Sarlat Abbey

Sarlat Abbey, later known as the Cathedral of Saint-Sacerdos, was a prominent religious establishment in the town of Sarlat, located in the modern-day Dordogne department of France. While precise details of its foundation are scarce, it is understood to have existed prior to the 8th century. The abbey gained historical significance when its relics were placed under the patronage of Saint Sacerdos, the Bishop of Limoges, who lived from 670 to approximately 720. Early rulers like Pepin the Short and Charlemagne were associated with the site, with Charlemagne famously bestowing a fragment of the True Cross upon the monastery. Further bolstering its relic collection, Emperor Charles the Fat, a descendant of Charlemagne, restored the church of Sarlat in 886 and presented it with additional sacred artifacts.

Historical Development and Significance

In the 10th century, the abbey underwent a period of reform, with Odo, the Abbot of Cluny, dispatched to oversee its restructuring around 936. The renowned Saint Bernard of Clairvaux also visited Sarlat in the spring of 1147. A pivotal moment in Sarlat Abbey's history occurred in 1317 when Pope John XXII elevated it to an episcopal see, establishing the Diocese of Sarlat. This transformation marked the abbey church as the seat of a bishop. The last abbot of Sarlat was Armandus de Sancto Leonardo, who served until 1317, after which the first Bishop of Sarlat, Raymond de Rocquecorgne, O.S.B., was confirmed. The diocese continued its ecclesiastical functions until it was suppressed during the French Revolution under the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, with its territory being absorbed into the 'Diocese of the Dordogne'. Many of the religious structures associated with the abbey and the diocese, including convents and churches, were confiscated and repurposed or sold during this tumultuous period.