Saint-Céré
Small town charm
The delightfully named small town of St Céré is located in the Bave Valley in the east of the Quercy. The river Bave is a tributary of the Dordogne and flows into it nearby. A charming small town in its own right, St-Céré is also an excellent touring base.
Julius Caesar stationed his legions here during the conquest of Gaul. Later the Viscounts of Turenne were also overlords of St Céré and as such the town enjoyed many privileges. Its position at the edge of the Quercy meant that it did not really feature in the Hundred Years’ War and it enjoyed the protection of St Laurence’s Castle above the town.
It’s most famous citizen was Jean Lurçat the artist who was renowned throughout the world for his tapestry designs. He made his name in Aubusson but settled in St-Céré in 1945 and remained until his death in 1966.