Dordogne

Dordogne (UK: /dɔːrˈdɔɪn/ dor-DOYN,

US: /dɔːrˈdoʊn/ dor-DOHN or /dɔːrˈdɔːnjə/
dor-DAWN-yə;[3][4] French: [dɔʁdɔɲ] ( listen);
Occitan: Dordonha [duɾˈduɲɔ]) is a large
rural department in Southwestern France,
with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in
the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-
way between the Loire Valley and the
Pyrenees, it is named after the river
Dordogne, which runs through it. It
corresponds roughly to the ancient county
of Périgord. In January 2019, Dordogne
had a population of 413,223.[5]
 Dordogne
Dordonha (Occitan)
Department

From top down, left to right: prefecture

building in Périgueux, Château de
Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, river Lourde and La
Roque-Gageac
 Flag Coat of arms

Location of Dordogne in France

Coordinates: 45°0′N 0°40′E (https://geohack.
toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Dord
ogne&params=45_0_N_0_40_E_region:FR_ty
pe:adm2nd)

Country France
Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Prefecture Périgueux
Subprefectures Bergerac
Nontron
 Sarlat-la-Canéda
Government
 • President of the Germinal Peiro[1]
Departmental (PS)
Council
Area1
 • Total 9,060 km2
(3,500 sq mi)
Population (Jan. 2020)[2]
 • Total 412,807
 • Rank 60th
 • Density 46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number 24
Arrondissements 4
Cantons 25
Communes 503
 ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude
estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers
larger than 1 km2

History
The county of Périgord dates back to when
the area was inhabited by the Gauls. It was
originally home to four tribes. The name
for "four tribes" in the Gaulish language
was "Petrocore". The area eventually
became known as the county of Le
Périgord and its inhabitants became
known as the Périgordins (or
Périgourdins). There are four Périgords in
the Dordogne.
The "Périgord Vert" (Green Périgord),
with its main town of Nontron, consists
of verdant valleys in a region crossed by
many rivers and streams.
The "Périgord Blanc" (White Périgord),
situated around the department's capital
of Périgueux, is a region of limestone
plateaux, wide valleys, and meadows.
The "Périgord Pourpre" (Purple Périgord)
with its capital of Bergerac, is a wine
region.
The "Périgord Noir" (Black Périgord)
surrounding the administrative center of
Sarlat, overlooks the valleys of the
 Vézère and the Dordogne, where the
woods of oak and pine give it its name.

The river Dordogne near Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

The Petrocores took part in the resistance
against Rome. Concentrated in a few
major sites are the vestiges of the Gallo-
Roman period-–the gigantic ruined tower
and arenas in Périgueux (formerly
Vesone), the Périgord museum's
archaeological collections, villa remains in
Montcaret, and the Roman tower of La
Rigale Castle in Villetoureix. The earliest
cluzeaux (artificial caves either above or
below ground) can be found throughout
the Dordogne. These subterranean refuges
and lookout huts were large enough to
shelter entire local populations. According
to Julius Caesar, the Gauls took refuge in
these caves during the resistance.
After Guienne province was transferred to
the English Crown under the Plantagenets
following the remarriage of Eleanor of
Aquitaine in 1152, Périgord passed by right
to English suzerainty. Being situated at the
boundaries of influence of the monarchies
of France and England, it oscillated
between the two dynasties for more than
three hundred years of struggle until the
end of the Hundred Years' War in 1453.
The county had been torn apart and, as a
consequence, that modeled its
physiognomy.

During the calmer periods of the late 15th

and early 16th centuries, the Castillon
plain on the banks of the Dordogne saw a
development in urban architecture. The
finest Gothic and Renaissance residences
were built in Périgueux, Bergerac, and
Sarlat. In the countryside, the nobility
erected the majority of the more than 1200
chateaux, manors and country houses. In
the second half of the 16th century,
however, war was waged in the area, as
the attacks, pillaging, and fires of the Wars
of Religion reached a rare degree of
violence in Périgord. At the time, Bergerac
was one of the most powerful Huguenot
strongholds, along with La Rochelle.
Following these wars, Périgord, fief of
Henry of Navarre, was to return to the
Crown for good and would continue to
suffer from the sudden political changes
of the French nation, from the Revolution
to the tragic hours of the Resistance.

We also encounter the memory of the

region's most important literary figures:
Arnaut Daniel, Bertran de Born, Michel de
Montaigne, Étienne de La Boétie,
Brantôme, Fenelon, Maine de Biran,
Eugene Le Roy, and André Maurois; its
great captains: Talleyrand, Saint-Exupéry,
Biron; and even entertainer and activist
Josephine Baker. A number of ruins (La
Chapelle-Faucher, I'Herm) have retained
the memory of the tragedies that took
place within their walls. Several of the
castles and châteaux are open to visitors;
some of them, such as Bourdeilles and
Mareuil, house noteworthy collections.

In addition to its castles, chateaux,

churches, bastides, and cave fortresses,
the Périgord region has preserved since
centuries past a number of villages that
still have their market halls, dovecotes,
bories (stone huts), churches, abbeys, and
castles. Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, Connezac,
Saint-Jean-de-Côle, La Roque-Gageac, and
many others contain important and
visually interesting architectural examples.
The old quarters of Périgueux or Bergerac
have been restored and developed into
pedestrian areas. A number of small
towns, such as Brantôme, Issigeac, Eymet
and Mareuil, have withstood the changes
of modern times. A special mention
should be made in this respect to Sarlat
and its Black Périgord area.

Dordogne is one of the original 83

departments created on 4 March 1790
during the French Revolution. It was
created from the former province of
Périgord, the county of Périgord. Its
borders continued to change over
subsequent decades.
In 1793 the communes of Boisseuilh,
Coubjours, Génis, Payzac, Saint-Cyr-les-
Champagnes, Saint-Mesmin, Salagnac,
Savignac, Saint-Trié and Teillots were
transferred from Corrèze to Dordogne.
In 1794 Dordogne ceded Cavarc to Lot-
et-Garonne. Later in 1794 (albeit during
the subsequent year under the
Republican Calendar in use at the time),
Dordogne gained Parcoul from
Charente-Inférieure.
Following the restoration, in 1819, the
commune of Bonrepos was suppressed
and merged with the adjacent commune
of Souillac in Lot.
In 1870, shortly after France fought
against Prussia in a war that the enemy
was winning, a young aristocrat called
Alain de Monéys was savagely tortured
and then burned by a crowd of between
300 and 800 people for two hours on 16
August in a public square in the village of
Hautefaye in the north-west of the
department. Details of the incident remain
unclear: the leading participants appear to
have been drunk, and before the
introduction of mass education most of
the witnesses would have been unable
(and possibly unwilling) to write down
what they saw. But at some stage the
victim died, and following a trial four
individuals identified as culpable were in
turn condemned to die by guillotine. The
sentence was carried out in the same
public square on 13 February 1885.

It was suggested that the victim had

reported the (bad) news of the war in a
way that implied support for the enemy,
although subsequently it became clear
that his patriotic credentials were beyond
reproach. It was also suggested that the
mob had been antagonized when he called
out, "Vive la République!" (Long live the
republic) at a time when the patriotic
villagers valued the imperial regime, which
Parisian revolutionaries were in the
process of destroying. This incident has
been studied by historian Alain Corbin,[6]
among others.

Geography
The department is part of the region of
Nouvelle-Aquitaine and is surrounded by
the six départements of Haute-Vienne,
Corrèze, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Gironde,
Charente-Maritime, and Charente.
Dordogne is the third-largest department
of metropolitan France. In total area, it is
larger than Cyprus and smaller than Cape
Verde.
Principal towns

The most populous commune is

Périgueux, the prefecture. As of 2019,
there are 9 communes with more than
5,000 inhabitants:[5]

Commune Population (2019)

Périgueux 29,896

Bergerac 26,693

Boulazac Isle Manoire 10,737

Sarlat-la-Canéda 8,816

Coulounieix-Chamiers 7,387

Trélissac 7,006

Terrasson-Lavilledieu 6,266

Montpon-Ménestérol 5,704

Saint-Astier 5,352
Demographics
Historical population
Year Pop. ±% p.a. Year Pop. ±% p
1791433,343 —     1931383,720−0.33
1801409,475−0.56% 1936386,963+0.17
1806424,113+0.70% 1946387,643+0.02
1821453,136+0.44% 1954377,870−0.32
1831482,750+0.64% 1962375,455−0.08
1841490,263+0.15% 1968374,073−0.06
1851505,789+0.31% 1975373,179−0.03
1861501,687−0.08% 1982377,356+0.16
1872480,141−0.40% 1990386,365+0.30
1881495,037+0.34% 1999388,293+0.06
1891478,471−0.34% 2006404,052+0.57
1901452,951−0.55% 2011415,168+0.54
1911437,432−0.35% 2016414,789−0.02
 1921396,742−0.97%

source:[7][8]

The population peaked at 505,789 in 1851

according to that year's census. After that
the population declined to 373,000 by
1975. This reflected the long term
population decline observed in many of
the rural departments resulting from
changes in agriculture and the lure of
higher industrial wages available in more
urbanized regions. Between 1975 and
2010, the population increased again,
reaching 415,000.[8]
Dordogne has a British immigrant
community. The region has between 5,000
and 10,000 British residents and 800
British entrepreneurs, drawn by the French
lifestyle, warm climate, and lower cost of
living. The village of Eymet is at the heart
of the trend, with 200 British families
among 2,600 inhabitants.[9]

Politics
The President of the General Council is
Germinal Peiro of the Socialist Party.
 Party seats

• Socialist Party 34

Union for a Popular Movement 5

• French Communist Party 4

Miscellaneous right 5

Union of Democrats and

• 2
Independents

Current National Assembly

Representatives
Constituency Member[10] Party

Dordogne's 1st constituency Philippe Chassaing La République En Marche!

Dordogne's 2nd constituency Michel Delpon La République En Marche!

Dordogne's 3rd constituency Jean-Pierre Cubertafon MoDem

Dordogne's 4th constituency Jacqueline Dubois La République En Marche!

Tourism

Périgueux

Château de Beynac
Lascaux

Canoeing on the river Dordogne (river)

La Roque-Gageac

Cabanes du Breuil

Château de Mauriac (Douzillac)

Maison forte de Reignac
There are more than 1,500 castles in
Dordogne, making it "The Other Chateau
Country"[11] including:

Beynac
Biron
Manoir de la Borie-Fricart
Bourdeilles
Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
Chantérac
Chatenet
Commarque
Hautefort
Manoir de Jaillac
Jaurias
La Besse
La Mothe
La Petite Filolie
La Renaudie
La Roche
La Roque
Manoir de Mitonias
Milandes
Monbazillac
Manoir de Grézignac
Manoir de la Vermondie
Manoir des Pautis
 Pécany
Puymartin
Saulnier

The famous caves of Lascaux have been

closed to the public, but a replica of
Lascaux II is open to visitors and is a
major tourist attraction. Périgueux has
important Roman ruins, including an arena
which is still visible inside a public park
located near the town centre.

Dordogne is particularly popular with

Britons and other foreigners, as a location
for second homes.[12]
See also
Arrondissements of the Dordogne
department
Cantons of the Dordogne department
Communes of the Dordogne department

References
1. "Répertoire national des élus: les
conseillers départementaux" (https://www.
data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/601ef073-d986-
4582-8e1a-ed14dc857fba) . data.gouv.fr,
Plateforme ouverte des données publiques
françaises (in French). 4 May 2022.
2. "Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des
populations légales en 2020" (https://www.i
nsee.fr/fr/statistiques/6683035) . The
National Institute of Statistics and
Economic Studies. 29 December 2022.
3. "Dordogne" (https://web.archive.org/web/2
0180903013532/https://en.oxforddictionari
es.com/definition/us/dordogne) (US) and
"Dordogne" (https://web.archive.org/web/2
0200730015013/https://www.lexico.com/d
efinition/dordogne) . Lexico UK English
Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
Archived from the original (http://www.lexic
o.com/definition/Dordogne) on 30 July
2020.
4. "Dordogne" (https://www.merriam-webster.
com/dictionary/Dordogne) . Merriam-
Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 2 September
2018.
5. "Populations légales 2019: 24 Dordogne" (h
ttps://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6
011060/dep24.pdf) (PDF). INSEE.
December 2021. Archived (https://web.arch
ive.org/web/20220105145003/https://ww
w.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/
dep24.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 5
January 2022.
6. Corbin Alain, Le village des "cannibales",
Paris, Aubier, 1990, 204 p.
7. "Historique de la Dordogne" (http://splaf.fre
e.fr/24his.html) . Le SPLAF.
 8. "Évolution et structure de la population en
2016" (https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/
4176909?geo=DEP-24) . INSEE.
9. "From 'Dordogneshire' to Normandy, Brits
race for French office" (http://www.expatic
a.com/fr/news/features/From-Dordogneshi
re-to-Normandy-Brits-race-for-French-office
_170691.html) . 7 March 2008.
10. Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée
nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le
Parlement français" (https://www.assemble
e-nationale.fr/) . Assemblée nationale.
11. Woods, Katherine (1931). The Other
Chateau Country; the Feudal Land of the
Dordogne. John Lane The Bodley Head.
12. Dare Hall, Zoe (5 June 2019). "Why
Dordogne property seduces British buyers"
(https://ghostarchive.org/archive/2022121
0/https://www.ft.com/content/e4626af2-83
88-11e9-a7f0-77d3101896ec) . Financial
Times. Archived from the original (https://w
ww.ft.com/content/e4626af2-8388-11e9-a7
f0-77d3101896ec) on 10 December 2022.

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related
to Dordogne.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
Dordogne.
Préfecture website (https://www.dordog
ne.gouv.fr/) (in French)
 Departmental Council website (https://w
ww.dordogne.fr/) (in French)
Dordogne (https://curlie.org/Regional/E
urope/France/Regions/Aquitaine/Dordo
gne) at Curlie (in English)

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