PRESSE RELEASE
REMEMBRANCE TOURISM IN AUVERGNE
Comité Régional de Développement Touristique d’Auvergne
Whilst on the face of it Auvergne was not in the thick of the major events being commemorated this year, the
people who have lived here through the ages have by no means remained passive, as confirmed by the region’s
history. An overview of Auvergne’s places of historical interest, from Julius Caesar to the 20th century.
From Caesar to the Kings of France: all ancient history!
Le Plateau de Gergovie
La Roche-Blanche ••• Puy-de-Dôme
Gergovia takes its place in history as written about by Julius Caesar,
who tersely described the bitter failure he suffered at the hands of the
troops of Vercingetorix beneath the walls of the oppidum (Gaulish
fortress). This occurred in 52 BC, and the mishap took place a mere few
months before Caesar’s final triumph at Alesia. Despite the defeat and
the involvement of the Arverne people in the revolt, Gergovia
continued to grow until BC became AD, when the Gallo Roman town of
Augustonemetum (Clermont-Ferrand) was founded on the lowlands
north of the plateau. This marked the moment when the oppidum was
given up in favour of the new town.
Maison de Gergovie – www.ot-gergovie.fr
Urban II’s call to crusade in Clermont (1095)
Clermont-Ferrand ••• Puy-de-Dôme
On 27th November 1095, Pope Urban II took the opportunity during a
Council in Clermont to call on knights to travel to Jerusalem and rid it
of the Turkish infidels, who were threatening to weaken the Christian
empire in the east and who were increasingly creating obstacles to
pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Christ’s tomb and other locations. This
was the start of what would much later become known as the First
Crusade, the religious war epic that was to have all manner of sequels
over the two centuries that followed, with an infinite number of
consequences that are still being felt today.
Guided tours of Clermont’s old town: Maison du Tourisme www.clermont-fd.com
A guided tour of Clermont’s old town is an opportunity to gauge the
scale of the appeal made by Urban II, and to find out more about who
this pope was and about the story of his monastic calling. He made
profound changes to the Church, moving from flexible control to a
firmer hand, so as to impose his own points of view. But above all he
continues to be the pope of the First Crusade.
In memory of this pope, a fountain statue of Urban II was erected in
1895 in Place de la Victoire.
Les Bourbons
Souvigny / Bourbon-L'Archambault / Moulins ••• Allier
The Bourbon family took its name from the château and seigniory of
Bourbon (now called Bourbon-l’Archambault). Members of this family
ruled over Spain, the Kingdom of Naples, the Duchy of Parma and, of
course, France, and from Henri IV to Louis XVI and naturally including
Louis XIV, the Bourbons continue to be the best known Kings of
France.
The Bourbons started out modestly, just as lords with a small amount
of land between Auvergne, Berry and Nivernais. But when the Hundred
Years War came to an end, the newly styled Dukes of Bourbon became
one of the main feudal houses of the kingdom, so powerful that they
had themselves interred in the church of Souvigny beneath sumptuous
reclining statues made from alabaster.
Office de Tourisme de Moulins et sa région - www.moulins-tourisme.com
Museum of Souvigny: Souvigny has an important religious heritage
as its priory was one of the five original daughter houses of Cluny, as
well as the burial place of the abbots of Cluny; Majolus and Odilon.
The church is the largest in the department.
The museum, located in what used to be 18th century monastery
barns, is home to an exhibition centred on the history of the city and
villages in the district from prehistory to modern day, together with
a lapidary museum displaying Roman art treasures such as the
Zodiac Column.
www.ville-souvigny.com/Souvigny/Culture/Culture_Musee_Accueil.html
La reine Margot (1553-1615)
Usson ••• Puy-de-Dôme
Auvergne and Queen Margot: a long association.
Caught up in the blood-soaked whirlwind of the religious wars,
rejected by her husband Henry of Navarre and hated by her brother,
who was to become King Henry III of France, Marguerite of Valois or
Marguerite of France, more commonly known as Queen Margot, was
threatened, arrested, imprisoned and made to live in exile for around
20 years in Auvergne’s Château d’Usson.
Today, the château is no longer there, but the imprint left by Margot
remains, especially the memory of her generosity towards the
destitute. The village retains some wonderful dwellings, reminders of
its past glory, as well as some former winemakers’ homes. Visitors
wishing to do so may follow in the footsteps of Queen Margot by
walking the discovery trail called “la Salamandre”, which is in the
village (1 hour’s walk, 2 kilometres)
Office de Tourisme du
www.sejours-issoire.com
Pays
d'Issoire-Val
D'allier
-Issoire
Auvergne and the Second World War
5 places of remembrance
Mont Mouchet, Auvergne’s capital of French Resistance
Auvers ••• Haute-Loire / Anterrieux ••• Cantal
The clearing of Mont Mouchet, at the foot of one of the Margeride
Mountains, is an amazing testament to the tragic events of the Second
World War.
Of the five main Maquis of France, Mont Mouchet is probably the one
which brought together the largest number of people in the same
place, with an estimated 2,700 men joining the group here in June 1944.
It was the combined action of the local Maquis which led to the
liberation of Clermont-Ferrand, followed by Auvergne in late August
1944.
Museum of Mont Mouchet – a museum which was set up to
commemorate this period. The layout takes visitors back to this dark
and murky period of the Second World War. Two cartoon characters
enable you to find out about the main events which marked this
memorial location, in a sensitive yet fun way. Genuine artefacts,
documents, photos and videos plunge visitors into the reality of what
actually happened. Auvers - www.resistance-mont-mouchet.com
This Resistance Museum commemorates the battles that took place
in the hideout of la Truyère on 20th June 1944 - Anterrieux musee.resistance.anterrieux.cantalpassion.com.
Vichy, capital of the French State, 1940-1944
Allier
22nd June 1940: armistice signed in Rethondes seals the military defeat
of France. The French government leaves Paris on 10th June 1940,
ending up in exile in Vichy in early July 1940.
The hotel capacity and presence of a modern telephone switchboard
are what leads the government to choose Vichy as its place of
residence.
Hotels and villas requisitioned and become home to ministers and
government officials of the French State until August 1944, a total of
around 30,000 people. Office de Tourisme de Vichy - www.vichytourisme.com
Suggestions for your visit: the Grand Casino, the Petit Casino, the
Pavillon Sévigné and the Hôtel du Parc are some of the locations that
were marked by these events and which provide an opportunity to
explore this troubled period of French history.
Musée de la Résistance, de l'Internement et de la Déportation
(museum of Resistance, internment and deportation)
Chamalières ••• Puy-de-Dôme
Covering the rise of Nazism, Pétainisme, collaboration, Resistance,
deportation and liberation
www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/fr/musee-de-la-resistance-delinternement-et-de-la-deportation
Le Lieu de Mémoire du plateau des Justes
Le Chambon-sur-Lignon ••• Haute-Loire
Open since June 5th, 2013, the Memorial at Chambon-sur-Lignon
invites visitors to discover the history of the Vivarais-Lignon plateau
during the Second World War. Most of the villagers were proud
descendants of the Huguenots, first Protestants in Catholic France.
They remembered their own history of persecution, and it mattered to
them. The villagers of the area of Le Chambon provided a safe haven
throughout the war for whoever knocked on their door: Spanish
republicans, anti-Nazis and mostly Jews. At a time when the last
witnesses are disappearing, the Memorial seeks to conserve and pass
on the memory of this historical period to everyone, especially
students.
The permanent exhibition retraces the history of the plateau during
the Second World War, while a memorial space shows numerous films
of testimonies. Along the tour, the visitors discover the particularities
of the area and its inhabitants, engaged in a civil, spiritual and armed
resistance.
Mairie du Chambon-sur-Lignon - www.ville-lechambonsurlignon.fr
Musée bourbonnais de la Résistance nationale (National
Resistance Museum)
Montluçon ••• Allier
On 10th July 1940, three parliamentarians from Allier were some of
“The Vichy 80” who refused to grant full powers to Marshal Pétain:
socialist senator Marx Dormoy, mayor of Montluçon, MP and Mayor of
Commentry Isidore Thivrier and former Communist Eugène Jardon, who
became an MP at the by-election in April 1939.
The industrial town of Montluçon was home to a more popular form of
resistance and in 1943, workers frequently joined the Resistance to
avoid the STO (obligatory work organisation).
The socialist Resistance mainly found its recruits from government and
town officials, often using local infrastructures. So propaganda
material was created at Montluçon town hall and printing done at
Commentry town hall.
The repression of those inhabitants of Montluçon suspected of aiding
the Resistance was stepped up in autumn 1943.
Montluçon was liberated on 25th August 1944.
The Musée Bourbonnais de la Résistance Nationale was opened on 17th
June 1990 on the 50th anniversary of the appeal made by General de
Gaulle on 18th June 1940. There is a permanent exhibition about the
Resistance in the Montluçon area, highlighting the demonstration that
took place on 6th January 1943 and the liberation of Montluçon,
followed by Allier. Various items and flags, pride and joy of the
museum since it opened, make the whole thing attractive.Montluçon www.musee-resistance.com/spip.php?article186
PRESSE CONTACT CRDT AUVERGNE : Corinne RENARD– +33 (0) 4.73.29.49.71
mail [email protected]
Photo credits: Planète Puy-de-Dôme/CG 63, Office de tourisme Gergovie – Val d'Allier, Office de tourisme de Moulins et sa région, Musée du
mont Mouchet, CRDTA/Rémy Lacroix, Ville de Chamalières, Jean-Marc Demars