Saint Avit Senieur, Dordogne; a pretty village with a ruined abbey

Visit Saint Avit Senieur

Saint Avit Senieur is a village in the south of the Dordogne near to the pretty bastide town of Beaumont-du-Perigord. It is in the Perigord Pourpre area of the Dordogne.

Explore Saint Avit Senieur

Saint Avit Senieur is home to an abbey dedicated to Saint Avit who was a hermit who died in 570. Avitus, as he was then called, was resting in the forest by a pagan temple. Avitus, a christian said a prayer and made the sign of the cross and apparently the temple collapsed.

Avitus stayed in the area, became a hermit and dedicated the rest of his life to prayer and healing.

Much of the abbey is now in ruins but there remains a large (very large considering the size of the village!) 11th century church, the presbytere and the monks dormitory. The presbytere is home to an exhibition of art work.

The interior of the church contains a number of frescoes and you can also see remains of the patterns painted on the walls that originally covered the whole of the interior.

Saint Avit Senieur was an important religious centre because of its position on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela from Vezelay and because of the fame of Saint Avit. The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela.

The village itself is a very attractive one and merits a wander round. On the main square, the Place du Fort, there are buildings with Gothic window and one has a sun dial on its wall.

Although Saint Avit is a small village it has a cafe and a restaurant and is a lovely spot to stop for refreshments.

There are a number of walks and bike tracks that lead out from the village and into the surrounding countryside and this really is a beautiful area for walking. On the edge of the village on the south side you can often see sheep grazing, a charming pastoral scene, and down the hill from Saint Avit is the village lavoir, the communal washing area of medieval times.

Places to visit near to Saint Avit Senieur

Very close to Saint Avit Senieur is the quiet but pretty village of Montferrand du Perigord and the quiet bastide town of Molieres.

Saint Avit Senieur is 6 km from Beaumont du Perigord which is an attractive bastide town with a pretty central square. The lovely village of Cadouin is not far and is home to the attractive Cadouin abbey and cloisters.