Aurillac
Encyclopedia
Aurillac is a commune in the Auvergne
region
in south-central France, capital of the Cantal
department.
Aurillac's inhabitants are called Aurillacois, and are also Cantaliens (from Cantal) or Cantalous in Occitan.
and 223km from Toulouse
. Aurillac was part of a former Auvergne
province called Haute-Auvergne and is only 20km away from the heart of the Auvergne Volcano Park.
Aurillac is often thought to be one of the coldest cities in France. However, this is untrue, as it is simply the city at the highest altitude shown on the TV weather forecasts.
Aurillac stands on the Jordanne River.
, Aurillac makes more than half the umbrellas produced in France. In 1999, Aurillac produced around 250,000 umbrellas, generating around 100 jobs.
After declining for several decades at the end of the 20th century, Aurillac umbrella producers decided to join their forces and created the Economic Interest Group
, or GIE in 1997. They then launched their products under a single label, L'aurillac Parapluie.
Auvergne (région)
Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in south-central France, capital of the Cantal
Cantal
Cantal is a department in south-central France. It is named after the Cantal mountain range, a group of extinct, eroded volcanic peaks, which covers much of the department. Residents are known as Cantaliens or Cantalous....
department.
Aurillac's inhabitants are called Aurillacois, and are also Cantaliens (from Cantal) or Cantalous in Occitan.
Geography and climate
Aurillac is 558km away from ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and 223km from Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
. Aurillac was part of a former Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
province called Haute-Auvergne and is only 20km away from the heart of the Auvergne Volcano Park.
Aurillac is often thought to be one of the coldest cities in France. However, this is untrue, as it is simply the city at the highest altitude shown on the TV weather forecasts.
Aurillac stands on the Jordanne River.
Population
Umbrellas
The historical capital of the umbrellaUmbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
, Aurillac makes more than half the umbrellas produced in France. In 1999, Aurillac produced around 250,000 umbrellas, generating around 100 jobs.
After declining for several decades at the end of the 20th century, Aurillac umbrella producers decided to join their forces and created the Economic Interest Group
Groupement d'intérêt économique
A Groupement d'intérêt économique is a Francophone consortium of related businesses, companies, foundations, organisations or institutes which are formally pooling their efforts for competitive advantage...
, or GIE in 1997. They then launched their products under a single label, L'aurillac Parapluie.
Sights
Some of the better known churches of Aurillac are:- Église Saint Géraud
- Église Notre Dame aux Neiges
- Église Sacré Cœur
- Église Saint-Joseph Ouvrier
Personalities
Aurillac was the birthplace of:- Gerbert of Aurillac, Pope Sylvester II
- The Revolutionary Jean-Baptiste CarrierJean-Baptiste CarrierJean-Baptiste Carrier was a French Revolutionary, known for his cruelty to his enemies, especially to clergy.-Biography:...
was born in a nearby village. - Paul DoumerPaul DoumerJoseph Athanase Paul Doumer, commonly known as Paul Doumer was the President of France from 13 June 1931 until his assassination.-Biography:...
(1857–1932), President of France - Marie MarvingtMarie MarvingtMarie Marvingt was a French athlete, mountaineer, and aviator, and the most decorated woman in the history of France. She won numerous prizes for her sporting achievements and was the first woman to climb many of the peaks in the French and Swiss Alps...
(1875–1963), an athlete, mountaineerMountaineeringMountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, aviatorAviatorAn aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, and the most decoratedOrder (decoration)An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
woman in the history of FranceHistory of FranceThe history of France goes back to the arrival of the earliest human being in what is now France. Members of the genus Homo entered the area hundreds of thousands years ago, while the first modern Homo sapiens, the Cro-Magnons, arrived around 40,000 years ago...
. - Georges MonnetGeorges MonnetNot to be confused with the French wartime foreign minister Georges BonnetGeorges Monnet was a prominent socialist politician in 1930s France and a member of Paul Reynaud's war cabinet as Minister of Blockade. Preceding that, he was Minister of Agriculture in Léon Blum's government...
French socialist politician.
External links
- Official website (in French)
- 36 heures Festival