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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Cyprien found its origins in the 6th century, when a hermit named Cyprien settled in a cave overlooking the Dordogne. Around its tomb, a monastery and a first church were created in the 7th century, although destroyed by the Saracen invasions and then Vikings (IXth century). The religious then erected ramparts to protect themselves, marking the beginning of its strategic role in the valley.

In the 11th century, the abbey adopted the rule of St Augustine after his donation to Saint-Sernin of Toulouse (1076), then unsuccessfully attempted an affiliation to the Clunisian reform. Affiliated to Chancelade in the 12th century, it became a prosperous priory thanks to the exploitation of river lands. The bell tower, built in the 12th century with its thick walls of 1.50 m, served as a watchtower to control traffic on the Dordogne.

The 13th and 14th centuries marked the construction of the present Gothic church with a vaulted nave. During the Hundred Years' War, the town was ravaged by the English, and in 1433 the priory was attached to the bishopric of Sarlat because of the decline in his incomes. The Wars of Religion (16th century) left the church burned (1585) and transformed into an arsenal, its nave even serving to melt cannons.

A major restoration was undertaken in the 17th century under the prior Jacques Dunoyer: the nave was rebuilt, the facade was redesigned, and baroque furniture (stalls, marble altars, organ) was installed. The bell tower is then connected to the church. The abbey, declared a national property in 1789, was bought by the commune and became a hospice, a library, and then a temple of Reason during the Revolution.

Ranked a historic monument in 1841, the church underwent restorations in the 19th century (facade and spans rebuilt in 1862-1863). Its 17th century organ, redesigned in 1982, and its 17th and 18th century furniture (classified) bear witness to its rich past. Today, it retains a thorn of the Crown of Christ, offered in 1804 by a Flemish nun, although stolen in 1997.

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