Chapel of the White Penitents

On your left stands the Chapel of the White Penitents — a building that captures more than four centuries of Sarlat’s religious, social, and cultural life. It was originally built between 1618 and 1626 by the Recollects, a branch of the Franciscan order established here under Bishop Louis II de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon, as part of the great Counter-Reformation movement. The architecture is striking in its simplicity: a single nave with a chestnut-wood barrel vault and wide arched windows that fill the space with light. Its main flourish is the beautiful Baroque portal — with fluted columns and a broken pediment — still one of the most elegant facades in Sarlat. After the French Revolution, the Recollects were expelled and the church was seized as national property. In 1804, it was purchased by the Confraternity of the White Penitents, from which it takes its name. For a time, the chapel even housed a revered relic — a fragment of the Crown of Thorns, gifted by Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Over the 19th century, however, the confraternity slowly faded away, and in 1875 its furnishings were transferred to the Chapel of the Blue Penitents, near Place de la Liberté. Deconsecrated in the 20th century, the building saw many lives: it served as a gymnasium, a storage hall, and later a museum of sacred art before falling into disuse. Thankfully, it was restored several times, and in 2019 it found a new purpose as a vibrant cultural venue. Today, its walls once again echo with creativity, hosting exhibitions and artistic events — continuing, in a modern way, its long tradition of openness and community spirit.