Captivating Périgord

Nature and manmade beauty; and the hospitable people make Périgord a captivating corner of the world. It is a land of dramatic geological features of beautiful mountains and numerous rivers sculptured caves in which their early ancestors created some of the oldest known galleries of art using all known painting techniques. Modern ancestors defeated the Roman Empire occupation while retaining, nurturing and elaborating the colonial cultural legacies including gaveuse d'oies (force feeding ducks) for foire gras and wine production and enjoyment. When a President worries about ruling a country with 3000 different cheeses then you know food is a serious cultural business. The production context of food terroir is prized so much that products including wine, cheese, poultry, meat etc. are awarded regulatory appellation d'origine contrôlée that brands and often determines their cost.Revolution is also the spoken language when expressing pride in being part of the modern French state that executed the king and thereby liberated the people from feudal state serfdom. People feel that resisting NAZI occupation required similar revolutionary courage. Cultural revival revolutionists, through the Félibrée movement keep alive the literary traditions of Occitan the language used in Medieval European courts from the 11th to the 13th centuries by the lyric poet-musician performers the Troubadours.