CLERMONT-FERRAND CIVITAS

Clermont-Ferrand has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the CITY OR CIVITAS category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the entire history of european integration and the future of Europe.

Clermont-Ferrand is one of the most ancient cities of the history of European integration, signed in great part by Christianity. The Civitas Clermont-Ferrand was founded in centuries BC near the Loira river and the Massif Central by the Celts Arvernie tribe, already known as their capital to the ancient Greeks, before to be conquered by Romans in I century BC by Julius Caesar. They established a castra on the mount where the cathedral is situated today, overlooking the capital of local people and naming it Augustonemetum in honour to the Prince Augustus.

Within the reform of the Roman Empire, Clermont-Ferrand was part of the Aquitania province as a strategic point of connection with others provinces, through the roman way Flavia III coming from Lyon, passing through Limoges and ending in the ancient roman civitas of Saintes on the Atlantic ocean coast. With the reform of Constantine I (see Christian Empire), Clermont-Ferrand became the seat of an imperial bishopric included into the Septem Provinciae diocesis. At the falling of Western Roman Empire, the city built the cathedral but was frequently attacked by barbarians and finally included in the Visigoths Reign, before to be conquered by Franks and hold a church council of the french bishops in 535 AD. After that, the Clermont-Ferrand bishop imponed to Jewish the Christianity creed.

Often terrorised by Saracen, in 848 AD the city was named Clairmont when the castle of Clarus Mons gave its name to the whole area including the small episcopal town of Montferrand: destroyed and reconstructed many times after Viking raiders during the X century AD, Clermont-Ferrand became an episcopal city under the rule of the Aquitania Ducky receiving the "royal city" title and assigned with special privileges by the Capetingian dinasty of the France Kingdom, following its destiny. In 1095 AD in Clermont-Ferrand was held the council that called the First Crusade to free Jerusalem conquered by Arabs, while in 1571 AD was founded the city University.

Today the the Chaîne des Puys tectonic hotspot of "Clermont-Ferrand is enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage List, thanks to the dormant volcanoes area surrounding the city. Clermont-Ferrand is a medium size town in the centre of France, within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, whose patron is Saint Namathius first bishop of the city Christian community..

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