Plazac

Plazac is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is near the village of Les Eyzies and the city of Sarlat-la-Canéda.

Plazac
Commune
A general view of Plazac
Coat of arms
Location of Plazac
Plazac Plazac
Coordinates: 45°02′09″N 1°02′25″E
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Dordogne
Arrondissement	Sarlat-la-Canéda
Canton	Vallée de l'Homme
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Robert Delbary
Area ^1	33.77 km^2 (13.04 sq mi)
Population  (2017-01-01)[1]	691
• Density	20/km^2 (53/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	24330 /24580
Elevation	82–289 m (269–948 ft) (avg. 100 m or 330 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

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.

Plazac was founded by the Archbishop of Périgueux, 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 tunnels beneath the village, used during conflicts over 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 Périgord Noir, a region severely affected by the Hundred Years' War. As a result, the hills are studded with castles and chateaus. The nearby Dordogne River formed the border between the English 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 famous attraction in the region.

During World War II, Plazac sheltered the residents of Bindernheim who fled from the site of heavy fighting. The people of Bindernheim created a garden and fountain in Plazac as means of gratitude. In the next village, Rouffignac, the Nazis, who were searching for members of French Resistance gave the mayor a choice: they would kill all the males in the village or burn the village to the ground. Consequently, most of Rouffignac dates from the late 1940s.

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. Another famous cave 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.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1962	522	—
1968	424	−18.8%
1975	427	+0.7%
1982	502	+17.6%
1990	543	+8.2%
1999	578	+6.4%
2008	736	+27.3%

See also

• Communes of the Dordogne department

References

1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.