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View of Clermont-Ferrand, Volcanoes in the distance © Luc Olivier, Clermont Auvergne Volcans Tourisme © Gerard Fayet, Clermont Auvergne Volcans Tourisme SPOTLIGHT on: Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne is a region of natural beauty and dramatic landscapes, located midway between Paris and the Mediterranean, anchored in the centre of France by the Massif Central and its 80 volcanoes. Janine Marsh explores the capital Clermont-Ferrand and climbs a volcano… In 2017, scientists monitoring volcanic activity in the Auvergne region, south of France, gulped as they watched seismic movement on the equipment that keeps watch over the city of Clermont Ferrand which is built on top of a volcano. The movement was sudden, and it was huge. How could this be they asked themselves, it came from nowhere, there hadn’t been an eruption here for thousands of years. There was talk of an immediate evacuation of the city’s 150,000 inhabitants. Bizarrely though, the action was only in one part of the city – Place du Jaude. One of the scientists realised that ASM, the local rugby team were playing a league match that day and it’s a tradition for the fans to jump up and down to support the team. Their enthusiastic leaping was causing the ground to shake – the result looked just as it did for a volcanic eruption! And that sort of sums up Clermont- Ferrand – a city full of surprises, friendly, welcoming and fun. The Romans had no idea that they were settled on top of a volcano when they arrived in about 50 BC. Neither did they realise that this hilltop city was surrounded by volcanoes A rare rainy day in the city – it’s said to rain just 90 days a year here that had been dormant for so long they were covered in trees and grass. Clermont-Ferrand is one of the oldest cities in France and before the Romans, it was home to the famous Gaul chieftain Vercingetorix. Over the centuries, it was attacked by Vikings, Normans and Visigoths and also served as the starting point for the First Crusade (1095- 1099). A 13th century Duke of Auvergne disliked the then Bishop of Clermont so much that he set up an alternative town next door known as Mont Ferrand, and it wasn’t until 1730 that the two towns merged. What to see and do in Clermont-Ferrand The best way to get your bearings in this hilly city is via a guided tour to discover its huge history, its secret mansions and courtyards (book a tour at the tourist office). The first thing you’ll notice is the dark stone of many of the buildings including the soaring 13th century Cathedral of Notre-Dame de l'Assomption, created from black rock, hewn from the interior of a volcano, nature’s alternative to concrete. The Cathedral was renovated and reconstructed in the 19th century by the great French architect Violet le Duc (Notre Dame Paris, Carcassonne Citadel). Originally it featured a neo-Romanesque façade, but le Duc refashioned it in Gothic style to give it harmony. The result of his work is astonishing both outside and inside where the mellow light from the Gothic style chandeliers he introduced 22 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 23
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