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.

History

Auvergne was a province of France deriving its name from the ''

Arverni The Arverni (Gaulish: *''Aruernoi'') were a Gallic people dwelling in the modern Auvergne region during the Iron Age and the Roman period. They were one of the most powerful tribes of ancient Gaul, contesting primacy over the region with the ne ...

'', a Gallic tribe who once occupied the area, well known for its fierce resistance, led by Vercingetorix, to conquest by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

and the late Roman Republic. Christianized by

Saint Austremoine Stremonius or Saint Austremonius or Saint Stramonius or Austromoine, the "apostle of Auvergne (province), Auvergne," was the first Bishop of Clermont. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Legend During the consulship (in 250 AD) o ...

, 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 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.Elizabeth M. Hallam, ''Capetian France: 987–1328'', London: Longman, 1980, p. 248. On Alfonso's death in 1271, Auvergne, along with the

County of Toulouse The County of Toulouse ( oc, Comtat de Tolosa) was a territory in southern France consisting of the city of Toulouse and its environs, ruled by the Count of Toulouse from the late 9th century until the late 13th century. The territory is the ...

, Poitou and the Comtat Venaissin, reverted to the

royal domain Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it ...

. The Middle Ages, especially the 10th to 13th centuries, were a period of great development for Auvergne, with 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 religion wars and epidemics, integrated to the kingdom of France, it turned itself more and more into an agricultural province, although reputed for its products. In 1790, the historical province was divided into the modern-day '' départements'' of Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Haute-Loire, and

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 ...

, although Haute-Loire and Allier also include some land from the historical provinces of Bourbonnais, Lyonnais, and Velay.

Economic history

The region is famed for its '' charcuterie'', which is celebrated in "''La Mangona''" festivals in many ''Auvergnat'' villages, for its

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

s ( Saint-Nectaire, Bleu d'Auvergne, Cantal,

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 ...

Fourme d'Ambert Fourme d'Ambert is a semi-hard French blue cheese. One of France's oldest cheeses, it dates from as far back as Roman times. It is made from raw cow's milk from the Auvergne region of France, with a distinct, narrow cylindrical shape. The semi-h ...

), and for its mineral waters ( Volvic, among others).

Michelin Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and la ...

tires are produced there. Auvergne is also the site of several major

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

projects, mainly located on the rivers Dordogne, Cère, 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 ...

. The region is also quite touristic, thanks to its landscapes.

Cultural history

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. Composer

Joseph Canteloube Marie-Joseph Canteloube de Malaret (; 21 October 18794 November 1957) was a French composer, musicologist, and author best known for his collections of orchestrated folksongs from the Auvergne region, ''Chants d'Auvergne''. Biography 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 Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...

composed ''Rhapsodie d'Auvergne'' in 1884, based upon folk songs from the Auvergne. Much of Anne Rice's ''

Vampire Chronicles ''The Vampire Chronicles'' is a series of gothic horror novels and a media franchise, created by American writer Anne Rice, that revolves around the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampire in the 18 ...

'' takes place in Auvergne. Characters Lestat de Lioncourt and

Nicolas de Lenfent The following is a list of characters from Anne Rice's ''The Vampire Chronicles'', which began with the 1976 novel ''Interview with the Vampire''. The series primarily follows the antihero Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampi ...

reside there. The protagonist of John Jakes' '' The Kent Family Chronicles'', Philippe Kent (né Charboneau), was born in Auvergne.

Notable residents

* Vercingetorix (c. 82–46 BC), King of the Arverni, leader of the Gallic resistance against

. * Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), born in Auvergne, was a national hero in both France and the United States for his roles in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution. * Jean-Baptiste Coffinhal (1762–1794),

Jacobin , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = Pa ...

leader and vice-president of the Revolutionary Tribunal, was born in Auvergne. A close friend of

Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...

, he was executed following the events of

9 Thermidor The Coup d'état of 9 Thermidor or the Fall of Maximilien Robespierre refers to the series of events beginning with Maximilien Robespierre's address to the National Convention on 8 Thermidor Year II (26 July 1794), his arrest the next day, and ...

. * Jean-Baptiste Carrier (1756–1794), French revolutionary, was born at Yolet in Auvergne. He was famous for his brutality towards his enemies. In 1794, he was guillotined upon the conviction of the National Convention. * Pope Sylvester II (c. 946–1003), born Gerbert of Aurillac, a significant player in the transition from the Carolingians to the Capetians. * The Dalfi d'Alvernha or Dauphin d'Auvergne, troubadour and patron of troubadours, Count of Clermont and Montferrand *

(1879–1957), French composer. *

Guy Debord Guy-Ernest Debord (; ; 28 December 1931 – 30 November 1994) was a French Marxist theorist, philosopher, filmmaker, critic of work, member of the Letterist International, founder of a Letterist faction, and founding member of the Situationis ...

(1931–1994), writer and leader of the Situationist International, acquired a country house in the region in 1975, where he frequently lived until committing suicide there in 1994. * Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1926–2020), President of France, although not born in the Auvergne, was educated in Clermont-Ferrand and represented it in the National Assembly. * Pierre Laval (1883–1945), Prime Minister of France and of the Vichy French regime, was born near Clermont-Ferrand, although he made his political career in Paris. *

Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal ( , , ; ; 19 June 1623 – 19 August 1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and Catholic Church, Catholic writer. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen. Pa ...

(1623–1662), mathematician, inventor, Christian apologist ('' Pensées'') *

Audrey Tautou Audrey Justine Tautou (; born 9 August 1976) is a French actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 18 on television and her feature film debut in ''Venus Beauty Institute'' (1999), for which she received critical acclaim and won the Césa ...

(1976–), internationally successful French actress, was born and raised in Auvergne.

References

External links

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