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45-750: Mont-Dore is located in the Massif Central , on the right bank of the Dordogne not far from its source, and 50 km (31 mi) by road southwest of Clermont-Ferrand . The Monts Dore close the valley towards the south. The thermal springs of Mont-Dore, now numbering twelve, were known to the Romans. The modern thermal establishment, which was built in 1817 by the French architect Louis-Charles-François Ledru , features Byzantine and Romanesque design influences. Sodium bicarbonate , iron and arsenic are

90-578: A barometer to the top of the Puy-de-Dôme . The Université Blaise-Pascal (or Clermont-Ferrand II) was located primarily in the city and is named after him. Clermont-Ferrand also hosts the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival , the world's first international short film festival, which originated in 1979. This festival, which brings thousands of people every year (137,000 in 2008) to

135-645: A comital one. Clermont became a royal city in 1551, and in 1610, the inseparable property of the French Crown. On 15 April 1630 the Edict of Troyes (the First Edict of Union) joined the two cities of Clermont and Montferrand . This union was confirmed in 1731 by Louis XV with the Second Edict of Union. At this time, Montferrand was no more than a satellite city of Clermont, and it remained so until

180-423: A TGV stop. Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport serves only a handful of mostly domestic destinations. Clermont-Ferrand was the home of mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal , who tested Evangelista Torricelli 's hypothesis concerning the influence of gas pressure on liquid equilibrium. This is the experiment in which a vacuum is created in a mercury tube; Pascal's experiment had his brother-in-law carry

225-566: A barrier to transport within France until the opening of the A75 motorway , which not only made north–south travel easier but also opened access to the massif itself. The Massif Central is an old massif , formed during the Variscan orogeny , consisting mostly of granitic and metamorphic rocks . It was powerfully raised and made to look geologically younger in the eastern section by the uplift of

270-555: A major industrial area. The city is known for the chain of volcanoes , the Chaîne des Puys , which surround it. This includes the dormant volcano Puy de Dôme , 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, one of the highest in the surrounding area, which is topped by communications towers and visible from the city. Clermont-Ferrand has been listed as a "tectonic hotspot" since July 2018 on the UNESCO World Heritage List . One of

315-578: A new Romanesque cathedral which was consecrated in 946. It was almost entirely replaced by the current Gothic cathedral, though the crypt survives and the towers were only replaced in the 19th century. Clermont was the starting point of the First Crusade , in which Christendom sought to retake Muslim-ruled Jerusalem . Pope Urban II called for the crusade in 1095 at the Second Council of Clermont . In 1120, following repeated crises between

360-527: A range running north to south and less than 160 km (60 sq mi) long, contains 115 of them (monogenic volcanoes only). The Auvergne Volcanoes regional natural park is in the massif. The amusement park of Vulcania near Clermont-Ferrand allows visitors to discover this natural heritage and introduces them to volcanology. In the south, one remarkable region is made up of features called Causses in French and consists of raised limestone plateaus cut by very deep canyons. The most famous of them

405-806: A result of intrigues. In 570, Bishop Avitus ordered the Jews of the city, who numbered over 500, to accept Christian baptism or be expelled. In 848, the city was renamed Clairmont , after the castle Clarus Mons. During this era, it was an episcopal city ruled by its bishop. Clermont was not spared by the Vikings at the time of the weakening of the Carolingian Empire : it was ravaged by the Normans under Hastein in 862 and 864 and, while its bishop Sigon carried out reconstruction work, again in 898 (or 910, according to some sources). Bishop Étienne II built

450-627: A strong identity. Clermont-Ferrand has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ). The city is in the rain shadow of the Chaîne des Puys, giving it one of the driest climates in metropolitan France, except for a few places around the Mediterranean Sea. The mountains also block most of the oceanic influence of the Atlantic, which creates a much more continental climate than in nearby cities west or north of the mountains, like Limoges and Montluçon . Thus

495-541: A total student population of over 37,000, along with university faculty and staff. With around 2,700 students, Clermont Auvergne INP is the biggest engineering graduate school in the city. A division of Polytech (an engineering school of Clermont Auvergne INP) located in Clermont-Ferrand made the news when two of its students, Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez , were murdered in June 2008 while enrolled in

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540-502: Is a highland region in south-central France consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,000 years, these central mountains are separated from the Alps by a deep north–south cleft created by the Rhône river and known in French as the sillon rhodanien (literally "Rhône furrow"). The region was

585-485: Is a city and commune of France , in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region , with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area ( aire d'attraction ) had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 census. It is the prefecture (capital) of the Puy-de-Dôme département . Olivier Bianchi is its current mayor . Clermont-Ferrand sits on the plain of Limagne in the Massif Central and is surrounded by

630-692: Is booming, taking advantage of the UNESCO heritage classification of the volcanoes of the Chaîne des Puys and the Causses and Cévennes region. The entire economy of the Massif Central has benefited from the opening of roads, particularly the construction of the A75motorway on which is located the famous Millau Viaduct . Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand ( UK : / ˌ k l ɛər m ɒ̃ f ɛ ˈ r ɒ̃ / , US : /- m oʊ n -/ ; French: [klɛʁmɔ̃ fɛʁɑ̃] )

675-574: Is the Gorges du Tarn (Tarn Canyon). Mountain ranges, with notable individual mountains, are (roughly north to south): The following departments are generally considered as part of the Massif Central : Allier , Ardèche , Aude , Aveyron , Cantal , Corrèze , Creuse , Gard , Haute-Garonne , Haute-Loire , Haute-Vienne , Hérault , Loire , Lot , Lozère , Puy-de-Dôme , Rhône , Saône-et-Loire , Tarn , and Tarn-et-Garonne ; these form parts of

720-595: The A75 with Montpellier and the A89 with Bordeaux , Lyon and Saint-Étienne ( A72 ). The airport offers flights within France. Recently, Clermont-Ferrand was France's first city to get a new Translohr transit system, the Clermont-Ferrand Tramway , thereby linking the city's north and south neighbourhoods. The TGV will arrive in Auvergne after 2030. It will be one of the last regions not to have

765-587: The Alps during the Paleogene period and in the southern section by the uplift of the Pyrenees . The massif thus presents a strongly asymmetrical elevation profile with highlands in the south and in the east ( Cévennes ) dominating the valley of the Rhône and the plains of Languedoc and, by contrast, the less elevated region of Limousin in the northwest. These tectonic movements created faults and may be at

810-575: The Kingdom of the Franks . On 8 November 535 the first Council of Clermont opened at Arvernis (Clermont), with fifteen bishops participating, including Caesarius of Arles , Nizier of Lyons , the Bishop of Trier , and Saint Hilarius , Bishop of Mende . The Council issued 16 decrees. The second canon reiterated the principle that the granting of episcopal dignity must be made according to merit and not as

855-509: The public square Place de Jaude , in which stands a grand statue of Vercingetorix astride a warhorse and brandishing a sword. The inscription reads in French: J'ai pris les armes pour la liberté de tous , lit.   'I took up arms for the liberty of all'). This statue was sculpted by Frédéric Bartholdi , who also created the Statue of Liberty . Clermont-Ferrand's first name

900-760: The regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes , Bourgogne-Franche-Comté , Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitania . The largest cities in the region are Clermont-Ferrand , Limoges , and Saint-Étienne . In the Massif Central, the industry remains little developed except locally (metallurgy in Saint-Étienne; tires in Clermont-Ferrand , headquarters of Michelin , world leader in the sector; aeronautics industry in Figeac , etc.). The other industries present are linked to agriculture ( Groupe Limagrain ,

945-473: The sevens version of rugby union, Clermont-Ferrand has hosted the France Women's Sevens , the final event in each season's World Rugby Women's Sevens Series , since 2016 . Education is also an important sector in the economy of Clermont-Ferrand. The University of Clermont Auvergne (formed in 2017 from a merger of Université Blaise Pascal and Université d'Auvergne ) is located in the city and has

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990-440: The 13th and the 19th centuries. Food production and processing as well as engineering are major employers in the area, as are the many research facilities of leading computer software and pharmaceutical companies. The city's industry was for a long time linked to the French tyre manufacturer Michelin , which created the radial tyre and expanded from Clermont-Ferrand to become a worldwide leader in its industry. For most of

1035-734: The 20th century, it had extensive factories throughout the city, employing up to 30,000 workers. While the company has maintained its headquarters in the city, most of the manufacturing is now done in foreign countries. This downsizing took place gradually, allowing the city to court new investment in other industries, thus avoiding the fate of many post-industrial cities and keeping it a very wealthy and prosperous area home to many high-income executives. The main railway station has connections to Paris and several regional destinations: Lyon, Moulins via Vichy , Le Puy-en-Velay , Aurillac , Nîmes , Issoire , Montluçon and Thiers . The A71 motorway connects Clermont-Ferrand with Orléans and Bourges ,

1080-570: The Auvergne region's cultural life is significant in France. One of the city's nicknames is "The Liverpool of France". Groups such as The Elderberries and Cocoon were formed there. Additionally, the city was the subject of the acclaimed documentary The Sorrow and the Pity , which used Clermont-Ferrand as the basis of the film, telling the story of France under Nazi occupation and the Vichy regime of Marshal Pétain . Pierre Laval , Pétain's "handman",

1125-465: The FIBA EuroBasket 1999 . The city was the finish of Tour de France stages in 1951 and 1959, and will host the start of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes . The city is also home to a rugby union club competing at international level, ASM Clermont Auvergne , as well as Clermont Foot Auvergne , a football club that has competed in France's top tier, Ligue 1 , since the 2021/22 season. In

1170-644: The Roman assault at the Battle of Gergovia in 52 BC. After the Roman conquest, the city became known as Augustonemetum . The city became the seat of a bishop in the 5th century, at the time of the bishop Namatius , who built a cathedral here described by Gregory of Tours . Clermont went through a dark period after the disappearance of the Roman Empire and during the High Middle Ages was pillaged by

1215-470: The beginning of the 20th century. Wishing to retain its independence, Montferrand made three demands for independence, in 1789, 1848, and 1863. The Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) was completed in 1844. In the 20th century, the construction of the Michelin factories and of city gardens, which shaped modern Clermont-Ferrand, united the two cities, although two distinct downtowns survive and Montferrand retains

1260-469: The city has comparatively cold winters and hot summers. From November to March, frost is very frequent, and the city, being at the bottom of a valley, is frequently subject to temperature inversion , in which the mountains are sunny and warm, and the plain is freezing cold and cloudy. Snow is quite common, although usually short-lived and light. Summer temperatures often exceed 35 °C (95 °F), with sometimes violent thunderstorms. The highest temperature

1305-637: The city, is the second French film Festival after Cannes in terms of visitors, but ranks first for spectators (in Cannes, visitors are not allowed in theatres, only professionals). This festival has revealed many young talented directors who are now well known in France and internationally, such as Mathieu Kassovitz , Cédric Klapisch and Éric Zonka. Beside the short film festival, Clermont-Ferrand hosts more than twenty music, film, dance, theatre and video and digital art festivals every year. With more than 800 artistic groups from dance to music, Clermont-Ferrand and

1350-451: The counts of Auvergne and the bishops of Clermont and in order to counteract the clergy's power, the counts founded the rival city of Montferrand on a mound next to the fortifications of Clermont, on the model of the new cities of the Midi that appeared in the 12th and 13th centuries. Until the early modern period , the two remained separate cities: Clermont, an episcopal city; Montferrand,

1395-731: The film. Pascal was born in Clermont-Ferrand in 1623. The city also hosts L'Aventure Michelin , the museum dedicated to the history of Michelin group. A racing circuit close to the city, the Charade Circuit , using closed-off public roads , held the French Grand Prix in 1965 , 1969 , 1970 and 1972 . It was a daunting circuit, with such harsh elevation changes that some drivers became ill as they drove. Winners included Jim Clark , Jackie Stewart (twice), and Jochen Rindt . Clermont-Ferrand has some experience in hosting major international sports tournaments, including

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1440-631: The name of Clermont-Ferrand. The amalgamation of the two towns was decreed by Louis XIII and confirmed by Louis XV . The old part of Clermont is delimited by the route of the ramparts as they existed at the end of the Middle Ages. Clermont ranks among the oldest cities of France. The first known mention was by the Greek geographer Strabo , who called it the "metropolis of the Arverni " (meaning their oppidum civitas or tribal capital). The city

1485-486: The old Roman baths have been collected. The surrounding country, with its fir woods, pastures, waterfalls and mountains, is very attractive. To the south is the Puy de Sancy (1,886 m), the loftiest peak of central France. This Puy-de-Dôme geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Massif Central The Massif Central ( French pronunciation: [masif sɑ̃tʁal] )

1530-777: The oldest French cities, it was known by Greeks as the capital of the Arvernie tribe before developing in the Gallo-Roman era under the name of Augustonemetum in the 1st century BC. The forum of the Roman city was located on the top of the Clermont mound, on the site of the present cathedral. During the decline of the Western Roman Empire it was subjected to repeated looting by the peoples who invaded Gaul , including Vandals , Alans , Visigoths and Franks . It

1575-501: The origin of the volcanism in the massif (but the hypothesis is not proved yet). In fact, above the crystalline foundation, one can observe many volcanoes of many different types and ages: volcanic plateaus ( Aubrac , Cézallier ), stratovolcanoes ( Mounts of Cantal , Monts Dore ), and small, very recent monogenic volcanoes ( Chaîne des Puys , Vivarais ). The entire region contains a large concentration of around 450 extinct volcanoes. The Chaîne des Puys (near Clermont-Ferrand ),

1620-573: The peoples who invaded Gaul. Between 471 and 475, Auvergne was often the target of Visigothic expansion, and the city was frequently besieged, including once by Euric . Although defended by Sidonius Apollinaris , at the head of the diocese from 468 to 486, and the patrician Ecdicius , the city was ceded to the Visigoths by emperor Julius Nepos in 475 and remained part of the Visigothic kingdom until 507. A generation later, it became part of

1665-418: The principal ingredients of the springs, which are used both for drinking and bathing. Hot baths are characteristic of the treatment; they are believed to be efficacious for tuberculosis , bronchitis , asthma , and nervous and rheumatic paralysis. Due to the elevation and exposure of the valley, the climate of Mont-Dore is relatively severe, and the season only lasts from 15 June to 15 September. The bath-house

1710-564: The world's leading festivals for short films . It is also home to the corporate headquarters of Michelin , the global tyre company founded in the city more than 100 years ago. With a quarter of the municipal population being students, and some 6,000 researchers, Clermont-Ferrand is the first city in France to join the UNESCO Learning City Network. Along with its highly distinctive black lava stone Gothic styled Cathedral , Clermont-Ferrand's other famous sites include

1755-497: The world's third-largest seed producer and cheese-producing industries that export to the world such as Cantal and Roquefort ). On the agricultural level, the Limagne plain is dominated by major cereal crops, but in the mountains, it is mainly livestock farming that predominates: cattle farming in the west for meat and milk (Cantal cheese), sheep farming in the south on the limestone plateaus (Roquefort cheese). Finally, tourism

1800-481: Was Augusto nemetum , Latin for " sanctuary for Augustus ", or Civitas Arvernorum (town of the Arverni people). It originated on the central knoll where the cathedral is situated today, overlooking the capital of Gaulish Arvernis  [ fr ] . The fortified castle of Clarus Mons gave its name to the whole town in 848, to which the small episcopal town of Montferrand was attached in 1731, together taking

1845-408: Was an Auvergnat . My Night at Maud's ( French : Ma nuit chez Maud ), a 1969 French drama film by Éric Rohmer , was set and filmed in Clermont-Ferrand in and around Christmas Eve. It is the third film (fourth in order of release) in his series of Six Moral Tales . Pascal's wager , a philosophical and theological thought experiment from Blaise Pascal 's Pensées , is a major theme in

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1890-502: Was at that time called Nemessos – a Gaulish word for a sacred forest, and was situated on the mound where the cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand stands today. Somewhere in the area around Nemossos, the Arverni chieftain Vercingetorix (later to head a unified Gallic resistance to the Roman invasion led by Julius Caesar ) was born around 72 BC. Nemossos was situated not far from the plateau of Gergovia , where Vercingetorix repulsed

1935-654: Was later raided by Vikings as the Carolingian Empire weakened in the early Middle Ages . Growing in importance under the Capetian dynasty , in 1095 it hosted the Council of Clermont , where Pope Urban II called the First Crusade . In 1551, Clermont became a royal town, and was declared an inseparable property of the Crown in 1610. Today Clermont-Ferrand hosts the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival ( Festival du Court-Métrage de Clermont-Ferrand ), one of

1980-557: Was reached in 2019 of 40.9 °C (105.6 °F) while the lowest was −29.0 °C (−20.2 °F). Clermont-Ferrand has two famous churches. One is Notre-Dame du Port , a Romanesque church which was built during the 11th and 12th centuries (the bell tower was rebuilt during the 19th century). It was nominated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. The other is Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral ( Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Clermont-Ferrand ), built in Gothic style between

2025-568: Was rebuilt in 1891–1894. Mont-Dore is a ski resort with runs on the slopes of the Puy de Sancy and the Puy Ferrand. Thirty runs account for 42 km of downhill skiing, served by a number of lifts of different types. There are also 25 km of cross-country trails. Mont-Dore is set to host the finish of stage 10 of the 2025 Tour de France . In the town park, along the Dordogne, relics of

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