In the middle of the Périgord Noir lies Belvès, a medieval city that was fortified in the 11th century and was nicknamed “the Pope’s city”.
Under the protection of Pope Clement, it experienced a tormented history, the remains of which are still visible today.
The ramparts, the Auditorium tower, the Clock Tower, the Town Hall tower, the former bell tower of the Friar’s Ecclesiastical convent, the Hospital tower, but also the hotel with its Renaissance façade, the castle with its 12th-century keep, the former Consuls’ residence, the timber market and the Troglodyte dwellings are all sights worth seeing and visiting.
And not to forget the church of Notre-Dame de L’Assomption, also called Notre-Dame de Montcuq, which was first built as a Benedictine abbey in 830.
This was during the reign of Louis the Pious.
After many vicissitudes, works and reconstructions, the church has been listed as a historic monument since 1948 and was listed as a historic monument in 2000.