Auvergne (; ; or ) is a cultural region in central France. 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 Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...

that form rounded hilltops known as puys. The last confirmed eruption occurred around 4040 BCE.

Geography

Auvergne 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 . The Sancy Massif in the Monts Dore is the highest point in Auvergne at . The northern part is covered in hills, while the southern portion is mountainous and dotted with pastures. The Forest of Tronçais covers nearly and is the largest oak forest in Europe. Auvergne has two major rivers: the

Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...

runs through the southeast and borders the northeast, and the

Allier Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...

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 the mountains and have volcanic origins. Lac de Guéry is the highest lake in Auvergne.

Gallery

Volcanoes in Auvergne France 2010.jpg, Volcanoes. Puy de dôme depuis le puy de côme.jpg, Puy de Dôme. Vue du puy de Sancy.JPG, Puy du Sancy. Puy de Pariou 2001-07-30.jpg, Puy Pariou. Come pariou.jpg, The " Chaîne des Puys" in

Puy-de-Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (; or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2021, it had a population of 662,285.Arverni, one of the most powerful Gallic tribes. It was composed of the

Gabali The Gabali (Gaulish: *''Gabli'') were a Gauls, Gallic tribe dwelling in the later Gévaudan region during the La Tène culture, Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Gabalos'' or ''Gabalis'' by Julius Caesar, Caesar (mid-1 ...

, 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 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 range. Researchers estimate 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: * They were protected by their location in a mountainous area, which provided strong defenses from outside attackers (for example the Cebenna described by Caesar) * They had resources: numerous mines of gold, silver and other precious metals (exploited at least since 400 BC) * The uplands had pastures available for grazing of cattle and sheep herds * Their artisans mastered metalworking and complex craftwork (in Julius Caesar's book on the

Gallic Wars The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, and Switzerland). Gauls, Gallic, Germanic peoples, Germanic, and Celtic Britons, Brittonic trib ...

, Vercingetorix is described with "a big armor made of many assembled silver pieces, reflecting the sun"), and in particular copperwork * They minted their own money, and had strong trade with nearby tribes * They had ceramic manufacture (workshops in Lezoux, etc.) * They had influence on nearby tribes and were able to rally the Aedui during the revolt of Vercingetorix. A shrine in Auvergne marks the Battle of Gergovia. Based on scholars' interpretation of books by Caesar, it took place about from present-day

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...

; this has not been conclusively proved. Initially, Vercingetorix and his troops overcame Julius Caesar and the Roman army at Gergovia in 52 BC. Roman troops subsequently achieved victory at Alesia (Alise-sainte-Reine) in Burgundy. Roman legionaries had set various traps and obstacles to disrupt Gallic advancements. 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 , from a statue high, probably representing 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.

Feudal Auvergne

In the 7th century, the

Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

and the

Aquitani The Aquitani were 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 suc ...

competed for control of Auvergne. Conquered by the

Carolingians The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid ...

, it was integrated for a certain time into the kingdom of Aquitania. A section known as the county of Aurillac 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 Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

and

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

. Under the reign of the Carolingians, Auvergne included five secondary counties with a particular administrative system (Clermont, Turluron, Brioude, Tallende, Carlat (comitatus Cartladensis)). During the Middle Ages, the county of Auvergne covered the current departments of

Puy-de-Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (; or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2021, it had a population of 662,285.Cantal Cantal (; or ) is a rural 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-Flou ...

, as well as a small third in northwestern

Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; 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, Lozère, Canta ...

, 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 Millau (; ) is a commune in Occitania, France. Located at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers, the town is a subprefecture of the Aveyron department. Millau is known for its Viaduct, glove industry and several nearby natural ...

, to form the viscountcy of Carlat. King Philip August linked 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 An appanage, or apanage (; ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a monarch, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture (where only the eldest inherits). It was ...

to his younger son, Alphonse, Count of Poitiers. In 1360 it was given as a duchy to John, Duke of Berry, who also bought 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).

Modern times

In the 16th century Auvergne was plunged into religious wars. Some

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

militia made incursions into the highlands and took castles and Catholic villages by surprise. They returned them, subject to a

ransom Ransom refers to the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release. It also refers to the sum of money paid by the other party to secure a captive's freedom. When ransom means "payment", the word ...

. 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 Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...

, Queen of France, inherited the last part of the county from her mother, which allowed the integration of the last feudal fiefdom, in the heart of Auvergne, into the royal territory. In 1665,

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

temporarily set up an exceptional criminal court in Clermont and

Le Puy-en-Velay Le Puy-en-Velay (, ; , before 1988: ''Le Puy'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Loire Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of south-central France. Located near the rive ...

, ''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 the policies of the Auvergne

intendant An intendant (; ; ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In the War of the Spanish Success ...

s, 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.

Demographics

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):

(147,865), Montluçon (34,361), Aurillac (25,593), and Vichy (24,980).Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2019
INSEE

Major communities

* Aurillac * Chamalières *

* Cournon-d'Auvergne * Issoire *

* Montluçon * Moulins, Allier * Riom * Vichy * Thiers, Puy-de-Dôme

Economy

The region is predominantly agricultural, with tourism slowly growing. Both beef and dairy cattle are plentiful, and there are several well-known cheeses:

Bleu d'Auvergne Bleu d'Auvergne () is a French blue cheese, named for its place of origin in the Auvergne (province), 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 fr ...

Cantal Cantal (; or ) is a rural 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-Flou ...

, Fourme d'Ambert and Saint-Nectaire. Despite its small local market, the Auvergne region has developed many national and international companies, such as

Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...

, Limagrain, the Centre France-La Montagne group, Volvic mineral water and numerous dynamic SMEs around 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 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 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 the most visited theme park in

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...

. Le Pal is the fifth most visited amusement park in France and the fourth in the zoo sector.

In popular culture

Clark Ashton Smith Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an influential American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories and poetry, and an artist. He achieved early recognition in California (largely through the enthusiasm ...

's stories are set in a fictionalised version of medieval Auvergne. * The 2002 film '' To Be and to Have'' () documents one year in the life of a one-teacher school in rural . * is a collection of folk songs from the Auvergne region arranged by Joseph Canteloube for soprano solo and orchestra in five series beginning in the 1920s. The original setting uses Auvergnat, the Occitan dialect of the region, but also has been written in modern French. * Rhapsodie d'Auvergne, Op. 73, is a concerted work for piano and orchestra by

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 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 ...

(1884). It includes a melody that the composer heard while traveling in the region. * The first verse of Georges Brassens' song "Chanson pour l'Auvergnat" about an Auvergne inhabitant who was the only one to give the hungered protagonist wood so he could warm himself up. (1954) * '' The Sorrow and the Pity'' (French: ''Le Chagrin et la Pitié'') is a two-part 1969 French documentary film by Marcel Ophuls about the collaboration between the Vichy government and Nazi Germany during World War II. The film includes interviews with former German soldiers, collaborators, resistance fighters, and others from the Auvergne region. The interviewees comment on the nature of, and reasons for, collaboration.

References

External links

*
Auvergne regional council website

Auvergne Web
Tourist and general information about the Auvergne region {{Authority control Auvergne Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Massif Central