Auvergne region. Auvergne - the heart of France

TURENNE, Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne (Turenne, Henry de la Tour d'Auvergne, 1611–1675), French commander, marshal99Are you trembling, my skeleton? You would tremble even more if you knew where I would lead you now. This is what Turenne said on the battlefield. ? Boudet, p. 1183. This phrase was attributed to Turenne,

Telegram from the National Committee to the Free French Representative Office, Washington, and the French High Commissioner, Noumea London, November 13, 1941

Telegram from the National Committee to the Free French Mission, Washington, and to the French High Commissioner, Noumea London, November 13, 1941 Reporting the directives of the National Committee concerning negotiations with the US Government regarding the establishment of lines

Telegram from the National Committee to the High Commissioner in Beirut, General Quatre, and the Free French representative in Cairo, Baron Benoit. copy: Free French Representative in Washington London, December 27, 1941

Telegram from the National Committee to the High Commissioner in Beirut, General Quatre, and the Free French representative in Cairo, Baron Benoit. copy: to the Free French Representative in Washington London, December 27, 1941 It would be very useful if you could talk

Telegram from Fighting France to the United States to the Fighting France delegation, to Algiers Washington, May 31, 1943

Telegram from Fighting France in the United States to the delegation of Fighting France, to Algiers Washington, May 31, 1943 The entire American press publishes on the front pages information about de Gaulle's arrival in Algeria and, under large headlines, reports on the upcoming negotiations on

Auvergne is an administrative region in the center of France, formerly a province of the Kingdom of France.
The Auvergne region is located in the area where the sources of many rivers are located. In terms of relief, the region is a giant karst sinkhole: a wide flat part in the north and a narrow Allier gorge in the south.
There are 80 extinct volcanoes in Auvergne (according to other sources - up to 250), and such a cluster in a relatively small area is not typical for the rest of France. At least a quarter of the region's lands have preserved traces of former volcanic activity in the form of volcanic massifs (Cantal, Mont-Dore, Chêne-de-Puy, Sancy) and individual extinct Neogene volcanoes rising above the plateau. Old craters alternate with younger ones, and small lakes of volcanic origin are surrounded by forests, meadows and plateaus. Volcanoes began to form approximately 70 thousand years ago. The last volcanic eruption occurred here about 6 thousand years ago. The walls of the volcanic cones gradually collapsed under the influence of water and wind, and on the surface of the earth there remained “volcanic cones” - masses of lava hardened in the crater of the volcano, which formed round hills, which in Auvergne are called “puys”. They have become a local landmark.
Due to the complex topography, the Auvergne landscape consists of 25% broad-leaved and pine forests, 45% meadows and pastures, 20% arable land and 10% land for various purposes, including urban areas.
The name of the region comes from the name of the Celtic tribe Arverni, who inhabited the central mountainous part of ancient Gaul. Subsequently, this name was fixed in the Latin language (Arverni) and was inherited by modern French(Auvergne - Auvergne).
Auvergne is a predominantly agricultural region, more than 80% of its income comes from agriculture produces meat and dairy farming. Cattle grazing in the lush meadows of the Auvergne provide not only meat (northern region), but also milk, from which famous French cheeses are produced, including the famous “blue cheese” produced in the south of Auvergne. The Allier River Valley grows the best grapes in central France.
Of all the industries, the most developed in Auvergne is the rubber industry. Clermont-Ferrand in the south of Auvergne was the birthplace of Edouard Michelin (1859-1940), the inventor of the pneumatic tire for bicycles and cars, who turned Clermont-Ferrand into the capital of the rubber industry in France. The head office and headquarters of the Michelin company were located in Clermont-Ferrand, and the enterprises of another rubber company, Dunlop, were located in Montluçon.
Favorable natural conditions Auvergne allowed laboratories of the world's leading research companies in the field of medicine and biotechnology to be opened here.
Auvergne attracts tourists who want to undergo treatment with the world famous mineral waters at the Vichy resort and thermal springs.
Auvergne occupies the most high part Central French Massif (over 1800 m). About a quarter of the region's territory retains traces of volcanic activity: in some places there are cones of extinct volcanoes surrounded by younger mountains. There are small lakes of volcanic origin everywhere.
During the Second World War, French Marshal Pétain collaborated with the German fascists and headed a collaborationist regime with its capital in the Auvergne city of Vichy. The Vichy regime remained a black page in the history of France.
In the first millennium BC. e. in the lands of the current Auvergne region lived the Arverni - the most powerful of all Gallic tribes, according to the Greek historian and geographer Strabo (about 64/63 BC - about 23/24 AD).
In 121 BC. e. The Arverni were defeated by the Romans who invaded these lands. Arvernian leader Vercingetorix (82-46 BC) in 52 BC. e. gathered the scattered forces of the Gauls and entered into battle with the legions of the ancient Roman commander Julius Caesar (100/102 - 44 BC). The guerrilla warfare tactics chosen by Vercingetorix initially brought success to the Gauls, but Julius Caesar managed to encircle the Arverni troops in the Gaulish fortified city of Alesia and completely defeat their rivals. Vercingetorix himself was captured. He spent five years in prison, after which in 46 BC. e. was paraded through the streets of jubilant Rome and executed. The lands of the Arverni became part of the Roman province of Aquitaine and quickly underwent Romanization. The capital of the province was the city of Augusto Nemetum (modern Clermont-Ferrand). The Romans built roads in the province and opened medicinal properties local warm and mineral springs. In present-day Auvergne, many traces of the Roman era have been preserved, such as the ruins of the temple of Mercury of Arvergne on the Puy de Dome mountain.
During the collapse of the Roman Empire in 418, this territory was conquered by the Visigoths, and in 507 by the Franks. From the 8th century here was a county that was part of the kingdom, then the duchy of Aquitaine. In 1152, the Duchess of Aquitaine, Apienora of Aquitaine (c. 1124-1204), married Count Henry of Anjou (1133-1189), who became King of England in 1154. Then the lands of Auvergne passed to England, but by the beginning of the 13th century. Due to internecine wars, they mostly returned to France. During the feudal wars there were several attempts to separate Auvergne from France, but by the 16th century. this region finally came under the rule of the French kings. In the 17th century in the Auvergne there was a large uprising of the croquant peasants (aux croquants literally means “against the rodents,” that is, opponents of the predatory power of the nobles and priests). The uprising was suppressed with such cruelty that until the Great French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. In some areas of the Auvergne, the authorities managed to maintain servage (serfdom), while throughout France it was abolished.
In the history of World War II, Auvergne remained the place where the collaborationist Vichy regime settled, named after the city that became the “capital” of this regime in July 1940 - August 1944, during the occupation of France by German troops.
This essentially fascist regime was created with the consent of Germany in the unoccupied southern part of France (a third of the country's territory) after its military defeat in 1940. The Vichy government was headed by Marshal Henri Pétain, who pursued a policy of repression. After the liberation of France in 1944, the leaders of the Vichy regime were convicted of treason.
After in the 1960s. In the Auvergne, tourism began to develop rapidly; residents of the city of Vichy tried to ensure that their city ceased to be associated with the fascist regime. But the historical past of Vichy left its mark on the fate of this resort town and no major international conferences or festivals have ever been held here.
At the same time, tourists willingly attend such famous events in Auvergne as the Festival of Street Theaters in Aurillac, the World Folklore Festival in Ganne, the International Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand, the Music Festival of Classical and Religious Music in Chaise-Dieu, the Pamparina Music Festival in Thiers and the festival of the Revival of the King of the Birds in Puy-en-Velay, celebrated since the Middle Ages.

General information

Administrative center: city ​​of Clermont-Ferrand - 139,860 people. (2010).

Administrative division: 4 departments (Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dome), 14 districts, 158 cantons, 1310 communes.

Languages: French, Occitan (dialects - Auvergne, Languedoc, Vivaro-Alpine), Bourbon dialect of the Oil language.

Ethnic composition: French.
Religion: Catholicism.

Currency: Euro.

Large cities: Clermont-Ferrand, Montluçon - 38,402 people. (2010), Aurillac - 27,924 people. (2010), Vichy - 24,774 people. (2010), Moulins - 19,590 people. (2010).

Largest lakes: Chauvet, Ayda, Monsineir, Pavin, Servier, Geri, Godivel, Ribeir.

Most important airport: Clermont-Ferrand International Airport.

Neighboring territories: in the northwest - the Center region, in the northeast - the Burgundy region, in the east - the Rhône-Alpes region, in the south - the Languedoc-Roussillon and Sud - Pyrenees regions, in the west - Limousin.

Numbers

Population: 1,347,387 people. (2010).
Population density: 51.8 people/km 2 .
Highest point: Mount Puy de Sancy (Massif Central, 1885 m).

Climate and weather

Average January temperature(Clermont-Ferrand): +3.5°C.
Average temperature in July(Clermont-Ferrand): +19.6°C.
Average annual precipitation: 510-1200 mm.

Relative humidity: 70%.

Economy

GRP: €31.7 billion (2006), per capita - €23,800 (2006).

Agriculture: dairy and meat farming (cattle), crop production (cereals - wheat, barley, corn; potatoes, grapes, rapeseed, sunflower, sugar beets).

Industry: rubber, food (cheese making), pharmaceutical, clothing, metalworking.

Hydroelectric power.

Resorts (warm and mineral springs of Vichy and La Bourboule).

Services: tourism, transport.

Attractions

Curious facts

■ Auvergne is the birthplace of the best varieties of blue cheese from the A.O.C list: Cantal, Saint-Nectaire, Bled "Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambery Saler.
■ In Auvergne, the famous mineral water Volvique, Vichy Saint-Yorre, Vichy Celestin and Mont-Dore are bottled. The porous volcanic rock serves as a natural filter for water and promotes its mineralization.
■ Mount Puy de Dome went down in history because in 1648 the great French scientist Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) carried out an experiment here to prove the weight of air; in 1911, the pilot Eugene Reno landed a plane on the mountain after completion the first five-hour flight from Paris, and today one of the stages of the Tour de France cycling race leads to the top of the Puy de Dome.
■ The history of Volvik mineral water began in 1927, when the inventive mayor of the city of Volvik decided to use the beneficial water of the Gule spring and ordered a 700-meter tunnel to be dug, after which the water from the source began to be bottled and sold.
■ The total length of the Auvergne rivers is 20 thousand km.

The administrative region includes four departments: Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme.

The territory of the Allier department roughly corresponds to the lands of the Duchy of Bourbon.

Geography

The southern part of the region is predominantly located in the mountains of the Massif Central, the formation of which dates back to the end of the Paleozoic era, and whose contours changed significantly during the Cenozoic era in response to the rise of the Alpine plateau. The general shape of the region appears to be a sinkhole, open to the north (the Limagnes and Bourbonnais lowlands) and contracted to the south (the Allier Gorge). The highest point of Auvergne is highest point total Massif Central- Mount Puy de Sancy (fr. Puy de Sancy) (1886 meters).

For a long time, the region was away from major transport routes in France. Nowadays, this disadvantage has been corrected thanks to the construction of the A75 highway, connecting the Paris Basin with the Mediterranean coast, but the economic development of the region has significantly slowed down after the appearance of this transport artery.

The Auvergne region includes four departments:

The administrative center of the Auvergne region is the city of Clermont-Ferrand, which, together with its suburbs, has more than 400,000 inhabitants, which is almost one third of the total population of the region.

The idea of ​​uniting the Auvergne and Limousin regions was expressed by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in the run-up to the 2004 regional elections and supported by the prime minister of that period, Jean-Pierre Raffarin. However, this proposal was received negatively in Limousin, since the areas of Limoges and Brive-la-Gaillarde are more oriented towards the Atlantic coast in their development.

Story

Arverni lands

Auvergne owes its name to a powerful Gallic tribe Arverni, under whose influence were the lands of Languedoc and Aquitaine. It was to the Arverni that Vercingetorix belonged, who in 52 BC. took the title of king. His father, Keltill, who was king before him, was executed by his companions for his intention to make the title of king hereditary. The successes of Vercingetorix in the winter of 53/52 BC. became the reason for the unification of all the Celtic tribes around him. The leaders of each tribe, as a sign of loyalty to the alliance, sent “hostages” (their son or daughter) to it.

As a result of recent archaeological excavations, it became clear that the capital Arverni could be located in the area between the fortress of Gergovia, the settlement of Koran (fr. Corent) and the settlement of Olna (fr. Aulnat). The perimeter of this area is 35 kilometers and, using extrapolation, it can be assumed that the population of its central part was 150,000 people, and the entire territory - 400,000 inhabitants.

Numerous traces of the presence of prehistoric man were found in Auvergne: the oldest crude products made of flint, later stone axes, elegantly finished and polished, bronze sabers and daggers (made by some tribe with surprisingly small hands, judging by the size of the handles).

A number of facts suggest that the tribe Arverni was one of the richest and most powerful tribes of the Gauls:

• The hilly landscape of this area contributed to the additional protection of local fortifications from the invasions of various conquerors (for example, described by Caesar, Cebenna);
• numerous mines for the extraction of gold, silver and other precious metals (developed at least since 400 BC);
• high mountain pastures, where there were numerous herds;
• mastery of complex crafts and metallurgy skills (in your essay Notes on the Gallic War Caesar describes Vercingetorix as a warrior "with impressive armor, consisting of many assembled silver elements that reflected the sunlight"); Copper processing was especially developed;
• minting their own coins and developed trade with neighboring tribes;
• Possession of pottery skills (workshops in Lezu, etc.);
• strong influence on neighboring tribes and the joining of the Celtic tribe of the Aedui to the uprising of Vercingetorix.

One of the important historical events that took place in the lands of Auvergne was the Battle of Gergovia, which allegedly took place 12 kilometers from the city of Clermont-Ferrand in 52 BC. . This place was indirectly established on the basis of Caesar’s notes, but reliable evidence for this version has not yet been found. In this battle, Vercingetorix defeated Julius Caesar and began pursuing him with his troops.

Auvergne in the feudal era

During the great migration of peoples, Auvergne fell into the hands of the Visigoths, then passed to the Franks. In the 7th century, the Aquitani competed with the Franks for the territory of Auvergne. In 760, Pepin the Short, having conquered Aquitaine, took Clermont and annexed Auvergne to his possessions. During the reign of the Capetian dynasty, Auvergne considered itself completely independent; The letter of Bishop Etienne III of Clermont that has come down to us begins with the words: régnante Domino nostro Jesu Christo. Conquered by the Carolingians, Auvergne was for a time included in the kingdom of Aquitaine, with the exception of Allod, which formed the County of Aurillac (fr. Comte d'Aurillac). This county was transferred to Father Geraud of Aurillac (fr. Géraud d'Aurillac) and no longer depended on the County of Auvergne, reporting directly to the king. The counts of Auvergne from the Guillemid dynasty gradually achieved independence for their lands. In the 10th century, Auvergne became the subject of a struggle between the Counts of Poitiers and the Counts of Toulouse.

The lands of the County of Auvergne during the Middle Ages covered the territory of the modern Puy-de-Dôme department, the northern half of the Cantal department and the northwestern third of the Haute-Loire department, together with the canton of Brioude. The remaining territory of Cantal was partly in the possession of the Abbey of Aurillac, and partly under the rule of the Viscounts of Millau.

Feudal power in the Auvergne was very firm, which caused the fragmentation of political power. The Bishop of Clermont was able to remove his city from the rule of the counts and therefore they strongly encouraged the development of the neighboring city of Montferrand (now one of the nine cantons of Clermont-Ferrand). Later, the usurpation of power in the county became the reason for the formation of the independent Auvergne Dauphine by the count, deprived of part of his property.

Soon, taking advantage of the troubles that arose, royal interference in the affairs of the region intensified. King Philip II Augustus annexed most of the county to the lands of the crown, establishing the administrative center of the royal Auvergne in the city of Riom. Remaining in the possession of the Capetian house, Auvergne was initially given over to Alphonse de Poitiers.

The appearance of cities in the Auvergne with communal self-government, which they received either from their immediate lords or from the French kings, dates back to this time. There were 80 such cities. The material well-being of Auvergne began to decline from the middle of the 14th century, as a result of the war with England. The English kings also laid claim to Auvergne as part of Aquitaine. Entire gangs of robbers appeared in Auvergne, with whom the population had to fight even after the conclusion of peace in Bretigny in 1360.

The Dukes of Bourbon also received the Auvergne Dauphine through marriage. Ultimately, all remaining Auvergne lands were confiscated by King Francis I in 1527.

New time

At the end of the 19th century, French geographers Pierre Fonchin and Paul Vidal de la Blache developed a regrouping of departments based on geographical criteria. He proposed the creation of a so-called "Massif Central region" containing the departments of Allier, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, Dordogne, Lot, Tarn, Aveyron, Lozère, Haute-Loire, Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Corrèze and Cantal.

Economy

Industrial sector

Despite the poor domestic market, many national and international companies have been able to gain a foothold in Auvergne, such as Michelin (leader in the production of car tires), Limagrain (world leader in the production of seeds), the Centre-France-La Montagne group (regional daily newspaper), Volvic mineral water (belongs to the Danone group). These companies export about 75% of their products.

Auvergne is an industrial region, as the share of employment in industry is 22% (110,000 jobs) of the total working population, while the average figure for France is 18%.

The main one is the tire production sector, represented by the world leader in this field - Michelin, legally and historically located in Clermont-Ferrand. The remaining industrial sectors are less developed, but among them we can highlight metallurgy (Aubert et Duval) and pharmaceuticals (MSD-Chibret). Auvergne is one of the most advanced regions of France in terms of scientific research. More than 8 thousand scientists work here in various fields of knowledge, such as chemistry, pneumatics, medicine, pharmacology, agronomy, biotechnology, seismology, metallurgy, etc.

Tourism

Le Pal amusement park, located in the Allier department near the commune of Dompierre-sur-Bebre, attracts over 500,000 visitors a year, combining a large amusement park and a zoo on its territory.

Cone in Vulcania Park

Vulcania, a holiday park and scientific and cultural center for European volcanology, is located in the Puy-de-Dôme department. It opened to the public in February 2002 and attracts more than 300,000 tourists annually.

The region has several ski resorts, of which the main ones are the oldest base of Super Lioran in the Cantal mountains, the most modern resort of Super Besse and the family base of Mont Dore in the Sancy massif. In Auvergne there are also several areas dedicated to cross-country ski trails, for example, the Guery ski area (French. Guéry) or a base in the vicinity of the commune of Paerol. You should also pay attention to the Mezenc mountain range in the Haute-Loire department, not far from the source of the Loire.

A museum dedicated to the history of the development of the Michelin brand “L"Aventure Michelin” was opened on January 23, 2009 in the historical district of Katarou in the city of Clermont-Ferrand. On 2000 square meters of exhibition, visitors are told about the history of the industrial group, its employees and its inventions.

Collectively, the region has more than 170,000 tourist beds, located mainly in campsites, hotels and furnished apartments. Dachas and summer residences in Auvergne have 410,000 beds.

Agriculture

Agriculture in the Auvergne provides 41,000 jobs, representing 8.5% of the region's jobs. This figure is twice the French average.

In the mountainous part of the Auvergne region, cattle breeding is predominantly developed, focused on meat and dairy products. It was in the departments of Cantal and Puy-de-Dome that cow breeds were developed Salers And Aubrac(meat direction).

Cheese production is of great importance for the region, with five cheese farms enjoying the protection of the national “Law on Designations of Controlled Origin”:

• Cantal (two semi-solid varieties),

About 50,000 tons of cheese are produced annually in Auvergne, accounting for a quarter of all AOP cheeses produced in France. In the past, cheesemaker Antoine Roussel lived here, who developed the technology for producing the so-called blue cheeses for which France is famous. Roussel was the first to introduce mold into the cheese mass. The new variety of cheese was named Bleu d'Auvergne, glorifying the province throughout the world.

It is also necessary to mention the cultivation Green lentils Le Puy(the first plant to receive a national Certificate of Authenticity Control of Origin (AOC)) on the Vélay plateau in the Haute-Loire department.

Beef production is widespread in the Allier department. The eastern part of the Haute-Loire department produces beef Fin gras du Mézenc (AOC) from cows fed with hay from high mountain meadows.

Transport

See also: TER Auvergne

Composition of the TER Auvergne commuter service

The A71 and A75 Paris-Montpellier-Spain motorways in the north-south direction, as well as the A89 Bordeaux-Lyon-Geneva motorway in the west-east direction, intersect at Clermont-Ferrand, thus connecting all important metropolises. Following the opening of traffic on the Millau Viaduct in 2004 to travel from the Auvergne capital to the coast Mediterranean Sea it takes 2 hours 15 minutes.

The quality of the road surface is excellent on all sections of the network, allowing you to travel from Paris to Moulins or Clermont-Ferrand in 3 hours 30 minutes.

With regard to rail traffic, the electrification of tracks carried out in 1990 made it possible to improve connections on the SNCF line Paris - Clermont-Ferrand, and the start of operation Teoz in September 2003, it reduced the travel time from Paris to Clermont-Ferrand to 2 hours 59 minutes. To get from Paris to Moulins now takes 2 hours 25 minutes, to Vichy - 2 hours 55 minutes, to Riom - 3 hours 20 minutes, to Montluçon - 3 hours 30 minutes. The cities of Aurillac and Le Puy-en-Velay do not have direct connections with the Ile-de-France region.

Airport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne is a regional hub for Air France. The milestone of one million passengers per year was surpassed in 2003.

Despite all this development of the transport system, the expansion of accessibility of the region was limited only to the Allier River valley in the north of the region.

Thermal center in Vichy

Mineral water and balneological resorts

A large number of springs rich in mineral salts have been discovered on the territory of Auvergne. The waters of some of them have been released for sale. The best-known brand sold is Volvic bottled water, whose advertising strategy draws on the geological heritage of the region.

The small town of Vichy, starting from mid-19th century, under the influence of Napoleon III it acquired the fame of a “royal resort”.

Opened in 1875, the balneological resort of La Bourboule in the Puy-de-Dôme department was initially the focus of tourism after the discovery of healing hot springs, reaching its heyday in the 1900s, when the resort was visited by 10,000 holidaymakers annually. Nowadays, the flow of holidaymakers has weakened significantly.

Notes

See also

Links

• Information website of the Regional Council of Auvergne (French). Conseil régional Auvergne. Archived
• Welcome to Auvergne (Russian). Official website of tourism in France. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
• Website of the region's tourism office (French). Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.

There are hundreds of volcanoes here, which, you see, is uncharacteristic for Europe. Auvergne is a place where volcanic activity ended, but volcanoes remained, decorating the landscape of this French region hills, called here "Puy". Emerald grass grows on the hills, along which well-fed cows roam, giving milk, from which the Auverginians make the best “blue cheese” in the world, which has become not even a gastronomic, but a cultural symbol of this region.

FRENCH VOLCANOES REGION

Auvergne has a unique topography for France, characterized by a large number of extinct volcanoes that fell asleep 6 thousand years ago.

Auvergne is an administrative region in the center of France, formerly a province of the Kingdom of France.

The region is located on the territory of the Central Mountain Range, where the sources of many rivers are located. But the relief of the region is a giant karst sinkhole: a wide flat part in the north and a narrow Allier gorge in the south.

There are 80 extinct volcanoes in Auvergne (according to other sources - up to 250), and such a cluster in a relatively small area is not typical for the rest of France. At least a quarter of the region's lands have preserved traces of former volcanic activity in the form of volcanic massifs (Cantal, Mont-Dore, Chêne-de-Puy, Sancy) and individual extinct Neogene volcanoes rising above the plateau. Old craters alternate with younger ones, and small lakes of volcanic origin are surrounded by forests, meadows and plateaus. Volcanoes began to form approximately 70 thousand years ago. The last volcanic eruption occurred here about 6 thousand years ago. The walls of the volcanic cones gradually collapsed under the influence of water and wind, and on the surface of the earth there remained “volcanic cones” - masses of lava hardened in the crater of the volcano, which formed round hills, which in Auvergne are called “puys”. They have become a local landmark.

Due to the complex topography, the Auvergne landscape consists of 25% broad-leaved and pine forests, 45% meadows and pastures, 20% arable land and 10% land for various purposes, including urban areas.

The name of the region comes from the name of the Celtic tribe Arverni, who inhabited the central mountainous part of ancient Gaul. Subsequently, this name was fixed in the Latin language (Arverni) and was inherited by the modern French language (Auvergne - Auvergne).

Auvergne is a predominantly agricultural region, with more than 80% of agricultural income coming from meat and dairy farming. Cattle grazing in the lush meadows of the Auvergne provide not only meat (northern region), but also milk, from which famous French cheeses are produced, including the famous “blue cheese” produced in the south of Auvergne. The Allier River Valley grows the best grapes in central France.

Of all the industries, the most developed in Auvergne is the rubber industry. Clermont-Ferrand in the south of Auvergne was the birthplace of Edouard Michelin (1859-1940), the inventor of the pneumatic tire for bicycles and cars, who turned Clermont-Ferrand into the capital of the rubber industry in France. The head office and headquarters of the Michelin company were located in Clermont-Ferrand, and the enterprises of another rubber company, Dunlop, were located in Montluçon.

The favorable natural conditions of Auvergne made it possible to open laboratories here for the world's leading research companies in the field of medicine and biotechnology.

Auvergne attracts tourists who want to undergo treatment with the world famous mineral waters at the Vichy resort and thermal springs.

Auvergne occupies the highest part of the French Massif Central (over 1800 m). About a quarter of the region's territory retains traces of volcanic activity: in some places there are cones of extinct volcanoes surrounded by younger mountains. There are small lakes of volcanic origin everywhere.

VICHY - BITTER MEMORY OF FRANCE

During the Second World War, French Marshal Pétain collaborated with the German fascists and headed a collaborationist regime with its capital in the Auvergne city of Vichy. The Vichy regime remained a black page in the history of France.

In the first millennium BC. e. in the lands of the current Auvergne region lived the Arverni - the most powerful of all Gallic tribes, according to the Greek historian and geographer Strabo (about 64/63 BC - about 23/24 AD).

In 121 BC. e. The Arverni were defeated by the Romans who invaded these lands. Arvernian leader Vercingetorix (82-46 BC) in 52 BC. e. gathered the scattered forces of the Gauls and entered into battle with the legions of the ancient Roman commander Julius Caesar (100/102-44 BC). The guerrilla warfare tactics chosen by Vercingetorix initially brought success to the Gauls, but Julius Caesar managed to encircle the Arverni troops in the Gaulish fortified city of Alesia and completely defeat their rivals. Vercingetorix himself was captured. He spent five years in prison, after which in 46 BC. e. was paraded through the streets of jubilant Rome and executed. The lands of the Arverni became part of the Roman province of Aquitaine and quickly underwent Romanization. The capital of the province was the city of Augusto Nemetum (modern Clermont-Ferrand). The Romans paved roads in the province and discovered the healing properties of local warm and mineral springs. In present-day Auvergne, many traces of the Roman era have been preserved, such as the ruins of the temple of Mercury of Arverne on Mount Puy de Dome.

During the collapse of the Roman Empire in 418, this territory was conquered by the Visigoths, and in 507 by the Franks. From the 8th century here was a county that was part of the kingdom, then the duchy of Aquitaine. In 1152, the Duchess of Aquitaine Alienora of Aquitaine (c. 1124-1204) married Count Henry of Anjou (1133-1189), who became King of England in 1154. Then the lands of Auvergne passed to England, but by the beginning of the 13th century. Due to internecine wars, they mostly returned to France. During the feudal wars there were several attempts to separate Auvergne from France, but by the 16th century. this region finally came under the rule of the French kings. In the 17th century in the Auvergne there was a large uprising of the croquant peasants (aux croquants literally means “against the rodents,” that is, opponents of the predatory power of the nobles and priests). The uprising was suppressed with such cruelty that until the Great French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. In some areas of the Auvergne, the authorities managed to maintain servage (serfdom), while throughout France it was abolished.

In the history of World War II, Auvergne remained the place where the collaborationist Vichy regime settled, named after the city that became the “capital” of this regime in July 1940 - August 1944, during the occupation of France by German troops.

This essentially fascist regime was created with the consent of Germany in the unoccupied southern part of France (a third of the country’s territory) after its military defeat in 1940. The Vichy government was headed by Marshal Henri Pétain, who pursued a policy of repression. After the liberation of France in 1944, the leaders of the Vichy regime were convicted of treason.

After in the 1960s. In the Auvergne, tourism began to develop rapidly; residents of the city of Vichy tried to ensure that their city ceased to be associated with the fascist regime. But the historical past of Vichy left its mark on the fate of this resort town, and major international conferences and festivals have never been held here.

At the same time, tourists willingly attend such famous events in Auvergne as the Festival of Street Theaters in Aurillac, the World Folklore Festival in Ganne, the International Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand, the Music Festival of Classical and Religious Music in Chaise-Dieu, the Pamparina Music Festival in Thiers and the festival of the Revival of the King of the Birds in Puy-en-Velay, celebrated since the Middle Ages.

FUN FACTS

■ Auvergne is the birthplace of the best varieties of blue cheese from the A.O.C. list: Cantal, Saint-Necterre, Bled "Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambery Salsr.

■ In Auvergne, the famous mineral water Volvique, Vichy Saint-Yorre, Vichy Celestin and Mont-Dore are bottled. The porous volcanic rock serves as a natural filter for water and promotes its mineralization.

■ Mount Puy de Dome went down in history because in 1648 the great French scientist Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) carried out an experiment here to prove the weight of air; in 1911, the pilot Eugene Reno landed a plane on the mountain after completion the first five-hour flight from Paris, and today one of the stages of the Tour de France cycling race leads to the top of the Puy de Dome.

■ The history of Volvik mineral water began in 1927, when the inventive mayor of the city of Volvik decided to use the beneficial water of the Gule spring and ordered a 700-meter tunnel to be dug, after which the water from the source began to be bottled and sold.

■ The total length of the Auvergne rivers is 20 thousand km.

■ In the 19th century. a certain Legrand d'Ossy approached the Auvergne authorities with a proposal to penetrate into the center of the Earth through the Cantal volcanic massif. It was proposed to select solidified lava from the crater of the volcano and go down. The proposal was rejected due to lack of funds in the region's budget.

ATTRACTIONS

■ Architectural: Chateau de la Batisse (Puy de Dome department), Chateau Dauphin castle (Puy de Dome department), Chateau de la Motte castle (Allier department), Saint-Gervasy castle (Puy-de-Dôme department), castles Billy, Murol, Alleuze, Lapalisse, Conroe, Beauvoir, Effiat, Chauvigny and Toury, castle of St. Etienne (Aurillac).
■ Cultural: Museum of Knives (Thiers), Museum of Electricity Electrodome (Magne), Museum of Regional Art and Folk Traditions (Riom), Museum of Science (Aurillac).
■ Natural: thermal stations (Vichy, La Bourboule, Mont-Dore, Royat, Chateguillon), volcanic massifs of Chêne-de-Puy, Sancy, Mont-Dore and Cantal, individual extinct volcanoes (Lemptegui, Puy-Marie, Elançaise, Plom du Cantal, Puy-de-Dôme, Pariou and Sancy), Vulcania park (Saint-Hours-les-Roches), lakes Chauvet, Ayda, Montsinaire, Pavin and Serviere, Natural Park of Livradoua-Fores, plateau Sesallier, Regional Natural Park of Volcanoes d'Auvergne.
■ Historical: ancient Lascaux cave with wall paintings.
■ Religious: Mauzac Abbey (Mauzac, 7th century), Chapel of Saint-Michel d'Aigil (962), Church of Our Lady (St. Nectarios, Saint-Nectaire, mid-12th century), Basilica of Our Lady (Orcival, early 12th century) c.), St. Peter's Cathedral (Saint-Flour, 15th century), St. Geraud (Aurillac), Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Aurillac), Church of St. Austremonia (Issoire).
■ City of Clermont-Ferrand: Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port (XI-XII centuries), Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady (XIII century).
■ Other: Amusement and wildlife park.

Atlas. The whole world is in your hands No. 173