St-Céré
THE CHARMING 9th CENTURY MARKET TOWN of St-Céré is less than 5 miles east of Rancho Escargot. Built along the Bave River it was defended by a series of castles, especially St-Laurent-les-Tours whose two towers look down a steep hill onto the village’s old tiled rooftops.
(St-Laurent-les-Tours 12th & 13th century towers overlooking St-Céré)
St-Céré owes its name to the martyrdom of Ste Spérie in 780. Born the daughter to the then lord of St-Laurent, Sérenus, Spérie pledged herself to God at a very early age and when she refused a pre-arranged marriage to a local nobleman was beheaded by her own brother and buried on the riverbank. Later, a chapel was erected directly over her grave which became a very important stop for pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela and her crypt is still accessible albeit just one day a year.
Taking a coffee in the place du Mercadial surrounded by its middle-age houses or walking through the twisting village streets soaking up the history is a pleasure not to be missed.
(place du Mercadial) (River Bave running through St-Céré)
By the early 15th century St-Céré became a very important crossroads for trading merchants from Asia, Africa and Northern Europe and that tradition continues today with a very large open market here on every 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month ... we'll see you there!à bientôt, Jack
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