- Clermont Ferrand is a cathedral city located on the River Tiretain near a chain of volcanoes in the Massif Central in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Region of Southwestern France.
- During the Gallo-Roman Period it was known as Augustonemetum and later, Arvernis, capital of the Arvernie Gallic Tribe in the Province of Gallia Aquitania. The remains of one of the largest Roman Temples in the Western Empire are located 5 miles (8km) to the west.
History
- Strabo (c.64 BCE-c.24 CE) referred to the pre-Roman Oppidum as being called Nemessos, capital of the Arverni.
- The Battle of Gergovia (52 BCE) was fought nearby between Julius Caesar and Vercingetorix (82-46 BCE), who was the Leader of the final resistance to the Romans and born nearby.
- The cathedral was built over the Forum of the Roman city.
- A nearby Volcano known as the Puy de Dome holds the remains of the Temple of Mercury, one of the largest Roman Temples in the Western Empire.
Museums
- Bargoin Museum
- Located at 45 Rue Ballainvilliers, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand.
- The museum houses an Archeological section covering the Gallo-Roman Period.
- Archeological Museum of the Battle of Gergovia
- Located on the Plateau de Gergovie, 63670 La Roche-Blanche, 5 miles (8.5km) south of Clermont-Ferrand.
- The small Museum contains models and artefacts and houses an audiovisual room recreating the Battle between Vercingetorix and Julius Caesar.
The Temple of Mercury
- Puy de Dome Roman Temple of Mercury (c. 140 CE)
- Located 7 miles (10km) west of Clermont-Ferrand, near the top of a volcano known as the Puy de Dome, are the ruins of one of the largest Roman temples in the western Empire.
Roman Roads
Clermond Ferrand