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.
Ghosts in the City: A Haunting in Clermont-Ferrand
In the early twentieth century a haunting in Clermont-Ferrand made national news. Visit Auvergne takes a look at the long-forgotten tale.
Wine-Loving Ghosts: A Haunting in Aubière
In 1908, Aubière — a town bordering Clermont-Ferrand — fell into the clutches of a particularly aggressive group of wine-loving ghosts.
