To tell the story of Liorac
has always been an old dream of mine !
I have been gathering documents from books, public records or private collections for a while now
and I’d like to share my moving, and sometimes funny, discoveries.
I have chosen to do so through a website started in 2011,
which I guess will always be under construction
because I don’t think I can ever pretend to be finished.
Nevertheless this website currently contains several hundred pages.
I know this first version is a bit rough sometimes – I am not a professional – and often incomplete,
but I hope you will enjoy it.
If you would like to be part of this big undertaking,
I am happy to include any document, photograph, testimony or memory you can send me.
This site is a personal site, I completely assume both the writing and the financing
and therefore has nothing to do with the official site of the town hall of Liorac.
The content of this site must in no case be used for commercial purposes and
in the event that a text should be quoted,
it must be quoted "in extenso" without any modification, clearly mentioning the source.
The site is organised by topics, which appear in the horizontal menu at the top of each page.
Click on the words to get to the corresponding page.
Each topic contains several sections, not all of which are filled in yet (I am working on that!).

First off, THE VILLAGE :
Liorac is a village in the "purple" Perigord, located 14 km east of Bergerac.
click on the link to open an interactive map on a new tab
In this section, you will find some old maps, particularly the map of Belleyme at the
end of the XVIIIth century, the "Napoleon's cadastre" and some more modern charts.
Careful toponomical analysis of these maps can reveal how the names of localities evolved over time.
You’ll also find information on the river Louyre, the mills, the surrounding castles and beautiful historic houses around Liorac.

The second heading is about THE CHURCH, which rightfully deserves its own section.
You can take a virtual tour, get to know its history, including that of its bells,
its environment(who remembers the towers of Liorac ?),
and a depiction of the time when citizens, nobles or not, were entombed in the church.

Under the heading VILLAGE STORIES you’ll find a collection of stories and anecdotes from Liorac,
of different ages, from prehistory to the present.

The next heading is dedicated to the INHABITANTS of Liorac.
As in many villages in Dordogne, its population has been decreasing for decades because of the wars,
and particularly the recent move towards urban centres.
Will the recent increase in popularity of the Perigord region change that trend?
In the subheading you will find out more about those citizens who played a central role in Liorac
such as mayors, priests, teachers and soldiers.

Under the heading TRADITIONS and TESTIMONIES”
you will discover some of the traditions of the village, such as the grape harvest festival,
the Midsummer's Day celebrations, the ball and the Liorac festival.
Some tragic and happy events that have occurred in the village are also recorded here.
If you would like to share your own stories and memories of Liorac, please contact me.

Finally, under the last heading you will find PHOTOGRAPHS of the village and the surrounding areas,
as well as some older photos and postcards ... Have you got any stuffed somewhere in your attic?


For all, and with all, let us try to recapture the past of Liorac.
Before we get started, I would like to dedicate this work to my dad,
Jean Castang-Coutou
who loved this village so much.

Enjoy your visit
Marie-France Castang-Coutou