Medieval appearance where every stone tells a story. Carennac as Beaulieu sur Dordogne, cited above, has a religious heritage of exceptional beauty. Characterized by its narrow streets, reigns in Carennac an atmosphere of tranquility and mystery.
The rich heritage of this city is characterized by its Renaissance houses with carved windows and visual complexity offered by the tangle of roofs in each other.
The Cluniac priory of the eleventh century where lived Fenelon, appears enthroned like a master of the house. Putting up the heritage, requested by the charter of the label “Pays d’Art et d’Histoires”, which Carennac is part of, is justified by the beauty of the Romanesque church, its cloister and the castle of Deans that we invite you to discover.
The village developed from the 11th century, after the foundation of a priory-deanery of the order of Cluny Abbey. Nestled along the fortifications of the monastery, Carennac retains many medieval aspects today. The Church of St. Peter has a magnificent tympanum of the 13th century.
The cloister, rebuilt in the 15th century after the Hundred Years War, houses the famous sculpture Entombment dating from the late 15th century. The construction of the Deans of the castle began in the 16th century with its facade of white stone of the country to serve as dean at the priory housing.
Halls and galleries are organized on four levels around a large staircase. It housed in 1681-1685 François de Salignac de Lamothe, better known under the name of Fenelon, future Archbishop of Cambrai, who wrote The Adventures of Telemachus there. The castle now houses the Espace heritage of the country of art and history of the Dordogne valley. There is an exhibition that explores the natural and heritage resources of this country label “Country of art and history” by the Ministry of Culture.
The castle of Deans has been a listed building built in 1938. The banks of the Dordogne or the water Tauriac a few kilometers away extend their arms to those who would make a small break on the water while Summer evening Carennac hosts a weekly farmers’ market in the region: the ideal place to sample local gastronomic wealth in a friendly atmosphere.
