Aurillac


Aurillac is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aurillacois or Aurillacoises.

Geography

Aurillac is at above sea level and located at the foot of the Cantal mountains in a small Sedimentary basin. The city is built on the banks of the Jordanne, a tributary of the Cère. It is south of Paris and north of Toulouse. Aurillac was part of a former Auvergne province called Haute-Auvergne and is only away from the heart of the Auvergne Volcano Park. Access to the commune is by numerous roads including the D922 from Naucelles in the north, the D17 from Saint-Simon in the north-east, Route nationale N122 from Polminhac in the east which continues to Sansac-de-Marmiesse in the south-west, the D920 to Arpajon-sur-Cère in the south-east, and the D18 to Ytrac in the west. The Figeac-Arvant railway passes through the commune with a station in the centre of town but there is no TGV service. About 50% of the commune is urbanised with farmland to the east and west of the urban area.
Aurillac – Tronquières Airport is located in the south of the commune with its runway extending beyond the commune boundary. It is connected to Paris by two daily flights by the Air France subsidiary HOP!. The commune was awarded three flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.
The Jordanne river flows through the heart of the commune from north to south where it joins the Cère just south of the commune.

Localities and districts

Under the Köppen system, Aurillac features a rare subtropical highland climate that borders on a humid continental climate. Influenced by its altitude, the city avoids Southern France hot summers. Rainfall, however, is abundant with and 130 days per year with precipitation. Snow is common and sometimes abundant with 31 snow days per year and during some snowfalls the quantity of snow can be high. Frost is very common with 80 days of frost per year with the period of freezing frequently extending from October to May. Despite its altitude, Aurillac still has 8 days of high temperatures. Days with heavy frosts are frequent. The city also has 2118 sunshine hours per year. The record low temperature was on 9 January 1985 and the record high was on 30 July 1983.

Toponymy

The origin of the name Aurillac is from Aureliacum meaning "Villa of Aurelius" and dates back to the Gallo-Roman era. It is attested in the polygonal Fanum d'Aron which was built in the 1st century and discovered in 1977 at Lescudillier.

History

It is thought that in the Gallic era the original site of the city was on the heights overlooking the current city at Saint-Jean-de-Dône and, like most oppida, it was abandoned after the Roman conquest in favour of a new city established on the plain. With the return of instability in the Lower Roman Empire there was a movement towards Encastellation and a new fortified site was established in mid-slope between the former oppidum and the old Gallo-Roman city where the Chateau of Saint-Étienne is today.
The history of the city is really only known from 856, the year of the birth of Count Gerald of Aurillac at the castle where his father, also named Gerald, was lord. In 885 he founded a Benedictine monastery which later bore his name. It was in this monastery that Gerbert, the first French pope under the name of Sylvester II, studied.
The city was made in a Sauveté area which was located between four crosses and was founded in 898 by Gerald shortly after the abbey. The first urban area was circular and built close to the Abbey of Aurillac. Gerald died around 910 but his influence was such that over the centuries Gerald was always a baptismal name prevalent in the population of Aurillac and the surrounding area.
It was in the 13th century that municipal conflict began between consuls and abbots. After taking the Chateau of Saint-Étienne in 1255 and two negotiated agreements called the Peace of Aurillac, relations were normalised.
In the 13th and 14th centuries Aurillac withstood several sieges by the English and in the 16th century continued to suffer from civil and religious wars.
The influence of the abbey declined with its secularization and its implementation of orders.
In 1569 the city was delivered by treason to the Protestants: people were tortured and held to ransom and the Abbey was sacked. The library and archives were all burned.
Before the French Revolution Aurillac had a Présidial and carried the title of capital of the Haute-Auvergne. In 1790 on the creation of departments, after a period of alternating with Saint-Flour, Aurillac definitively became the capital of Cantal.
The arrival of the railway in 1866 accelerated the development of the city.
At the first census in 1759 there were 6,268 people in Aurillac, it now has about 28,000.

Heraldry

Politics and Administration

Cantons

Aurillac is the capital of the department of Cantal and of the Arrondissement of Aurillac as well as for three cantons :
List of Successive Mayors
FromToName
1789Louis de Lorus
1790Joseph Francois Gourlat de Saint-Etienne
17941798François Armand
17981800Jean Baptiste Perret
18001813Jean Abadie
18131815Jean Baptiste Perret
18151829Louis Delom de Lalaubie
18291833Hippolyte Esquirou de Parieu
18331840Pierre Esquirou Lavignac
18401848Louis-Furcy Grognier
18481848Amédée Delzons
18481870Hippolyte Esquirou de Parieu
18711874Emile Genestie
18741887Antoine Joseph Géraud Cabanes
18871889Géraud Lusser
18891911Francis Fesq
19111919François Volpilhac
19191935Louis Amant Dauzier
19351941Jean Chanal

;Mayors from 1941
FromToNamePartyPosition
19411944Antony JolyAppointed by the Vichy Regime. Textile Entrepreneur
19441947Jean ChanalDoctor, Former Mayor
19471953Henri TricotDentist, Legion of Honour
19531965Paul Joseph Amable PialesIndustrialist, Legion of Honour, Senator for Cantal 1948-1971
19651971Jacques MeynielPSSon of Mayor Louis Meyniel, MP for Cantal
19711977Jean MézardCNIPDoctor, President of the General Council
19771995René SouchonPS
19952001Yvon BecMDC
20012006René SouchonPSResigned to become President of the Auvergne Regional Council
20062013Alain CalmettePSGeneral Counsellor, MP for Cantal from 2012
20132020Pierre MathonierPS

Twinning

Aurillac has twinning associations with:
In 2010 the commune had 27,924 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.

Economy

Aurillac has hundreds of boutiques, shops, and artisans.

Industry

Also found in Aurillac are different players in various food fields.
Aurillac is best known for its Cheese centre based on the heights of Aurillac close to the Chateau Saint-Étienne. It was established in 1993, the structure consists of an association bringing together many organisations to develop scientific programs. It develops scientific programs relating to the cheese sector.

Data processing

Aurillac hosts several websites:
Aurillac has also been the headquarters of the ERP vendor Qualiac since 1979.

Culture and heritage

The commune has a very large number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments. For a complete list click .
There are also a very large number of items which are registered as historical objects in various locations. For a complete list click .

Civil heritage

Some of the most interesting sites are:
The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

Cultural facilities

Aurillac has several dance centres:
In 2011 Aurillac hosted the start of the Tour de France in the 10th stage.

Places of Worship

Two military units are garrisoned in Aurillac:
Aurillac has long been a garrison town with the 139th Infantry Regiment, who are noted for their feats during the Battle of the Somme. They have a remarkable chronology and a cabinet of trophies were displayed in the Hall of Honour of the Departmental Military Delegation who have since moved, forgetting to preserve and safeguard this part of history.
The military square is wide and airy and a feature of military architecture of the time. It is now known as the Zone of Peace and is now converted into a parking lot leaving a clear view of the 3 buildings that surround it. The entrance to the barracks was destroyed and replaced by a modern building. It houses administrative services, treasury, CABA, Mortgages, Cadastre etc. In the 1950s the old military buildings became the "Cité Administrative".
The clock building is called so because of the great clock that adorns this building. It is also commonly called the House of unions and associations. Originally these buildings were the former Convent of the Visitation, built in 1682. The Convent was converted into a barracks for infantry in 1792 and occupied half of the buildings until 1922, hence the transformation of buildings to equestrian use. Today the Pierre-Mendès-France Cultural Centre occupies the premises including the Museum of Art and Archaeology, the County Conservatory of Music and Dance, the youth service activities of the town of Aurillac, and a crèche for children. The Stables were then used by the national stud established by Napoleon in 1806; a depot of stallions was created in Aurillac. At the Battle of Austerlitz Napoleon rode Cantal, a speckled gray horse which is visible in a painting in the Art and Archaeology Museum. When the National Stud moved the stables were transformed into an exhibition hall / gallery and a range of exhibitions is held every year including the Salon des Métiers d'Art d'Aurillac.

Notable people linked to the commune

;Aurillac was the birthplace of:

;Linked to Aurillac