Rue de la République

Rue de la Republique

A stop on the Sarlat audio-guided tour, rue de la Republique, which the inhabitants call the Traverse, is a wide artery cut through in the nineteenth century that profoundly transformed the face of the city.

A breakthrough in the medieval fabric

From 1837 to 1865, for nearly thirty years, the city laid out this straight street in the heart of the medieval fabric to meet two challenges: improving the hygiene of a city considered unhealthy and protecting the centre from the floods of the Cuze stream. This work was a true revolution, requiring the demolition of many old buildings.

What to see

Lined with aligned facades, the street presents to the north buildings of neoclassical inspiration and to the south the Second Empire and Third Republic styles. The whole offers an orderly perspective, quite different from the winding alleys of old Sarlat. The Traverse today separates the two halves of the historic centre.

Practical information

Rue de la Republique crosses the historic centre of Sarlat. Freely accessible, it can be walked at any time.

Why was rue de la Republique cut through ?

To improve the city's hygiene and protect it from the floods of the Cuze stream.

What do the inhabitants call it ?

The Traverse, because of its straight cut through the medieval fabric of Sarlat.