Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of France, with its
prefecture
A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
in
Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
. Its other principal towns are
Saint-Flour
Saint-Flour (; Auvergnat: ''Sant Flor'') is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region in south-central France, around 100 km south of Clermont-Ferrand. Its inhabitants are called ''Sanflorains''.
Geography
The upper cit ...
(the
episcopal see
An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...
) and
Mauriac; its residents are known as Cantalians (french: link=no, Cantaliens / Cantaliennes or '). Cantal borders the departments of
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.[Haute-Loire
Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche ...]
,
Aveyron
Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants o ...
,
Lot
Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to:
Common meanings Areas
* Land lot, an area of land
* Parking lot, for automobiles
*Backlot, in movie production
Sets of items
*Lot number, in batch production
*Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...
,
Lozère
Lozère (; oc, Losera ) is a landlocked department in the region of Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the east by Ardèche, to the south by Gard, to the west by Aveyron, ...
and
Corrèze
Corrèze (; oc, Corresa) is a department in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ...
, in the
Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') 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 10,00 ...
natural region.
Along with neighbouring Lozère and
Creuse
Creuse (; oc, Cruesa or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the eas ...
, Cantal is among the most sparsely populated and geographically isolated departments of France and Aurillac is the departmental capital farthest removed from a major motorway. It had a population of 144,692 in 2019,
[Populations légales 2019: 15 Cantal]
INSEE making it the country's 98th most populated department. Of the 96 metropolitan departments, it is the fifth least populated.
Etymology
The department is named for the
Plomb du Cantal, the central peak of the bare and rugged
mounts of Cantal
The Mounts of Cantal (or Volcanoes of Cantal; french: Monts du Cantal ) are a mountainous massif in the mid-west of the Massif Central, France, made up of the remnants of the largest stratovolcano of Europe, which was formed from 13 million years ...
(French: ''Monts du Cantal'') mountain chain which traverses the area.
Geography
Cantal lies in the middle of France's central plateau. The Cantal range is a group of extinct and eroded volcanic peaks. Its highest point is the
Plomb du Cantal, which reaches an elevation of . Its neighbors are
Puy Mary
The Puy Mary is a summit in the mounts of Cantal in Massif Central in France. It is classified as a "Grand National Site" in France. Nearly 500,000 visitors come to this site every year.
Geography and geology
The mountain is an extinct volcano ...
(elev. ) and
Puy Chavaroche (elev. ). To their north lie the ' and
Dore ranges and the arid Artense Plateau. Immediately to their east is the fertile Planèze Plateau, bound on its east by the '.
The principal rivers are the
Alagnon
The Alagnon (''Alanhon'' in Occitan), also spelled ''Allagnon'', is an river in south-central France. It is a left tributary of the river Allier. Its source is near the village of Laveissière, near the Plomb du Cantal in the Massif Central. T ...
, which is tributary to the
Allier
Allier ( , , ; oc, Alèir) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region that borders Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire to the east, Puy-de-Dôme to the south, and Creuse to the south-west. Named afte ...
; the
Celle
Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...
and
Truyère
The Truyère () is a river in south-western France, right tributary of the Lot. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, north of Mende. It flows generally west through the following ''départements'' and towns:
* Lozère: Le Malzieu ...
, tributary to the
Lot
Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to:
Common meanings Areas
* Land lot, an area of land
* Parking lot, for automobiles
*Backlot, in movie production
Sets of items
*Lot number, in batch production
*Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...
; and the
Cère
The Cère is a long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Dordogne. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, near the mountain Plomb du Cantal. It flows generally west through the following ''départements'' and town ...
and
Rhue, tributary to the
Dordogne
Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named af ...
. At an elevation of above sea level, the low point of the province lies in the
Lot valley. The Truyère valley skirts the Planèze on the south and divides it from the ', whose foothills include the thermal springs of
Chaudesaigues. The western area of the department consists of grassy plateaus and river valleys.
At first, Cantal was divided into four
arrondissement
An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands.
Europe
France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements' ...
s—
Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
,
Mauriac,
Saint-Flour
Saint-Flour (; Auvergnat: ''Sant Flor'') is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region in south-central France, around 100 km south of Clermont-Ferrand. Its inhabitants are called ''Sanflorains''.
Geography
The upper cit ...
and Murat (later merged with Saint-Flour).
Climate
The climate of the department varies considerably. Prevailing winds and mountain ranges divide Cantal into four climatic zones:
* The west is subject to oceanic winds which bring rains.
* The mountains of the Cantal and the Cézallier create a rain shadow: it rains and snows quite often.
* The Planèze of Saint-Flour and the region of Massiac receive less precipitation, owing to winds coming from the north and south.
* The plateaux of the Margeride and the Aubrac have harsh winters and pleasant summers.
Generally, the weather is mild and dry in the
alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a largely flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A floodplain is part of the process, being the sma ...
between
Murat Murat may refer to:
Places Australia
* Murat Bay, a bay in South Australia
* Murat Marine Park, a marine protected area
France
* Murat, Allier, a commune in the department of Allier
* Murat, Cantal, a commune in the department of Cantal
Elsewhe ...
and Saint-Flour and around Aurillac, while summer storms and winters can be long and severe in the northern and central areas. The west—nearer precipitation coming in from the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
—is well watered. There is abundant snowfall which can remain up to six months on the mountaintops. Winter temperatures can fall to below , whereas in summer is often reached. The southern part of the department, on its borders with
Aveyron
Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants o ...
and
Lot
Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to:
Common meanings Areas
* Land lot, an area of land
* Parking lot, for automobiles
*Backlot, in movie production
Sets of items
*Lot number, in batch production
*Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...
, is the hottest region. Aurillac averaged 2080 hours of sunlight per year over the period from 1991 to 2000. Fog is rare and disappears quickly. Wind is usually not very strong, but the lightning flashes in this department are among the most spectacular in France.
Televised French weather forecasts often note Aurillac as the coldest city in France in the mornings. This status should be understood in light of their derivation from temperature readings by . Of the 30 cities included on its maps, Aurillac is by far the one with the highest altitude, at above sea level.
Principal towns
The most populous commune is
Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants:
[
]
History
The area of Cantal was historically part of the Haute-Auvergne
Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, with its prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour (the episcopal see) and Mauriac; its residents are known as Cantalians (fren ...
(').
Cantal is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
on 4 March 1790. Prior to the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, it comprised parts of the XIII. Army Corps military region and the Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat (dialect), Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population ...
educational division (').
Diocese of Cantal
After the 1790 Constitution Civile du Clergé, the Diocese of Saint-Flour
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Flour (Latin: ''Dioecesis Sancti Flori''; French: ''Diocèse de Saint-Flour'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the department of Cantal. Erected in ...
in Cantal (whose bishop refused to swear the republican oath of allegiance, constituting a schism from Rome) was among the almost half of the French sees being abolished to realign the new bishoprics to coincide with the new departments, such as Cantal, where outsider parish priest Anne-Alexandre-Marie Thibault was elected Bishop. It was formally abolished in turn after the Napoleonic Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace-Lorraine, where it remains in force. It sought national reconciliation b ...
(Thibault refusing to resign), in favor of the reinstated bishopric of Saint Poul, but actually retained the departemental borders.
Economy
The climate being generally too cool and damp for grain, much of Cantal is given over to pasture
Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...
for Aubrac Aubrac is a small village in the southern Massif Central of France. The name is also applied to the surrounding countryside, which is properly called L'Aubrac in French. The Aubrac region has been a member of the Natura 2000 network since August 20 ...
and Salers
Salers (, ) is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France.
It is famous for the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) cheeses Cantal and Salers. It is also famous for the Salers breed of cattle that originated in this commu ...
cattle, sheep, and, formerly, horses. This in turn supports a dairy industry responsible for butter and Roquefort cheese and the appellation-controlled cheeses Cantal
Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour, Cantal, Saint ...
, Salers
Salers (, ) is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France.
It is famous for the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) cheeses Cantal and Salers. It is also famous for the Salers breed of cattle that originated in this commu ...
, and Bleu d'Auvergne
Bleu d'Auvergne () is a French blue cheese, named for its place of origin in the Auvergne region of south-central France. It is made from cow's milk, and is one of the cheeses granted the Appellation d'origine contrôlée from the French govern ...
. Cantal is the French department with the greatest number of appellation-controlled cheeses, although proper Roquefort is now restricted to cheese produced in the Aveyron
Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants o ...
department. The region's mineral products include coal, copper, lead, iron, antimony
Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb (from la, stibium) and atomic number 51. A lustrous gray metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (Sb2S3). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient time ...
, granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
, slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
and lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
, but the department's isolation and poor infrastructure long precluded their exploitation. Before the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the primary exports were livestock, cheese, butter, and coal and the main imports were coal, wine, grain, flour, and pottery. By then, it had been connected to both the Orleans and Midi
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
railways
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
.
Traditionally, many Cantalians roamed France during the year plying humble trades but now the area's relative lack of industry and development permits tourism. An area has been set aside as the Auvergne Volcanos Regional Park (').
Demographics
The Occitan language
Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, and sometimes also referred to as ''Provençal'', is a Romance languages, Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Ital ...
was historically spoken in Cantal.
The official population count for 2019 was 144,692.[ The population peaked at 262,117 in 1836. It has been below 200,000 for the last 90 years. The department has experienced a particularly drastic level of depopulation, although the phenomenon was a feature of many of the country's rural departments throughout the twentieth century, as agricultural wages failed to keep pace with those available in the industrialising regions outside the department.
Population development since 1791:
]
Tourism
Architecture
The department counts several remarkable buildings. Among them, the Romanesque religious buildings like the churches of Cheylade (eleventh century), Dieno or Massiac. The area's Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
cathedral—dependent on the archdiocese of Bourges
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bourges (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Bituricensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Bourges'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The Archdiocese comprises the departements of Che ...
—is the 15th-century St Pierre de St-Flour, erected in the Gothic style
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
.
* Castle of Val in Lanobre ( visitors/year)
* Castle of Anjony in Tournemire ( visitors/year)
* Castle of Pesteils in Polminhac
Polminhac () is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Cantal department
The following is a list of the 246 communes of the Cantal department of France.
Intercommunalities
Th ...
( visitors/year)
* Castle de la Vigne in Ally ( visitors/year)
* Castle of Clavières in Ayrens
* Castle of Carbonat in Arpajon-sur-Cère
Arpajon-sur-Cère (, literally ''Arpajon on Cère''; oc, Arpajon de Cera or just ) is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region of south-central France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Arpajonnais'' or ''Arpajon ...
* Chateau de Conros, near Aurillac
Festivals
* International Festival of Street Theatre, Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
.
* World Music Festival, Murat
* 36 hours : Various little scenes with dances
* Festival International de Boogie Woogie, Laroquebrou
Art
The characteristic folk dance in Cantal is ''La Bourrée''. In the countryside it would be danced in folk costumes with accompaniment by accordion. The dance form was long ago adapted for use in courtly music and features prominently in the Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
dance suites of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Prominent museums in Cantal include:
* Museum of Art and Arqueologia, Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
( visitors/year)
* The House of Fauna, Murat Murat may refer to:
Places Australia
* Murat Bay, a bay in South Australia
* Murat Marine Park, a marine protected area
France
* Murat, Allier, a commune in the department of Allier
* Murat, Cantal, a commune in the department of Cantal
Elsewhe ...
( visitors/year)
* Museum of the Géothermia, Chaudes-Aigues
Chaudes-Aigues (; oc, Chaudas Aigas, ) is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France. It is a spa town, famous for its hot spring waters.
Geography
The commune is situated in the Massif Central in Aubrac. Its inhabitants are ...
( visitors/year)
* Museum of the Volcanos, Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
( visitors/year)
* Museum of the ray, Marcenat ( visitors/year)
* Museum of the "Haute Auvergne", Saint-Flour
Saint-Flour (; Auvergnat: ''Sant Flor'') is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region in south-central France, around 100 km south of Clermont-Ferrand. Its inhabitants are called ''Sanflorains''.
Geography
The upper cit ...
( visitors/year)
* The House of the Chestnut Mourjou ( visitors/year)
* Museum of Georges Pompidou, Montboudif ( visitors/year)
* Museum of the Accordion in Siran
* Museum of Agriculture in Auvernia, Coltines
Cuisine
The traditional articles of Cantalian cuisine were rye, buckwheat, and chestnuts, as well as ham, cheese, and vegetables. The area's simple recipes were designed to satisfy hill farmers and herders. Notable dishes include:
* Aligot
Aligot ( oc, Aligòt) is a dish made from cheese blended into mashed potatoes (often with some garlic) that is made in L'Aubrac (Aveyron, Cantal, Lozère, Occitanie) region in the southern Massif Central of France. This fondue-like dish from the ...
(also in Aveyron
Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants o ...
): Creamed potatoes, cheese (fresh tomme), butter, fresh cream and a little garlic.
* Truffade
Truffade is a rural dish traditionally associated with Auvergne in France. It is a sort of thick pancake made with thinly sliced potatoes that are slowly cooked in goose fat until tender, then mixed with thin strips of tome fraîche (which is ver ...
: Potatoes in slices with cheese (fresh tomme) and a little garlic.
* Pounti: A cake made with dough of wheat black flour, herbs, lard, prunes and Swiss chard.
* The typical cheese ''Cantal
Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour, Cantal, Saint ...
'', which can be chosen young, old or "entre-deux".
Outdoor activities
In the 19th century, the hills and valleys abounded with game and the streams with fish, the countryside producing a "vast variety" of aromatic and medicinal plants.
At present, the most visited places are Puy Mary
The Puy Mary is a summit in the mounts of Cantal in Massif Central in France. It is classified as a "Grand National Site" in France. Nearly 500,000 visitors come to this site every year.
Geography and geology
The mountain is an extinct volcano ...
, the Plomb du Cantal, the village of Salers
Salers (, ) is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France.
It is famous for the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) cheeses Cantal and Salers. It is also famous for the Salers breed of cattle that originated in this commu ...
, and the gorges of the Truyère (with the Garabit viaduct
The Garabit viaduct (french: viaduc de Garabit) is a railway arch bridge spanning the Truyère, near Ruynes-en-Margeride, Cantal, France, in the mountainous Massif Central region.
The bridge was constructed between 1882 and 1884 by Gustave Eiffe ...
, the castle of Alleuze
Alleuze (; oc, Alueisa) is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region of south-central France.
Geography
Alleuze is located some 7 km due south of Saint-Flour on the edge of the Planèze plateau. Access to the commune is by ...
, and the towns of Boisset, Pierrefort). The ''Parc Naturel des Volcans d’Auvergne'' features several inactive volcanoes. Cantal also has numerous castles. Puy Mary can be accessed by car easily. and is accessible to hikers. It is also possible to hike to the nearby Puy de Peyre-Arse (1806 m). Le Lioran or Super-Lioran are the best places to start the hike. Le Lioran is accessible by rail or bus and Super-Lioran is just a kilometre away from Le Lioran. From Super-Lioran it is also possible to hike to Plomb du Cantal. There is also an option of taking the cable car to Plomb du Cantal from Super-Lioran. Super-Lioran tourist office has various hike routes in the region. There are also various adventure courses, dirt bikes, summer luges etc. that run in Super-Lioran.
Among the various activities offered in this department, the "Massif Cantalien" can be discovered through walking, horseback riding or mountain biking excursions (tracks are especially designed for this). Aquatic sports are also common, due to numerous lakes. The department also offers activities such as mountaineering, canoeing and fishing. The landscape also allows the practice of free flight: base jumpers frequent the sector around the Puy Mary and the Brezon valley.
Thanks to its terrain, Cantal can count on a good snow level, which allows winter sports. The station of Le Lioran, largest ski-resort of the Massif Central offers alpine skiing (with specific adaptations for snowboard) and ice-skating. Excursions in snow shoes are also possible. The department has several hundred kilometres of cross-country skiing tracks.
File:Chateau de val.jpg, Château de Val
File:Chateau de Pesteil.jpg, Château de Pesteils
File:Truyère Château d'Alleuze.jpg, Truyère
The Truyère () is a river in south-western France, right tributary of the Lot. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, north of Mende. It flows generally west through the following ''départements'' and towns:
* Lozère: Le Malzieu ...
river and Château d'Alleuze
The Château d'Alleuze is a ruined castle situated in the commune of Alleuze, in the Cantal ''département'' of France.
Built in the 13th century by the constables of Auvergne, it belonged to the bishops of Clermont. During the Hundred Years ...
File:Lavigerie overview.jpg, Lavigerie Lavigerie may refer to:
* Charles Lavigerie, a French cardinal, archbishop of Carthage and Algiers and primate of Africa
* Lavigerie, a commune of the Cantal ''département'', in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is ...
File:Garabit.jpg, Railway bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel (Garabit viaduct
The Garabit viaduct (french: viaduc de Garabit) is a railway arch bridge spanning the Truyère, near Ruynes-en-Margeride, Cantal, France, in the mountainous Massif Central region.
The bridge was constructed between 1882 and 1884 by Gustave Eiffe ...
)
File:CantalMounts.jpg, Cantal hills
Politics
This staunchly Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
department is an old stronghold of the French Right and was the electoral base of the late Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou ( , ; 5 July 19112 April 1974) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1969 until his death in 1974. He previously was Prime Minister of France of President Charles de Gaulle from 1962 to 196 ...
. Only the area around Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
, historically anti-clerical
Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...
and Radical
Radical may refer to:
Politics and ideology Politics
*Radical politics, the political intent of fundamental societal change
*Radicalism (historical), the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and ...
, has some left-wing support.
The current president of the departmental council is Bruno Faure ( The Republicans).
Paul Doumer
Joseph Athanase Doumer, commonly known as Paul Doumer (; 22 March 18577 May 1932), was the President of France from 13 June 1931 until his assassination on 7 May 1932.
Biography
Joseph Athanase Doumer was born in Aurillac, in the Cantal ''dépa ...
, French president from May 1931 to May 1932, was born in Aurillac
Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''.
Geography
Aurillac is at above sea leve ...
in this department.
Current National Assembly Representatives
Notes
See also
*Communes of the Cantal department
The following is a list of the 246 Communes of France, communes of the Cantal Departments of France, department of France.
Intercommunalities
The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities (as ...
References
*
Attribution:
*
External links
Prefecture website
Departmental Council website
*
{{Authority control
Massif Central
1790 establishments in France
Departments of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
States and territories established in 1790