Champeix

Champeix is a commune of the department of Puy -de- Dôme in the Auvergne region. Administratively, it is assigned to the district Issoire and it is the capital ( chef-lieu ) of the canton which they gave the name.

Geography

The traditional trading center in the Auvergne with 1345 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) is situated on the slopes planted with vines in the valley of the Couze Chambon at the fork in the two roads from Issoire (11 km ) and Clermont- Ferrand ( 21 km) open into the mountain road towards the Monts Dore massif.

As the village is located in a narrow valley enclosed by hills, they can barely spread.

History

Toponyms of the town in the Middle Ages: Champeils ( 1214 ) and Champelhs ( 1373 ).

Coat of arms

Blazon: On a small red, silver, black brick tower enclosed in a "C " of the same color; the whole surmounted by a crown of gold.

Demographics

Attractions

• The Romanesque Heilig- Kreuz-Kirche ( Church of Sainte -Croix ), which dominates the village picture, now serves the community as a parish church. Previously she was the monastery church of the Camaldolese. The building is a French cultural monument since 1926.

• The Château du Marchidial castle was the second residence of the Dauphin of Auvergne in the 12th century. The Donjon in 1633, like so many in the region, drawn on the orders of Richelieu. As of 1988, it was restored by a local club. The garden of the house has become a tourist attraction. The castle is a French cultural monument since 2006.

• The castle chapel Église Saint- Jean du Marchidial dates from the 12th century. The interior is decorated with frescoes from the 13th and 17th centuries, which were restored in 1993. The chapel and the associated parsonage are a French cultural monument since 2006.

• On the Route de Plauzat is another chapel, which dates from the 19th century.

• At the entrance stands the menhir Pierre Fichade, which is a French cultural monument since 1889.