Worth seeing

The church of Saint-Sour owes its name to the monk Sorus, who is said to have lived as a hermit in a cave above the Vézère during the sixth century. In 585, he and his fellow monks Amand and Cyprien founded an abbey on the edge of what is now the old town, though nothing remains of the structure today. In light of turbulent times caused by Norman raids, the monks (who had by now become Benedictine) decided to build a new church in the 10th century. This church was completely destroyed twice, once during the religious wars with England around 1350, and again during the French religious wars in 1569. Both times it was rebuilt. The Abbey was disbanded before the French Revolution and the church was left to go to ruins. During a fundamental restoration in the 19th and 20th centuries, the surrounding abbey structures were demolished. Most recent restoration efforts occurred from 2009 to 2010. Today, the church once again thrones majestically above the old town, the nave restored to its old splendour, and the impressive stained-glass windows tell the story of Saint-Sour.