Page 445 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

Walking up the hill to Périgueux's remnants of burials dating
dazzling white cathedral you pass back 70,000 years. Beautiful
Roman glass, mosaics,
through bustling streets and squares, earthen ware and other
each with its market activity. artifacts from Vesunna are in
the Gallo-Roman museum.
Vesunna. From Roman times designed on the model of Musée d’Art et
to the Middle Ages, this was St Mark’s Basilica in Venice and d’Archéologie du Périgord
the focus of Périgueux. Most the largest in southwestern " ⌂ 22 cours Tourny
of the fabric of Vesunna was France. The Romanesque # Wed–Mon ¢ Public hols
pulled down in the 3rd con struction was heavily ∑ perigueux-maap.fr
century, but some vestiges of restored in the 19th century,
a temple, a huge arena and a when architect Paul Abadie
sumptuous villa remain. The added the fancy domes and GREAT VIEW
Église St-Étienne nearby dates cones. He later used St-Front Hot-air balloon
to the 12th century. La Domus as inspiration for the Sacré- rides from
de Vesonne, a Gallo-Roman Coeur in Paris (p146). Périgueux
museum, is also in La Cité. Other gems of medieval Seeing the Dordogne
Walking up the hill to and Renaissance architecture spread out underneath
Périgueux's dazzling white include Maison Estignard, at you as you soar on a
cathedral you pass through No 3 rue Limogeanne, with hot-air balloon tour
bustling streets and squares, its unusual corkscrew stair- with Périgord Dordogne
each with its market activity. case, and houses along Montgolfières
This is the medieval quarter rue Aubergerie. (perigord-dordogne-
of Le Puy St-Front, which Also in the cathedral montgolfieres.com)
began to flou rish as pilgrims quarter is the Musée d’Art et is truly unforgettable.
on their way to Santiago de d’Arché ologie du Périgord,
Compostela visited the cathe- which is one of the most
dral. As they brought prestige comprehensive pre history
and wealth to the quarter, it museums in France, with
gradually eclipsed La Cité. At
the top is the imposing
Cathédrale St-Front,

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