Issoire

Issoire is a French town with 14.170 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Puy -de- Dôme in the Auvergne region. It is the seat of the prefecture (French Sous- préfecture ) of the arrondissements Issoire and capital (French: chef- lieu) of the Canton of Issoire.

Geography

The city lies on the River Allier, at the mouth of its tributary Couze Pavin, about 37 kilometers south of Clermont -Ferrand, close to the motorway A 75

History

The place name is probably of Celtic origin. A Roman settlement is to be assumed by finds. Austremoine, missionary and first bishop of Auvergne, founded here the end of the 3rd century a monastery, the nucleus of the present city. This has been since the 19th century to the economic and industrial center in the Allier Valley, dominated by the aluminum manufacturing and the aerospace industry. The aviation group Pechiney Rhenalu is the largest employer of Issoire and the region. The city center around the Romanesque church of Saint- Austremoine has retained its ancient atmosphere.

Attractions

• The church of Saint - Austremoine was built around 1130 to 1150 and is the largest building of the Auvergnat Romanesque. He is an example of the cross-shaped ground plan and the pyramidal structure. In the Wars of Religion in 1575 severely damaged the church in the 19th century was thoroughly restored and again has the two opposing Eastern and Western ties with the clamped therebetween 65 meter long nave and the eastern building with ambulatory and it radiating chapels. Rebuilt were also the two towers. Of note are the decorations - mosaics like sculptures - the outside of the apse and the capitals in the choir and transept. The restoration of the 19th century has sought by Anatole Dauvergne to have come into its own again in the interior color. These murals with ornaments in bright colors, however, was carried out without any special consideration for Romanesque style principles and gives the room more of an oriental look. In this contrasting plain crypt is a delicate statue of Mary. The patron saint, whose relics are there, is also honored with a statue.
• Castle Hauterive, classical baroque palace from the 17th century with a French garden
• Clock Tower Tour de l' Horloge Museum of the Renaissance, in the studio of Jean le Fier, which dealt with the problem of time measurement
• Centre Culturel Nicolas Pomel, former Benedictine abbey, urban culture since 1975 and Exhibition Centre until 1724 built in 1702 in place of a medieval monastery, from 1792 Town Hall, from 1802 Imperial College
• Centre d'Art Georges Duby novel, museum of Romanesque art with chapter house of the former convent
• Place de la République with the Renaissance buildings Maison à Arcades and Maison du Chancelier Duprat
• Chapel Sévigné Saint- Louis, neo-Gothic chapel of a boarding school (19th Century )

Festivals

• Festival d'Art Romain, medieval folklore spectacle in the old town every year in the last week of August

Twinning

• Germany Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany (since 1971)