St Félix de Villadeix is an ancient proto-historic village on
a site which has been occupied by man since prehistoric times
- two to four millennium before the Romans settled in France.
Of this latter period there are relatively few traces : a
road, which like all Roman roads snakes along ridges and a
tumulus which in the 10th century was expanded into a mound or
‘motte’ and which has recently been developed with picnic
tables etc. Some maps indicate a tumulus on this site.
A few prehistoric
tools have been found in the area : scraping tools, knives,
arrow sheaths and flint tools.
From a more recent era exist underground tunnels and caves which
formed a defence system before the days of gunpowder. These
underground hiding places were known as « cluseaux » and many of
them still exist in perfect condition although almost invisible
from the exterior.
The commune has its fair share of small historic buildings such
as « bories », dovecotes and roadside crosses.
Geography
St Félix de Villadeix is a small village situated to the north
of the canton of Lalinde. The countryside and farming suggests
that it marks the end of the Périgord Pourpre and the beginning
of the Périgord Noir. St Félix de Villadeix is reached by the
departmental road N° 32 which leaves Bergerac (18km away) and
heads north-east to St Alvère (11km away) or, alternatively, by
the RN21 between Bergerac and Périgueux.
La Louyre, a tributary of the Dordogne, flows through St Félix
whose land is divided into woods and moors on the one hand and
farmed fields on the other.
It has a surface area of 1690 ha of which half is covered with
traditional Périgourdin forest.
The commune has a population of 293.
Text translated by Pays du Grand Bergeracois (professional translator).
