CLERMONT-FERRAND i IMPROVE SOCIAL HOUSE i FR SPE

Clermont-Ferrand is the prefecture of the department of Puy-de-Dome and capital of the Auvergne region. Partly for historical reasons, the city is often called Clermont. The modern city was born of a union of two separate cities, Clairmont and Montferrand imposed by Louis XIII and confirmed under Louis XV. While Montferrand was founded in the early twelfth century by the Counts of Auvergne, on the model of Southwest towns, Clairmont is much older, as it existed in ancient times. The oldest mention of the existence of Clairmont appears in the work of Strabo, in the early first century. Clermont is located in the Massif Central, at 410 metres above sea level. To the west, the city is dominated by basaltic plateau (900m on average) with the chain of Puys, the largest chain of volcanoes (extinguished) in Europe, including the Puy de Dome, the most famous volcano. To the east of the metropolitan area reaches the plain of Limagne, with river Allier. The city is both a point of contact between the plain Limagne and Mountains of Domes. A large part of the city occupies a volcanic hill called the central plateau. It is, in fact, the edge of the crater, one hundred fifty six thousand years old. It is approximately 1,5 km in diameter and has been filled by the alluvium of the Tiretaine, small river running through the city. Clermont is also built on the edge of the valley of Allier. The city has developed around this central plateau on which stands the cathedral, extending to the east in the plain, and to a lesser extent, on the hillsides to the west. www.ot-clermont-ferrand.fr/ requirements