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Etienne de La Boétie (1530-1563),
Renaissance humanist, poet and philoso-
pher and close friend of Montaigne, was
born in Sarlat’s most beautiful town-
house. The “Hotel de la Boétie” located
on Peyrou Square
D
, was built in 1525.
One of Sarlat’s most illustrious figures,
this son of a royal officer is famous for
his Discourse on Voluntary Servitude or
the Anti-Dictator, considered one of the
founding texts of modern democracy.
The Birthplace
of La Boétie
Saint-Sacerdos cathedral
is largely gothic style. It
has seen many changes,
an architectural timeline
attested by its bell tower:
the Romanesque base is the
oldest part of the building
(XIIth century), the last floor
is XVIIth and the bulb-shaped
belfry dates from the
XVIIIth century.
©BertrandRieger
©BertrandRieger
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