha's hand.

On the right is a type of cauliflower.


The Tower Mataguerre is the last fortified tower still existing from the Mediaeval ramparts, which enclosed Puy-Saint-Front from the 12th century onwards. It consists of 28 towers and 12 gates and its name is derived from the Occitan language: "matar"; to hold at bay, and "guerra"; war.


This historical monument is called "l'eschif." It was built as a lookout post in 1347 on the ramparts of Puy-Saint-Front that allowed the surveillance of the Tournepiche bridge.


Known as "Maison des Dames de la Foi," this building is located on one of the oldest streets of Puy-Saint-Front, Rue des Farges. Property of the Order of the Temple in the middle of the 13th century, it was sold in 1332 to a bourgeois of the city, as evidenced by a deed of sale. They established a convent there which was closed in 1792.


On the western side of the town center is "Roman Perigueux," which is smaller than the medieval center but still fascinating.

This park is known as the Jardin des Arènes -- it used to be a Roman Amphitheater. Only ruins remain today, but the gardens are well-maintained and a nice spot for a picnic. More than any of the other monuments in Vesunna, the amphitheater truly represented how attached the town's elites were to Roman culture and demonstrated their quest for popularity and their desire to be elected to high office.




There is also the Château Barrière in this part of town, which is a 12th century castle burnt down during the wars of religion. One of the ramparts, the Norman gate, can also be seen, named after the invasions of the Vikings in the 9th century.


Situated near the Jardin des Arènes and the Château Barrière is the Gallo Roman Vesunna Museum, a modern glass building built over the remains of a Roman villa (a Domus). There are two main sections in this museum: 'town and public life' and 'domestic and private life.' This museum was designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Jean Nouvel in 2003 and is well worth a visit.


Inside the museum


The antique town of Périgueux


The museum is built over what is left of the Vesone domus, erected in the 1st century. Because of its size and its location in the center of the town, it is believed that this house belonged to one of the richest, aristocratic families.


The remains of the Vesone domus were uncovered in 1959 during archaeological excavation before construction work.


Located right next to the museum is the Temple of Vesunna. This monument is a circular tower that merges Celtic architecture with a traditional Roman temple design -- it is 27 meters high and 27 meters in diameter. The high-ceilinged cylindrical space in the temple (the cella) would have housed a statue of the goddess. This space was off-limits to worshippers, who would leave their offerings outside. Interestingly, there is not a lot of information known about the goddess Vesunna today and there are no representations of her.


After exploring both the medieval and Roman towns, as well as doing a little shopping, I ended the day by walking along the river that flows through the town, the Isle. The placid river is beautiful during the sunset, and offers a great view of Périgueux.

9 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Subscribe Form

Thanks for submitting!

©2020 by Michelle Manganiello. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page