Saint-Céré (; Languedocien: ''Sant Seren'') is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Lot department, southern France. Its population is 3,414 (2019). The commune includes within its borders the castle of Saint-Laurent-les-Tours, where the artist

Jean Lurçat Jean Lurçat (; 1 July 1892 – 6 January 1966) was a French artist noted for his role in the revival of contemporary tapestry. Biography He was born in Bruyères, Vosges, the son of Lucien Jean Baptiste Lurçat and Marie Emilie Marguerite L' ...

lived and worked for many years, and from which he operated a secret radio for the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

. The castle still houses a collection of his works.

Geography

Location

The town is located in the centre of a small metropolitan area, in the

Quercy Quercy (; oc, Carcin , locally ) is a former province of France located in the country's southwest, bounded on the north by Limousin, on the west by Périgord and Agenais, on the south by Gascony and Languedoc, and on the east by Rouergue and ...

, northeast of the Causse de Gramat and west of Segala, between Lacapelle-Marival and

Bretenoux Bretenoux (; oc, Bertenor) is a commune in the Lot department in southwestern France. Geography Location The ''Bastide'' is located north of the Lot, near the border with the Corrèze department, in the Dordogne Valley, Bretenoux is attached t ...

, in the valley of the Bave, tributary of the

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is name ...

river, and on the northern edge of the Limargue. It is the city-centre of the

urban unit In France, an urban unit (''fr: "unité urbaine"'') is a statistical area defined by INSEE, the French national statistics office, for the measurement of contiguously built-up areas. According to the INSEE definition , an "unité urbaine" is a ...

of Saint-Céré. Located at the crossroad of the routes to

Limousin Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...

and Quercy, Saint-Céré is a sought after place to stay due to its location and an excellent point of departure for many walks and excursions in the Haut-Quercy.

Hydrography

The Bave river, a tributary of the Dordogne, flows through the town.

Geology and relief

The area of the commune is 1,133 hectares; its altitude varies from 141 to 523 meters. At the town hall, the altitude of Saint-Céré is 155 meters. It rises from 141 meters at Bave river to 523 meters in the southern part of the commune.

Climate

Saint-Céré has the distinction of being at the junction of the three types of temperate climates: there is a Temperate Oceanic climate, with Mediterranean and Continental influences, characterised by a dry and hot summer, a sunny autumn, a mild winter. In the shelter of the foothills of the

Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...

, the Vent d'Autan is here moderate.

Toponymy

Saint-Céré is based on the Christian hagiotoponym of Serenus of Marseille. During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, the commune bore the name of Franc-Céré and Sen Céré (or Seu-Céré). In Occitan, the name of the municipality is Sant Seren.

Population

Local culture and heritage

* La place du Mercadial, its fountain and the 15th century Consuls' House, which was declared a historic monument in 1991 * L'hôtel de Puymule, 15th-century, was listed as a historical monument in 1929 * L'hôtel de Miramon * La maison consulaire * Several wood-panelled houses * Église Sainte-Spérie, dating from the 10th century, inscribed as a historical monument in 1979 * Église des Récollets, 17th century, listed as a historic monument in 1973 * Statue of Marshal Canrobert * Statue of Charles Bourseul (1924) by Giovanni Pinotti Cipriani (also sculptor of the monument to the dead in the square of the Place de la République) * Château de Montal, 14th-century, listed as a historical monument in 1909. The domain is partly located in the commune of Saint-Jean-Lespinasse.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Cere Saintcere Quercy