Arvernis

Arvernis or Arvernum (term derived from the name of the people - the Arvernes - which lived there) is the name which during III {{E}} at the 9th century the old French city of Clermont carried, in Auvergne, of which fusion with the city close and rival of Montferrand , imposed authoritatively on the 17th century by Louis XIII (Edict of Troyes of the April 15th 1630, first Édit of union ) and confirmed one century later by Louis XV (1731, second Edict of union ) gave rise to the town of Clermont-Ferrand .

A short history

Before taking the name of “Arvernis”, towards the end of the Antiquité, adopting that - as that had been practiced much in other towns of Gaulle at that time - of the people which his walls sheltered, the “metropolis” of the Arvernes, like had called it Strabon at the beginning of the 1st century, had already borne two other names: Nemossos (Gallic term indicating a “crowned wood”), then - at the beginning of the Gallo-Roman period - Augustonemetum (Latinization of the Gallic name formed by addition of that of the emperor Auguste).

Located at the site even of current the Clermont-Ferrand, Arvernis was at the 3rd century one of the most populated cities Gaulle. It counted then between 15 000 and 30 000 inhabitants, and extended on 5 to 6 kilometers. The beginning of the 4th century was marked by an important decline. The surface of the city was reduced - according to a General de Gaulle phenomenon at that time - but so as to it time late and accentuated to Arvernis. The city then had a surface of about three hectares which could contain a population of 700 inhabitants approximately. She was surrounded by a bored enclosure of five doors, which remained through all the Moyen-âge until the modern time. Their sites determined the layout of the streets when the city of the Middle Ages developed.

Arvernis became, as from the 5th century, after the christianization of the Gaulle a episcopal city. In the middle of Ve century the Saint-Namace bishop installed in the city the episcopal church which until there was established in the place occupied later by the Abbaye of Saint-Alyre. One of the first - and certainly most known - holders of the episcopal see of Arvernis was Sidoine Apollinaire ( Caius Sollius Apollinaris Sidonius ). It succeeded towards 468 Eparchius the head of the Diocèse, and remained there until its death in 486.

Arvernis knew, after the disappearance of the Roman Empire, and during all the Early middle ages, of the dark moments and was the object of the covetousness of the people which invaded periodically the kingdoms Mérovingiens.

Of 471 with 475, the Visigoths besieged several Arvernis times. In spite of the defense of the Patrice Ecdicius and of the bishop Sidoine Apollinaire, the city was yielded to the Visigoths by the emperor Julius Nepos. It belonged to the Royaume Visigoth until in 507 and returned in the bosom of the Francs after the victory of Clovis to Vouillé.

Competitors of the bishop, the counts, that the frank kings established far from the center of Gaulle only controlled very imperfectly, resided in the city, before founding at the beginning of the 12th century, following the conflicts who opposed them to the bishops, the city of Montferrand, which became the comtale city.

Before becoming the modern city of Clermont-Ferrand that we know, the old “metropolis of the Arvernes” once again changed name into 848 to take that of Clairmont (name of Clermont in Former French), in reference to the strong Château of Clarus Mons , located in the highest part of the city. It is the name which it carried during nearly 900 years before the fusion mentioned above, which gave rise to the town of Clermont-Ferrand. However, the denomination of Arvernis still remained in the ecclesiastical acts during several centuries still. With the weakening of the Carolingian Empire, the city was devastated twice by the Viking S in the medium and the end of the 9th century.

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Arvernis

A short history

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