Guide Perigord_version anglaise

Michèle Delmas, Markès &Merval Museum

© Glady Eluere de Brégeot 13

“The operetta stars Marcel Merkès and Paulette Merval had a long and impressive career.They met at Bordeaux Music School. He was born there in 1920, she, a singer and violinist, was a daughter of Aubeterre.We created this museum F , near the house they owned in the village. We have put together memorabilia retracing the couple’s life.Their son Alain’s wonderful collection just had to be shared with the public! He himself is a first prize-winner for Operetta from the Bordeaux Music School.Today, he hopes to organise a performing arts festival including theatre, popular music and of course, operetta.” “French Operetta’s most famous couple”

© Hervé Lenain

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

Saint Jean’s underground church A  , was hewn out of the cliff in the XIIth century. The original purpose for this huge vault, roughly 88ft long, 52ft wide and 65ft high, was to house relics. A hundred and sixty tombs are visible in a series of caves. The monolithic reliquary, patiently carved out over ten years, is a replica of the Holy Sepulchre discovered in Jerusalem during the First Crusade. This deeply moving site is steeped in the history of Christian devotion in the Middle Ages. Like the Valley of Kings

The Birthplace of Human Rights

© Patrice Hausser

The village’s main square is named after Ludovic Trarieux.Why, might one ask? This son of a landed gentry man, later barrister and politician was the founder of the League of Human Rights in 1898. He was also the instigator of the revision trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, wrongly accused of treason in 1894.

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24+1 VILLAGES OF PÉRIGORD