Hidden Auvergne: The Clermont-Ferrand Underground
It [The Clermont-Ferrand Underground] is an unexplored continent, the tip of the iceberg. -Olivier Bianchi, Mayor of Clermont-Ferrand Beneath the streets of Clermont-Ferrand lies a sunless, cavernous world only a fortunate few have ever seen. Most of this vast realm remains unexplored. In fact, in its most forlorn and isolated corners scientists have made interesting […]
A Recipe for the Best Coq Au Vin in Puy-de-Dôme
What is certain is that it is in Auvergne that the Gallic rooster cooked in the wine of Vercingetorix’s homeland has its noble quarters, and that it is on the summit of the puy de Dôme, in the shadow of the Temple of Mercury, that one savours the coq au vin… -from La Mode française […]
The Spirit of Lake Pavin: A Ghost Tale
If any one is bold enough to cast a stone into the black gulf beyond the clear borders…the waves rise higher and higher, and presently a tempest bursts forth of hideous violence…and the villagers below tremble; for they know that the Spirit of Lake Pavin has been insulted, and is taking his revenge. -Louisa Stuart […]
Hidden Clermont-Ferrand: The Henri Lecoq Museum
On the quiet side street of Rue Bardoux rises what could reasonably be described as one of the most interesting houses in Clermont-Ferrand. From the outside, it looks like any ordinary Clermontois townhouse; the inside however, is not ordinary by any standard. In fact, the Henri Lecoq Museum — once the home of the eponymous […]
The Clermont-Ferrand Metropolitan Library Project: An Interview with Mayor Olivier Bianchi
“This library won’t be just another cultural facility — it will be a true catalyst for the city’s artistic and literary life.” -Olivier Bianchi, Mayor of Clermont-Ferrand For over half a decade, the most hotly-anticipated building project taking shape in Clermont-Ferrand has been the Clermont-Ferrand Metropolitan Library. All mindfully and aesthetically built libraries have a […]
Hidden Clermont-Ferrand: Carmes Cemetery
Gothic, airy, and romantic, Carmes Cemetery is undoubtedly the most beautiful and haunting park in Clermont-Ferrand.
Literary Notes on Auvergne Sculptures: The “Faun” of Ponteix
Those of you who know me know of my passion for fountain grotesques and mascarons, which I see as contemporary genii locorum (“spirits of the place”). When we look into their stony, goblinesque eyes, we are — if only for a moment — drawn upwards into the world of imagination. New thoughts then rush into […]
Occult Auvergne: A Werewolf in Puy-de-Dôme
What happens when you see a werewolf in Puy-de-Dôme? Here’s a fascinating account from a 19th-century travel memoir.
Storytelling in Auvergne: An Interview with Christine Butot
Oral storyteller Christine Butot has been entertaining diverse audiences in France with her repertoire of folktales and legends for decades. I first met her through, a Annie Sauvat, a winemaker and oenotourism promoter who has frequently partnered with Butot for various events in Boudes, a gorgeous village situated in Auvergne’s “Tuscany”. When Butot excitedly mentioned Les Petits […]
Werewolves in Auvergne: A Priest Speaks Out
Auvergne boasts some of the oldest werewolf legends in Europe. Here’s what a 19th-century priest had to say about werewolves in Auvergne.
