Auvergne is a former province and administrative region in the southeastern part of central France. In 2016, Auvergne joined with the Rhône-Alpes region to form the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Since 1790, Auvergne has covered most or all of the departments of Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire, and Puy-de-Dôme. Clermont-Ferrand is Auvergne’s administrative and industrial center.
The Auvergne Mountains, a range of extinct volcanoes crossing the area from north to south, are noted for beautiful scenery and many hot mineral springs. The region is famous for its cheeses—especially Bleu d’Auvergne—as well as its charcuterie, a culinary specialty based on prepared pork products. The people of Auvergne and their original dialect are called Auvergnat.
The name Auvergne comes from the Arverni, a Gallic tribe that once inhabited the area. Around 50 B.C., Vercingétorix , an Arverni chieftain, led a fierce rebellion against the rule of the Roman Empire. Roman General Julius Caesar crushed the rebellion, captured Vercingétorix, and later executed him in Rome.
During World War II (1939-1945), Vichy, a spa and resort town in Allier, served as the capital of unoccupied France from July 1940 until November 1942. Vichy was then the seat of the German-controlled French government until its liberation by the Allies in 1944.
The Marquis de Lafayette was born in Chavaniac, in Haute-Loire. Former French president Georges Pompidou was born in Montboudif, in Cantal.
