Plazac

Plazac is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.

There are at least 20 nationalities represented among the villagers, and there is a lively social scene. A typical dinner will last for at least five hours and draw heavily on the products from the nearby Bordeaux wine region, as well as the local game, truffles, cepes (wild mushrooms) and foie gras. Plazacians, if there is such a word, believe that duck fat is the safest possible cooking oil, and is in fact very good for your cholesterol. Everyone seems to be living to a ripe old age, so it may well be true.

Plazac was put on the map, so to speak, by the Archbishop of Perigueux, who used it as a country retreat. Parts of the village, including the church, date back to the 12th century. It is rumored that there are underground tunnels beneath the village that were used during the many conflicts over the centuries. There is certainly a spring which feeds underground passages sending water to the church and its attached presbytery with the excess flowing beneath the streets to the nearby Vimont River.

Plazac is in the Perigord Noir, a region that saw tremendous amounts of fighting during the hundred years war, which actually lasted much longer, between the French and the English. As a result, the hills are studded with castles and chateaus. The nearby Dordogne River formed the border between the English in Aquitaine (remember Eleanor of Aquitaine?) and the French, who were north of the river. Along the river there are many castles in pairs, one on the north, the other on the south bank. One of the most interesting is Castelnaud (English) and Beynac, which has been completely restored to its original state and is a must-see in the region.

During the World War II, Plazac sheltered the residents of Binderheim (in the Alsace region, which was the seat of heavy fighting). The people of Binderheim have created a beautiful garden and fountain in Plazac as a way of saying thank you. In the next village, Rouffignac the Nazis, who were searching for members of la résistance gave the mayor a choice: we will kill all the males in the village, or we will burn the village to the ground. So, most of Rouffignac dates from the late 1940's.

In addition to castles and chateaus, the area is honeycombed with caves. The most famous is Lascaux near Montignac (15 minutes from Plazac) where the famous cave paintings were discovered by some children. Another favorite is Les Grottes de Rouffignac, where a battery-powered railway takes visitors over a mile underground to see cave paintings including pictures of mammoths which were drawn from life. Also nearby is the troglodyte village of Les Eyzies and the beautifully preserved and vibrant medieval city of Sarlat.

Population

See also

• Communes of the Dordogne department

References

• INSEE