Clermont-Ferrand is a city in central France, located immediately north of the mountains of the Massif Central. In Roman times, the city was called Augustonemetum, and it was an administrative center. Clermont-Ferrand became a bishop’s seat in the 4th century, and over the centuries the city also became an economic powerhouse with many craft businesses. In 1095, the Catholic Church held a council in Clermont-Ferrand, and at this meeting Pope Urban II called for the first crusade.

In 1120, local counts founded the town of Montferrand near Clairmont, as the town was now called. They did this as a counterbalance to the power of the church in Clairmont. In 1630, King Louis XIII decreed that the towns of Clairmont and Montferrand should be merged, and Clermont-Ferrand was thereby born, where industry developed with the company Michelin in 1889 as one successful example.

Today, Clermont-Ferrand is a cozy city with an old quarter that invites you to stroll through the streets. You can start at Place de la Victoire, a lovely square with a magnificent view of the city’s cathedral. In the square you can see the fountain Fontaine d’Urbain II, which was inaugurated in 1898. The fountain was erected to mark the 800th anniversary of the first crusade, which Pope Urban II called for.

The statue of the Pope looks towards the cathedral and points towards the Holy Land. The cathedral is called Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption and is a large Gothic building that was built from 1248 to 1350. However, it was chosen to rebuild the facade in the years 1866-1902, when the cathedral was completed. In the church you can enjoy the spacious interior with a beautiful main altar and a large rose window.

Close to Clermont-Ferrand’s cathedral is the city’s other famous church, the Basilique Notre-Dame-du-Port, which is a Romanesque basilica. The church was originally built in the 5th century, while the current basilica is a building from the 10th and 11th centuries. Architecturally, the church is a fine example of the Auvergne region’s Romanesque buildings, and it belongs to the region’s main churches. The church interior is bright and worth seeing. In this area you can also see the town hall, located in the street Rue Philippe Marcombes.

The largest square in the center of Clermont-Ferrand is the Place de Jaude, where you can see the statue of Vercingetorix, the general who rallied the Gauls against the invading Romans in the first century BC. In the square there is also a statue of General Desaix, who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic era until the year 1800, when he fell in the Battle of Marengo.

All these attractions are in the former town of Clairmont, but you can also experience the old Montferrand, which is located a good two kilometers north of Clairmont. Here there is also a cozy town center that formed its own town until 1630. The difference from Clairmont is clear, and from there it is like coming to another city. In Montferrand’s streets you can, among other things, see the church of Notre-Dame de Montferrand, which was built over several periods between 1340 and 1560.

In this district, you can also visit the art museum Musée d’Art Roger-Quilliot, housed in buildings that formerly served as part of the fortifications around Montferrand. At the museum you can see interesting paintings and sculptures by artists from the region. On a walk through the streets of Montferrand, you quickly notice the right-angled streets, which are due to the city’s layout with typical south-west French fortress cities as inspiration.