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33-612: As of 2016 Auvergne is no longer an administrative division of France. It is generally regarded as conterminous with the land area of the historical Province of Auvergne , which was dissolved in 1790, and with the now-defunct administrative region of Auvergne , which existed from 1956 to 2015. The region is home to a chain of volcanoes known collectively as the " chaîne des Puys ". The volcanoes began forming about 70,000 years ago, and most have eroded, leaving plugs of hardened magma that form rounded hilltops known as puys . The last confirmed eruption occurred around 4040 BCE . Auvergne

66-527: A ransom . Captain Merle in particular, firmly established in nearby Gévaudan , took a ransom from Issoire but failed in Saint Flour. That is how the city of Aurillac had been taken over, and its abbey was completely destroyed. In the 16th century, Catherine de' Medici , Queen of France, inherited the last part of the county from her mother, which allowed the integration of the last feudal fiefdom, in

99-663: A distinct part of Gaul: All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts , in ours Gauls , the third. All these differ from each other in language, customs and laws. The river Garonne separates the Gauls from the Aquitani Despite apparent cultural and linguistic connections to ( Vascones ), the region of Aquitania extended only to

132-695: A god or a Roman emperor. In the 5th century, Sidonius Apollinaris , an Arvernian nobleman and first bishop of Clermont, made a statement about the end of the Roman age of the Auvergne. In the 7th century, the Franks and the Aquitani competed for control of Auvergne. Conquered by the Carolingians , it was integrated for a certain time into the kingdom of Aquitania . A section known as the county of Aurillac

165-632: A population of 150,000 inhabitants living in the centre of this area, and a total of more than 400,000 inhabitants living in the region of these towns. The Arverni were one of the most powerful and wealthy tribes in ancient Gaul: A shrine in Auvergne marks the Battle of Gergovia . Based on scholars' interpretation of books by Caesar , it took place about 12 km (7.5 mi) from present-day Clermont-Ferrand ; this has not been conclusively proved. Vercingetorix beat Julius Caesar at Gergovia in 52 BC before he started chasing Caesar's troops. Roman troops won

198-660: A tribe that lived in the region between the Pyrenees , the Atlantic Ocean , and the Garonne , in present-day southwestern France in the 1st century BC. The Romans dubbed this region Gallia Aquitania . Classical authors such as Julius Caesar and Strabo clearly distinguish the Aquitani from the other peoples of Gaul , and note their similarity to others in the Iberian Peninsula . Their old language,

231-609: A victory in Alesia (Alise-sainte-Reine) in Burgundy. Roman legionaries had set traps and established over several hundred metres. They captured Vercingetorix and took him to Rome, where he was imprisoned. Augustonemetum (as Clermont was known) was developed, probably by displacing a settlement of the Arverni . A recent find is a stone foot, measuring 60 cm (24 in), from a statue 4.5 metres (15 ft) high, probably representing

264-717: Is also a diverse range of small industries, particularly in the Puy-de-Dôme and the Haute-Loire: metallurgical (Aubert and Duval), mechanical, pharmaceutical (Merck-Chibret), food—cereals; meat (Salers, Limousin)—as well as cheese. These include Thiers cutlery, metal Issoire, lace in Le Puy, and livestock as well as food in the Cantal. The Auvergne is one of the premier research areas in France with more than 8,000 researchers in

297-534: Is also the site of several major hydroelectric projects, mainly located on the rivers Dordogne , Cère , and Truyère . The region is also quite touristic, thanks to its landscapes. Auvergnat , a variety of the Occitan language , was historically spoken in the Auvergne. It is still spoken there. Aubrac oxen, a rare breed, are raised in the Aubrac hills. The Chaîne des Puys, a volcanic mountain range located in

330-572: Is known for its mountain ranges and dormant volcanoes. Together the Monts Dore and the Chaîne des Puys include 80 volcanoes. The Puy de Dôme is the highest volcano in the region, with an altitude of 1,465 metres (4,806 ft). The Sancy Massif in the Monts Dore is the highest point in Auvergne (1,886 metres (6,188 ft)). The northern part is covered in hills, while the southern portion

363-583: Is mountainous and dotted with pastures. The Forest of Tronçais covers nearly 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) and is the largest oak forest in Europe. Auvergne has two major rivers: the Loire runs through the southeast and borders the northeast, and the Allier runs from north to south down the center of Auvergne, with branches going east and west. Auvergne has about 50 freshwater ponds and lakes. Some are high in

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396-572: Is predominantly agricultural, with tourism slowly growing. Both beef and dairy cattle are plentiful, and there are several well-known cheeses: Bleu d'Auvergne , Cantal , Fourme d'Ambert and Saint-Nectaire . Despite its small local market, the Auvergne region has developed many national and international companies, such as Michelin , Limagrain (seed), the Centre France-La Montagne group (regional daily press), Volvic mineral water (Danone group) and numerous dynamic SMEs around

429-578: The Arverni , a Gallic tribe who once occupied the area. In 52 BC, Arverni chieftain Vercingetorix mounted a fierce resistance against the military forces of Julius Caesar . Christianized by Saint Austremoine , Auvergne was quite prosperous during the Roman period. After a short time under the Visigoths , it was conquered by the Franks in 507. During the earlier medieval period , Auvergne

462-972: The Aquitanian language , was a precursor of the Basque language and the substrate for the Gascon language (one of the Romance languages ) spoken in Gascony . Between the 1st century and the 13th century , the Aquitani gradually adopted the Gascon language while part of the Roman Empire , then the Duchy of Gascony and the Duchy of Aquitaine . At the time of the Roman conquest, Julius Caesar , who defeated them in his campaign in Gaul , describes them as making up

495-594: The Vellavi , and the Cadurci , whose sphere of influence included the regions of Languedoc and Aquitaine. Vercingetorix became their king in 52 BC. His father and predecessor, Celtillos, had been killed by his companions who opposed Celtillos' goal of making the title hereditary. In the winter of 53/52 BC, Vercingetorix created alliances with all the Celtic tribes surrounding him by holding as hostages daughters or sons of

528-582: The Auvergne. Much of Anne Rice 's Vampire Chronicles takes place in Auvergne. Characters Lestat de Lioncourt and Nicolas de Lenfent reside there. The protagonist of John Jakes ' The Kent Family Chronicles , Philippe Kent (né Charboneau), was born in Auvergne. Rosalia , the famous Catalan-Spanish singer, was inspired by the Auvergnat's 13th century Romance of Flamenca to compose her 2018 album El mal querer . {{WikidataCoord}} – missing coordinate data Aquitani The Aquitani were

561-471: The Middle Ages, the county of Auvergne covered the current departments of Puy-de-Dôme , the northern half of Cantal , as well as a small third in northwestern Haute-Loire , with the county of Brioude . The other part of Cantal constituted the direct territory of Aurillac Abbey , and a part of it was indentured to the viscounts of Millau , to form the viscountcy of Carlat. King Philip August linked

594-442: The Puy-de-Dôme department, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2018. Composer Joseph Canteloube based Chants d'Auvergne ("Songs of Auvergne") (1923–55), his well-known piece for voice and orchestra, on folk music and songs from the Auvergne. Singer-songwriter Georges Brassens composed Chanson pour l'Auvergnat . Composer Camille Saint-Saëns composed Rhapsodie d'Auvergne in 1884, based upon folk songs from

627-562: The Pyrenees according to Caesar: Aquitania extends from the river Garonne to the Pyrenaean mountains and to that part of the ocean which is near Hispania: it looks between the setting of the sun, and the north star. Late Romano-Aquitanian funerary slabs and altars contain what seem to be the names of deities or people similar to certain names in modern Basque , which has led many philologists and linguists to conclude that Aquitanian

660-534: The area of Carlades. His daughter Marie married John I, Duke of Bourbon , who in 1416 also became Duke of Auvergne . The Dukes of Bourbon acquired the Dauphiné of Auvergne through marriage, but in the end all their territories were confiscated by Francis I (1527). In the 16th century Auvergne was plunged into religious wars. Some Calvinist militia made incursions into the highlands and took castles and Catholic villages by surprise. They returned them, subject to

693-616: The building of famous abbeys and churches in a Romanesque style. In 1095, the historic Council of Clermont was held there, to rally support for the First Crusade . Its wide autonomy was ended by King Philippe-Auguste of France, who linked it to the royal possessions. Severely impacted by the Hundred Years' War, the religious wars and epidemics, integrated to into the kingdom of France, it turned itself more and more into an agricultural province reputed for its products. In 1790,

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726-408: The fields of chemistry, tires, steel, medical and pharmaceutical sciences in agricultural research (INRA and Limagrain laboratories), in biotechnology, seismology and meteorology. The food industry, with its branches mineral water, dairy products, meat products, forestry, honey, jams and candied fruit, employs over 12,000 people. In 2018, the animal theme park Le Pal had 640,000 visitors, making it

759-488: The heart of Auvergne, into the royal territory. In 1665, Louis XIV temporarily set up an exceptional criminal court in Clermont and Le Puy-en-Velay , les grands jours d’Auvergne (The Great Days of Auvergne), in response to the complaints of the people, who were victims of violence and abuse by officials and noblemen of Auvergne. During the 18th century, the economic situation of the farmers improved considerably, due to

792-579: The historical province was divided into the modern-day départements of Puy-de-Dôme , Cantal , Haute-Loire , and Allier , although Haute-Loire and Allier also include some land from the historical provinces of Bourbonnais , Lyonnais , and Velay . The region is famed for its charcuterie , which is celebrated in " La Mangona " festivals in many Auvergnat villages, for its cheeses ( Saint-Nectaire , Bleu d'Auvergne , Cantal , Salers , Fourme d'Ambert ), and for its mineral waters ( Volvic , among others). Michelin tires are produced there. Auvergne

825-532: The kings of each tribe. With this threat, he gained their guarantees of faithfulness and alliance. Based on reports in 2007 of excavations by archaeologists (radio programme of Yves Calvi with researchers in October 2007), the capital of the Arverni is believed to have been situated between Gergovie , Corent , Aulnat and several other significant areas within a 35 km (22 mi) range. Researchers estimate

858-533: The majority of the county to the royal territory. The royal territory of Auvergne took Riom as an administrative center. However, Philip August was not able to fully subdue the area: the Count held out in Vic-le-Comte . In 1226, King Louis VIII 's will bequeathed Auvergne as an appanage to his younger son, Alphonse, Count of Poitiers . In 1360 it was given as a duchy to John, Duke of Berry , who also bought

891-614: The most visited theme park in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes . Le Pal is the fifth most visited amusement park in France and the fourth in the zoo sector. Province of Auvergne The history of the Auvergne dates back to the early Middle Ages, when it was a historic province in south-central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne . Auvergne was a province of France deriving its name from

924-462: The mountains and have volcanic origins. Lac de Guéry is the highest lake in Auvergne. The average annual temperature is 12 °C (54 °F), and the region receives 510 to 1,020 mm (20 to 40 in) of rainfall annually. There are long winters and short summers. The region of Auvergne was named after the Arverni , one of the most powerful Gallic tribes . It was composed of the Gabali ,

957-723: The policies of the Auvergne intendants , who developed farming, cheese manufacturing, agriculture, glasswork, ironwork and roads. During World War II, Vichy was the headquarters of the government of the French State . Auvergne is an underpopulated area with an aging population. Auvergne is one of the least populated regions in Europe, and lies at the heart of the empty diagonal , a swath of sparsely populated territory running from northeastern to southwestern France. The main communes in Auvergne are (2019 census, municipal population): Clermont-Ferrand (147,865), Montluçon (34,361), Aurillac (25,593), and Vichy (24,980). The region

990-629: The two universities and high schools (engineering, medical and business) of its capital, Clermont-Ferrand. Most of these companies export more than 75% of their production. Auvergne is also a relatively industrial region: the share of the working population in industry is 22% (110,000 jobs), compared to the national average of 18%. The main industry is the tyre industry, represented by Michelin, with its headquarters and history located in Clermont-Ferrand, and Dunlop, based in Montluçon . There

1023-618: Was a county within the duchy of Aquitaine and from time to time part of the " Angevin Empire ". In 1225, Louis VIII of France granted Poitou and Auvergne to his third son Alfonso . On Alfonso's death in 1271, Auvergne, along with the County of Toulouse , Poitou and the Comtat Venaissin , reverted to the royal domain . The Middle Ages, especially the 10th to 13th centuries, were a period of great development for Auvergne, with

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1056-571: Was closely related to an older form of Basque. Julius Caesar draws a clear line between the Aquitani, living in present-day south-western France and speaking Aquitanian, and their neighboring Celts living to the north. The fact that the region was known as the Vasconia in the Early Middle Ages , a name that evolved into the better known form of Gascony , along with other toponymic evidence, seems to corroborate that assumption. Although

1089-591: Was given to the father of Géraud d’Aurillac; this grant was made directly by the king. The counts of Auvergne, the Guilhemides, slowly obtained their independence. In the 10th century, Auvergne was subject to rivalry between the counts of Poitiers and Toulouse . Under the reign of the Carolingians, Auvergne included five secondary counties with a particular administrative system (Clermont, Turluron, Brioude, Tallende, Carlat (comitatus Cartladensis)). During

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