Abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Sicaire

Abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Sicaire sits at the base of a crescent-shaped cliff beside the Dronne River, combining an 11th-century bell tower and a 14th-century cloister within its medieval buildings. Today the complex houses the town hall, tourist office, and library of Brantôme en Périgord.

Charlemagne founded the abbey in 769, but Viking attacks in 848 and 857 left it in ruins. Reconstruction began around 900 and shaped the medieval structures visible today.

The monastic buildings hold two municipal museums where visitors can see religious objects and artworks collected over centuries of monastic life. These displays show how monks worked and worshipped in this place for many generations.

Guided tours are available regularly to help visitors understand the history and layout of the site. Plan time to explore both museums and the cave chambers carved into the limestone cliff.

Carved into the limestone cliff beneath the abbey are cave chambers where medieval monks once lived and worked. These stone-cut rooms reveal an unusual form of monastic life that many visitors overlook.