Sarlat Cathedral
Encyclopedia
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, situated in Sarlat-la-Canéda
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Sarlat-la-Canéda , or simply Sarlat, is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Sarlat is one of the most attractive and alluring towns in southwestern France.-Geography:...
.
The Diocese of Sarlat was created in 1317 with a number of others in the region in the aftermath of the suppression of the Albigensians. The new bishop of Sarlat was the abbot of the ancient Sarlat Abbey, the church of which became the cathedral. Rebuilding was not completed until the 1680s. (The belfry dates from the 9th century). The diocese was abolished under the Concordat of 1801
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801. It solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and brought back most of its civil status....
and its territory was transferred to the Diocese of Périgueux.
The dedication refers to Saint Sacerdos
Sacerdos of Limoges
Saint Sacerdos of Limoges is a French saint. He was born near Sarlat and became a monk. He was the founder and abbot of Calviac Abbey. He was later appointed bishop of Limoges...
rather than to the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
term sacerdos ("priest"). There are two French saints called Sacerdos, but the cathedral refers to Sacerdos of Limoges
Sacerdos of Limoges
Saint Sacerdos of Limoges is a French saint. He was born near Sarlat and became a monk. He was the founder and abbot of Calviac Abbey. He was later appointed bishop of Limoges...
, whose relics it received during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.