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Thehistory of theAuvergne dates back to the early Middle Ages, when it was a historicprovince in south-central France. It was originally the feudal domain of theCounts of Auvergne.
Auvergne was aprovince of France deriving its name from theArverni, aGallic tribe who once occupied the area. In 52 BC, Arverni chieftainVercingetorix mounted a fierce resistance against the military forces ofJulius Caesar.[1] Christianized bySaint Austremoine, Auvergne was quite prosperous during the Roman period. After a short time under theVisigoths, it was conquered by theFranks in 507.
During the earliermedieval period, Auvergne was a county within theduchy of Aquitaine and from time to time part of the "Angevin Empire". In 1225,Louis VIII of France grantedPoitou andAuvergne to his third sonAlfonso.[2] On Alfonso's death in 1271, Auvergne, along with theCounty of Toulouse,Poitou and theComtat Venaissin, reverted to theroyal domain.
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 historicCouncil of Clermont was held there, to rally support for theFirst Crusade.[3] Its wide autonomy was ended by KingPhilippe-Auguste of France, who linked it to the royal possessions. Severely impacted by the Hundred Years' War, the religious wars and epidemics, integrated to into the kingdom of France, it turned itself more and more into an agricultural province reputed for its products. In 1790, the historical province was divided into the modern-daydépartements ofPuy-de-Dôme,Cantal,Haute-Loire, andAllier, although Haute-Loire and Allier also include some land from the historical provinces ofBourbonnais,Lyonnais, andVelay.
The region is famed for itscharcuterie, which is celebrated in "La Mangona" festivals in manyAuvergnat villages, for itscheeses (Saint-Nectaire,Bleu d'Auvergne,Cantal,Salers,Fourme d'Ambert), and for itsmineral waters (Volvic, among others).Michelin tires are produced there. Auvergne is also the site of several majorhydroelectric projects, mainly located on the riversDordogne,Cère, andTruyère. The region is also quite touristic, thanks to its landscapes.
Auvergnat, a variety of theOccitan language, was historically spoken in the Auvergne. It is still spoken there.
Aubrac oxen, a rare breed, are raised in theAubrac hills.[4]
TheChaîne des Puys, a volcanic mountain range located in the Puy-de-Dôme department, was listed as aUNESCO World Heritage site in 2018.[5]
ComposerJoseph Canteloube basedChants d'Auvergne ("Songs of Auvergne") (1923–55), his well-known piece for voice and orchestra, onfolk music and songs from the Auvergne.
Singer-songwriterGeorges Brassens composedChanson pour l'Auvergnat.
ComposerCamille Saint-Saëns composedRhapsodie d'Auvergne in 1884, based upon folk songs from the Auvergne.
Much ofAnne Rice'sVampire Chronicles takes place in Auvergne. CharactersLestat de Lioncourt andNicolas de Lenfent reside there.
The protagonist ofJohn Jakes'The Kent Family Chronicles, Philippe Kent (né Charboneau), was born in Auvergne.
Rosalia, the famous Catalan-Spanish singer, was inspired by the Auvergnat's 13th centuryRomance of Flamenca to compose her 2018 albumEl mal querer.
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