As of September 2007 Walking Dordogne will be offering exciting day trips for the kids.
We have put together an exciting horse ride which will last for about two hours, followed by a spectaculer hike to explore a few caves, picnic on a real prehistoric rock ledge with stunning views. Total time is about 5-6 hours. Another option is the Canoe, Horse ride and Hike package. Suitable for ages 8+
For more information go to www.walkingdordogne.com
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Cave of Lascaux
Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its cave paintings. The original caves are located near the village of Montignac, in the Dordogne département. They contain some of the most well-known (Upper Paleolithic) art, dating back to somewhere between 15,000 and 13,000 BCE. They consist mostly of realistic images of large animals, including aurochs, most of which are known from fossil evidence to have lived in the area at the time. They were added to UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1979.
HISTORY
The cave was discovered on 12 September 1940 by four teenagers, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel, and Simon Coencas, as well as Ravidat's dog, Robot. Public access was made easier after World War II. By 1955, the carbon dioxide produced by 1,200 visitors per day had visibly damaged the paintings. The cave was closed to the public in 1963 in order to preserve the art. After the cave was closed, the paintings were restored to their original state, and are now monitored on a daily basis. Rooms in the cave include The Great Hall of the Bulls, the Lateral Passage, the Shaft of the Dead Man, the Chamber of Engravings, the Painted Gallery, and the Chamber of Felines.
Lascaux II, a replica of two of the cave halls - the Great Hall of the Bulls and the Painted Gallery - was opened in 1983. Reproductions of other Lascaux artwork can be seen at the Centre of Prehistoric Art at Le Thot, France.
THE IMAGES
The cave contains nearly 2,000 figures. Many are too faint to discern, while others have deteriorated. Over 900 can be identified as animals, and 605 of these have been precisely identified. There are also many geometric figures. Of the animals, horses predominate, with 364 images. There are 90 paintings of stags. Also represented are cattle and bison, each representing 4-5% of the images. A smattering of other images include seven felines, a bird, a bear, a rhinoceros, and a human. Among the most famous images are four huge, black bulls in the Hall of the Bulls. There are no images of reindeer, even though that was the principal source of food for the artists.[1]
The four black bulls are the dominant figures among the 36 animals represented in the Hall of the Bulls. One of the bulls is 17 feet long -- the largest animal discovered so far in cave art. The bulls appear to be in motion.[2] The most famous section of this cave is the great hall of the bulls, where there are bulls, horses, and stags.
A painting referred to as "The Crossed Bison" and found in the chamber called the Nave is often held as an example of the skill of the Paleolithic cave painters. The crossed hind legs show the ability to use perspective in a manner that wasn't seen again until the 15th century.
Of the non-figurative images, one researcher has speculated that the painted dots are maps of the night sky, since the patterns correlate with various constellations.
Our recommended accommodation near Lascaux:
B&B Ferme de Tayac. Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery situated ideally in the hart of the Vezere Valley and just 30 minutes from Lascaux http://www.fermedetayac.com/
HISTORY
The cave was discovered on 12 September 1940 by four teenagers, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel, and Simon Coencas, as well as Ravidat's dog, Robot. Public access was made easier after World War II. By 1955, the carbon dioxide produced by 1,200 visitors per day had visibly damaged the paintings. The cave was closed to the public in 1963 in order to preserve the art. After the cave was closed, the paintings were restored to their original state, and are now monitored on a daily basis. Rooms in the cave include The Great Hall of the Bulls, the Lateral Passage, the Shaft of the Dead Man, the Chamber of Engravings, the Painted Gallery, and the Chamber of Felines.
Lascaux II, a replica of two of the cave halls - the Great Hall of the Bulls and the Painted Gallery - was opened in 1983. Reproductions of other Lascaux artwork can be seen at the Centre of Prehistoric Art at Le Thot, France.
THE IMAGES
The cave contains nearly 2,000 figures. Many are too faint to discern, while others have deteriorated. Over 900 can be identified as animals, and 605 of these have been precisely identified. There are also many geometric figures. Of the animals, horses predominate, with 364 images. There are 90 paintings of stags. Also represented are cattle and bison, each representing 4-5% of the images. A smattering of other images include seven felines, a bird, a bear, a rhinoceros, and a human. Among the most famous images are four huge, black bulls in the Hall of the Bulls. There are no images of reindeer, even though that was the principal source of food for the artists.[1]
The four black bulls are the dominant figures among the 36 animals represented in the Hall of the Bulls. One of the bulls is 17 feet long -- the largest animal discovered so far in cave art. The bulls appear to be in motion.[2] The most famous section of this cave is the great hall of the bulls, where there are bulls, horses, and stags.
A painting referred to as "The Crossed Bison" and found in the chamber called the Nave is often held as an example of the skill of the Paleolithic cave painters. The crossed hind legs show the ability to use perspective in a manner that wasn't seen again until the 15th century.
Of the non-figurative images, one researcher has speculated that the painted dots are maps of the night sky, since the patterns correlate with various constellations.
Our recommended accommodation near Lascaux:
B&B Ferme de Tayac. Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery situated ideally in the hart of the Vezere Valley and just 30 minutes from Lascaux http://www.fermedetayac.com/
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Canoeing the Vezere
Walking Dordogne has about 20 excellent walks in their Itinerary, varying from 3 hours to 10 hours, most walks can be combined with other walks to make them longer or shorter. Our walks are guaranteed to show you the REAL Dordogne, and take you to all the main highlights this region is famous for.
Canoeing the Vezere is an amazing experience. Riddled with caves, shelters, and dwellings, canoeing offers you an unforgettable experience.Chances are you will spot deer, wild boar, otters, buzzards and kingfishers.Why not combine walking and canoeing for an ultimate experience?.
To see the REAL Dordogne, vist: www.walkingdordogne.com
B&B Ferme de Tayac
Ferme de Tayac. The most loved and talked about Bed and Breakfast in the Dordogne. Ferme de Tayac, a beautiful 12th century former farmhouse / monastery situated next to St. Martin, the fortified church of the lovely peaceful village Tayac, and 1km from Les Eyzies known as the “Prehistoric Capital” of the world.
For hundreds of years Ferme de Tayac was worked by the Monks, and with all of it’s authentic buildings,ruins, rooms carved into the rock, meter thick fortified walls and original oak beam construction, it’s no wonder that Ferme de Tayac is a much loved and talked about Bed and Breakfast.
The bedrooms at “Ferme de Tayac” are former Monks quarters, all with lovely peaceful views of the valley and the many Prehistoric dwellings in the cliffs rock face.
The Vezere valley in the “Black Perigord”,where Ferme de Tayac is situated is known to be the most beautiful region of France,and with more than 250 UNESCO sites, has earned title of being the Prehistoric Capital of the World.
Bed and Breakfast Ferme de Tayac is the ideal place to stay whilst exploring and enjoying everything this amazingly beautiful area has to offer. All the main attractions (and there are LOTS of them) are within 20 minutes from Ferme de Tayac, some are even in walking distance, and one of them is Ferme de Tayac.
Visit the official Ferme de Tayac web site : http://www.fermedetayac.com/
Read travellers reviews about Ferme de Tayac:
For hundreds of years Ferme de Tayac was worked by the Monks, and with all of it’s authentic buildings,ruins, rooms carved into the rock, meter thick fortified walls and original oak beam construction, it’s no wonder that Ferme de Tayac is a much loved and talked about Bed and Breakfast.
The bedrooms at “Ferme de Tayac” are former Monks quarters, all with lovely peaceful views of the valley and the many Prehistoric dwellings in the cliffs rock face.
The Vezere valley in the “Black Perigord”,where Ferme de Tayac is situated is known to be the most beautiful region of France,and with more than 250 UNESCO sites, has earned title of being the Prehistoric Capital of the World.
Bed and Breakfast Ferme de Tayac is the ideal place to stay whilst exploring and enjoying everything this amazingly beautiful area has to offer. All the main attractions (and there are LOTS of them) are within 20 minutes from Ferme de Tayac, some are even in walking distance, and one of them is Ferme de Tayac.
Visit the official Ferme de Tayac web site : http://www.fermedetayac.com/
Read travellers reviews about Ferme de Tayac:
Exploring the REAL Dordogne
Dordogne, also known as the Perigord is without a doubt one of the most interesting and diverse regions in the world. The Vezere Valley in the “Perigord Noir” is with it’s more than 250 UNESCO sites of interest, the undisputed “Prehistoric Capital of the World”. Prehistoric dwellings, caves, rock shelters and lots more, most of which are only accessible on foot. However, Dordogne has much more to offer than just relics from the Prehistoric era, castles, bastides, medieval towns & villages, all of these,and lots more, all in the stunning and amazing scenery the Dordogne is famous for, hills, cliffs, windy rivers, great weather, friendly locals, and lots more make the Dordogne one of the most interesting and exciting places in the world.
Walking Dordogne takes you to all the well kept secrets that are only accessible on foot. To see the “Real Dordogne” you will have to get off the roads, and on the tracks. Let us take you back, to the places our ancestors called “home” more than 260000 years ago.
For more info please visit http://www.walkingdordogne.com/
History of the Dordogne
Quiet and tranquil now, the Dordogne region has had a tumultuous past. This history has left its mark all over the region, so before any visit to the region it is useful to have a brief understanding of the history of the area, so that the caves and dwellings,the castles and the bastides, the culture and the heritage, are set in context.
There are several significant stages to the history of the Dordogne region:
PREHISTORY
There is evidence across the region of the prehistoric activity, most clearly seen in the numerous cave paintings. The caves at Lascaux are perhaps the finest example anywhere, and date from approximately 15,000 years ago. But man had lived in the area for perhaps 400-500,000 years prior to this high point. Initially as Homo erectus, but he gave way later (100,000 years ago) to Neanderthal man, who was more capable at making tools.
The caves of the area provided ‘quality accommodation to these individuals trying to escape the cold of the last ice age, and also enabled them to hunt for reindeer and mammoths. It is likely that when the ice age ended, and the reindeer moved north, this first early period of semi-civilisation came to an end.
It was about 35,000 years ago that humans ‘as we know them’ arrived - homo-sapiens, as Cro-Magnon man. They co-existed with Nenderthal man for about 5,000 years. It was Cro-magnon man who brought hunting and painting skills to the region. This period, which lasted until approximately 10,000 years ago, was the period in which the paintings of Lascaux caves etc were created.
From that period, until 2500 years ago there were fundamental changes in lifestyle. Hunting gave way in part to raising cattle for food, and food-gathering gave way to agriculture and the planting of crops. Decorative pottery was made, and towards the end of this period copper implements were also made.
History of the Dordogne after 2000 BC - the Celts and the Romans
Life in the Dordogne continued to improve. Bronze implements were made, horses were trained and used for hunting, and more sophisticated dwellings were constructed from rock - there are many dolmens in the region that remain from this period.
The wheel was invented, and when used with animals that could pull carts, will have had a substantial impact on the lifestyle of early man. But meanwhile greater, more efficient civilisations were developing elsewhere and these wre to change the Dordogne (and the world) for ever.
The Celts moved across France and reached the area about 2500 years ago. Much more sophisticated than the inhabitants at that time, they were skilled at metalworking, and developed trade routes across France and Europe. They lived in towns, usually constructed on hilltops for defensive reasons, where a complex administrative function was established.
They created the first cities, including the city that is now Perigueux.
The Romans arrive in the Dordogne
The life of the celts - gauls as they were known now - was soon to be disrupted by the arrival of the Romans. 2,200 years ago, in 56 BC, they moved into the Dordogne under Publius Crassus, a lieutenant of Caesar, and rapidly conquered the gauls.
In AD 16 Aquitaine was born, as Aquitania, covering a large part of South West France. The fertile land rapidly attracted new Roman settlers, who brought ever more advanced agricultural techniques to the region, and constructed buildings, towns and cities that were very sophisticated.
The chief Roman towns in the region were at Perigueux and Cahors.
Romans also brought their language and culture to the Dordogne, and introduced the first vines to the region. The rich among them lived in splendid villas, at the centre of large farming complexes.
Numerous remains from the Roman period exist in the region, although not in the scale that they are found.
Vandals , Francs and Moors
Constant attacks on all fronts weakened the Roman empire, and these intensified after about 300 years of occupation. Various tribes from eastern europe invaded the region, constantly attempting to take the fertile lands from the Roman occupiers.
The Vandals and Visigoths were the most successful at displacing the Romans. Many of the fine villas and towns that had been established were destroyed, and new towns started to be developed with defensive walls and fortifications. There are many examples of fortified towns to be seen in the Dordogne region.
The vandals and visigoths had a short lived victory, because by the beginning of the 6th century they too were defeated by the Francs.
The Moors from the south were soon to follow, and took control of the area in the eighth century, before being themselves defeated. A tumultuous time of change in the Dordogne region of France, with Charlemagne expanding the boundaries further.
The Vikings then invaded from the north during the 10th century, burning villages and destroying everything else in their path as they moved along the Dordogne and Isle rivers.
The vikings too were eventually repelled. As part of the repulsion of the Vikings, four ‘baronies’ were established - Beynac, Biron, Mareuil and Bourdeilles. This provided the backdrop for much of what happened in the region over the following centuries, with powerful central families controlling much of the Dordogne.
By 1000 AD a number of towns that we still recognise had been established across the region.
The Middle Ages
During the Middle ages many of the bastide towns in the area were founded. Many are still in existence nowadays (see Towns’).
Eleanor of Aquitaine was next to cause problems in the area. She inherited much of Aquitaine, and married the King of France, Louis VII. But this marriage was annulled after 15 years, and Eleanor married Henry Plantagenet. Henry then became king of England, and a large part of France thus fell under English rule. Not surprisingly this caused some tensions! The problem was to cause rivalries that lasted hundreds of years. The problem was compounded when Eleanor and Henry had a troublesome son - Richard the Lionheart. When King Henry died, Richard inherited the throne of England and all its French lands.
In 1328, following the deaths of the 3 sons of Philippe le Bel, the French selected Philippe Count of Valois to be king, in place of Edward III. Edward III was the king of England and was also the nephew of the deceased French king.
Later, things got worse still, and in 1337 Philippe VI ordered that the lands of Aquitaine be taken from the English. In 1340 Edward III declared himself King of France. Thus the Hundred Years War began. During the Hundred Years war there were numerous ‘famous’ battles including the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The war was all but lost for the French, and it was agreed that Henry V was the heir to the French throne. But then Henry V died unexpectedly, leaving only a baby as his heir.
Soon after the young Joan of Arc appeared on the scene and remotivated the French king - now Charles VII - and his armies. It was in 1451 at the Battle of Castillon the English were finally defeated (a battle now spectacularly recreated each year for the enjoyment of tourists).
The 16th century led to further troubles, with numerous sieges, battles and unlimited cruelty during the Wars of Religion (between the catholics and the protestants) that ravaged the region. Several massacres of entire towns took place, and much of the earlier heritage of the Dordogne was destroyed.
It was only in 1598, when the Edict of Nantes granted certain freedoms to the protestants, that the battles came to an end.
The 17th and 18th centuries
Across the whole of France the 17th and 18th centuries were an unsettled time.
Centuries of battles had weakened the region, the Black death was rampant, and there were many years in which the harvests were poor. Food shortages, price rises and falling wages all made life very difficult for the poor, while the rich appeared to get ever richer, based in part on a series of unpopular taxes. Meanwhile the region experienced enormous population growth, further compounding the problems.
It is hard to imagine the desperation of a people who can simply see no escape from the terrible poverty, the high mortality rate and the daily struggle to survive.
The final straw was the imposition of a heavy salt tax on the region, and many people were living in constant destitution, virtually enslaved to the landowners and state.
This poverty also encouraged bands of ‘pirates’ to cross the countryside, pillaging villages as they went. The villagers were especially aggrieved that the landowners, despite receiving large amounts of tax, were unable to prevent these attacks.
This was more than could be tolerated and in 1594 there was a peasant revolt, touching much of the region between Bergerac and Sarlat.
A small victory was obtained, with a slight lifting of the taxes, but the victory was short-lived and for many years there were frequent uprisings against the landowners, almost always met with excessive force and reprisals. The revolts usually pitted peasants armed with pitchforks and agricultural implements against much better armed forces, so the outcome was not surprising.
These uprisings continued more or less sporadically until the time of the French Revolution.
Revolution, Napoleon, and after
Things reached a head in 1789, although more in Paris than the rest of the country.
The French Revolution overturned the existing regime and led to a time of great troubles in France, known as the Great Terror, which lasted until 1794 with much death and witch-hunting. The moderate Girondins based in Bordeaux suffered greatly during these years.
Only 10 years later, in 1804, Napoleon had leapt to power and been crowned emperor, to enormous popular support from the people. His fame and reputation relied largely on his great victories in wars with neighbouring countries, but he also had great success with a new legal code, the Napoleonic Code, which is still the foundation of the modern French legal system.
Many people from the Dordogne region joined the armies of Napoleon, which continued to enjoy success until the disastrous march on Moscow in 1812. This defeat was followed by others and napoleon was finally removed at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Poverty in the south-west of France increased still further, helped by the abolition of the slave trade which had formed an important part of Bordeaux revenues. But as the 19th century progressed some semblance of normality returned and the poverty levels decreased significantly.
Towards the end of the 19th century two new trends were seen that continue to this day. The first is tourism, and the second is rural depopulation. Unfortunately it took tourism another 100 years to catch up with the exodus of the young from the area, and to start to rebuild and reconstruct some of the long abandoned buildings and villages.
Finally it must be noted in tribute that many French from the region lost their lives at war during the 20th century, albeit that the battlefields were far away in northern France. Almost all villages in the Dordogne have a war memorial commemorating the young people of the region lost in the war.
The people of the Dordogne region also played an active role in the resistance movement during the second World War, and there are several locations that you will come across where there are memorials and tributes to these events.
Recommended accommodation in Les Eyzies de Tayac:
B&B Ferme de Tayac. Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery situated ideally in the hart of the Vezere Valley and just 5 minutes from Les Eyzies, the Prehistoric Capital of the World
http://www.fermedetayac.com/
There are several significant stages to the history of the Dordogne region:
PREHISTORY
There is evidence across the region of the prehistoric activity, most clearly seen in the numerous cave paintings. The caves at Lascaux are perhaps the finest example anywhere, and date from approximately 15,000 years ago. But man had lived in the area for perhaps 400-500,000 years prior to this high point. Initially as Homo erectus, but he gave way later (100,000 years ago) to Neanderthal man, who was more capable at making tools.
The caves of the area provided ‘quality accommodation to these individuals trying to escape the cold of the last ice age, and also enabled them to hunt for reindeer and mammoths. It is likely that when the ice age ended, and the reindeer moved north, this first early period of semi-civilisation came to an end.
It was about 35,000 years ago that humans ‘as we know them’ arrived - homo-sapiens, as Cro-Magnon man. They co-existed with Nenderthal man for about 5,000 years. It was Cro-magnon man who brought hunting and painting skills to the region. This period, which lasted until approximately 10,000 years ago, was the period in which the paintings of Lascaux caves etc were created.
From that period, until 2500 years ago there were fundamental changes in lifestyle. Hunting gave way in part to raising cattle for food, and food-gathering gave way to agriculture and the planting of crops. Decorative pottery was made, and towards the end of this period copper implements were also made.
History of the Dordogne after 2000 BC - the Celts and the Romans
Life in the Dordogne continued to improve. Bronze implements were made, horses were trained and used for hunting, and more sophisticated dwellings were constructed from rock - there are many dolmens in the region that remain from this period.
The wheel was invented, and when used with animals that could pull carts, will have had a substantial impact on the lifestyle of early man. But meanwhile greater, more efficient civilisations were developing elsewhere and these wre to change the Dordogne (and the world) for ever.
The Celts moved across France and reached the area about 2500 years ago. Much more sophisticated than the inhabitants at that time, they were skilled at metalworking, and developed trade routes across France and Europe. They lived in towns, usually constructed on hilltops for defensive reasons, where a complex administrative function was established.
They created the first cities, including the city that is now Perigueux.
The Romans arrive in the Dordogne
The life of the celts - gauls as they were known now - was soon to be disrupted by the arrival of the Romans. 2,200 years ago, in 56 BC, they moved into the Dordogne under Publius Crassus, a lieutenant of Caesar, and rapidly conquered the gauls.
In AD 16 Aquitaine was born, as Aquitania, covering a large part of South West France. The fertile land rapidly attracted new Roman settlers, who brought ever more advanced agricultural techniques to the region, and constructed buildings, towns and cities that were very sophisticated.
The chief Roman towns in the region were at Perigueux and Cahors.
Romans also brought their language and culture to the Dordogne, and introduced the first vines to the region. The rich among them lived in splendid villas, at the centre of large farming complexes.
Numerous remains from the Roman period exist in the region, although not in the scale that they are found.
Vandals , Francs and Moors
Constant attacks on all fronts weakened the Roman empire, and these intensified after about 300 years of occupation. Various tribes from eastern europe invaded the region, constantly attempting to take the fertile lands from the Roman occupiers.
The Vandals and Visigoths were the most successful at displacing the Romans. Many of the fine villas and towns that had been established were destroyed, and new towns started to be developed with defensive walls and fortifications. There are many examples of fortified towns to be seen in the Dordogne region.
The vandals and visigoths had a short lived victory, because by the beginning of the 6th century they too were defeated by the Francs.
The Moors from the south were soon to follow, and took control of the area in the eighth century, before being themselves defeated. A tumultuous time of change in the Dordogne region of France, with Charlemagne expanding the boundaries further.
The Vikings then invaded from the north during the 10th century, burning villages and destroying everything else in their path as they moved along the Dordogne and Isle rivers.
The vikings too were eventually repelled. As part of the repulsion of the Vikings, four ‘baronies’ were established - Beynac, Biron, Mareuil and Bourdeilles. This provided the backdrop for much of what happened in the region over the following centuries, with powerful central families controlling much of the Dordogne.
By 1000 AD a number of towns that we still recognise had been established across the region.
The Middle Ages
During the Middle ages many of the bastide towns in the area were founded. Many are still in existence nowadays (see Towns’).
Eleanor of Aquitaine was next to cause problems in the area. She inherited much of Aquitaine, and married the King of France, Louis VII. But this marriage was annulled after 15 years, and Eleanor married Henry Plantagenet. Henry then became king of England, and a large part of France thus fell under English rule. Not surprisingly this caused some tensions! The problem was to cause rivalries that lasted hundreds of years. The problem was compounded when Eleanor and Henry had a troublesome son - Richard the Lionheart. When King Henry died, Richard inherited the throne of England and all its French lands.
In 1328, following the deaths of the 3 sons of Philippe le Bel, the French selected Philippe Count of Valois to be king, in place of Edward III. Edward III was the king of England and was also the nephew of the deceased French king.
Later, things got worse still, and in 1337 Philippe VI ordered that the lands of Aquitaine be taken from the English. In 1340 Edward III declared himself King of France. Thus the Hundred Years War began. During the Hundred Years war there were numerous ‘famous’ battles including the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The war was all but lost for the French, and it was agreed that Henry V was the heir to the French throne. But then Henry V died unexpectedly, leaving only a baby as his heir.
Soon after the young Joan of Arc appeared on the scene and remotivated the French king - now Charles VII - and his armies. It was in 1451 at the Battle of Castillon the English were finally defeated (a battle now spectacularly recreated each year for the enjoyment of tourists).
The 16th century led to further troubles, with numerous sieges, battles and unlimited cruelty during the Wars of Religion (between the catholics and the protestants) that ravaged the region. Several massacres of entire towns took place, and much of the earlier heritage of the Dordogne was destroyed.
It was only in 1598, when the Edict of Nantes granted certain freedoms to the protestants, that the battles came to an end.
The 17th and 18th centuries
Across the whole of France the 17th and 18th centuries were an unsettled time.
Centuries of battles had weakened the region, the Black death was rampant, and there were many years in which the harvests were poor. Food shortages, price rises and falling wages all made life very difficult for the poor, while the rich appeared to get ever richer, based in part on a series of unpopular taxes. Meanwhile the region experienced enormous population growth, further compounding the problems.
It is hard to imagine the desperation of a people who can simply see no escape from the terrible poverty, the high mortality rate and the daily struggle to survive.
The final straw was the imposition of a heavy salt tax on the region, and many people were living in constant destitution, virtually enslaved to the landowners and state.
This poverty also encouraged bands of ‘pirates’ to cross the countryside, pillaging villages as they went. The villagers were especially aggrieved that the landowners, despite receiving large amounts of tax, were unable to prevent these attacks.
This was more than could be tolerated and in 1594 there was a peasant revolt, touching much of the region between Bergerac and Sarlat.
A small victory was obtained, with a slight lifting of the taxes, but the victory was short-lived and for many years there were frequent uprisings against the landowners, almost always met with excessive force and reprisals. The revolts usually pitted peasants armed with pitchforks and agricultural implements against much better armed forces, so the outcome was not surprising.
These uprisings continued more or less sporadically until the time of the French Revolution.
Revolution, Napoleon, and after
Things reached a head in 1789, although more in Paris than the rest of the country.
The French Revolution overturned the existing regime and led to a time of great troubles in France, known as the Great Terror, which lasted until 1794 with much death and witch-hunting. The moderate Girondins based in Bordeaux suffered greatly during these years.
Only 10 years later, in 1804, Napoleon had leapt to power and been crowned emperor, to enormous popular support from the people. His fame and reputation relied largely on his great victories in wars with neighbouring countries, but he also had great success with a new legal code, the Napoleonic Code, which is still the foundation of the modern French legal system.
Many people from the Dordogne region joined the armies of Napoleon, which continued to enjoy success until the disastrous march on Moscow in 1812. This defeat was followed by others and napoleon was finally removed at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Poverty in the south-west of France increased still further, helped by the abolition of the slave trade which had formed an important part of Bordeaux revenues. But as the 19th century progressed some semblance of normality returned and the poverty levels decreased significantly.
Towards the end of the 19th century two new trends were seen that continue to this day. The first is tourism, and the second is rural depopulation. Unfortunately it took tourism another 100 years to catch up with the exodus of the young from the area, and to start to rebuild and reconstruct some of the long abandoned buildings and villages.
Finally it must be noted in tribute that many French from the region lost their lives at war during the 20th century, albeit that the battlefields were far away in northern France. Almost all villages in the Dordogne have a war memorial commemorating the young people of the region lost in the war.
The people of the Dordogne region also played an active role in the resistance movement during the second World War, and there are several locations that you will come across where there are memorials and tributes to these events.
Recommended accommodation in Les Eyzies de Tayac:
B&B Ferme de Tayac. Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery situated ideally in the hart of the Vezere Valley and just 5 minutes from Les Eyzies, the Prehistoric Capital of the World
http://www.fermedetayac.com/
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