Auvergne

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Located at the heart of France’s hexagonal territory, Auvergne is a sparsely populated land of volcanic plateaus and large valleys. Unlike the Alps to the east or the Pyrénées to the southwest, its highest peaks reach only 6,000 feet above sea level and are free of snow in summer. The local authorities? efforts to safeguard the environment have made Auvergne one of the last protected zones in Europe.

Before going to Auvergne, familiarize yourself with its history and its gastronomy.

 


Romanesque Era
February 24, 2003  By France.com 

Romanesque – 10th to 11th century

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Christianity brought a sort of unity and calm to France. As witnessed by the multitude of churches, religion was omnipresent during these turbulent times of Barbarian invasions. The churches of this era, inspired by Roman architecture (thus the name romanesque), are charaterized by round arches, barrel-vaulting and large walls, a simple but heavy style.

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Renaissance
February 23, 2003  By France.com 

In the early 16th century, after a series of Italian wars, Francois I strengthened the French Crown and welcomed to France many Italian artists and designers such as Leonardo da Vinci. Their influence assured the success of the Renaissance style characterized by enlarged doors and windows, the great sophistications of the interiors.

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Introduction
February 23, 2003  By France.com 

Not large by North American standards (about the size of the state of Texas), France is nonetheless extremely diverse: it concentrates a wealth of scenery, regional identities each with their own particular joie de vivre defined by cultural and historic differences.

Through the years, France’s stamp on western civilization has left an indelible mark in many domains and French savoir-faire remains a reference in the arts, politics, gastronomy, fashion and science.

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Gothic Era
February 23, 2003  By France.com 

Gothic – 12th to 14th century

During the Middle Ages the fortress style of the romanesque buildings was refined and improved by French masons and architects.

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Grand Siècle
February 22, 2003  By France.com 

The 17th century was marked by a period of exeptional power and glamour for the French Monarchy. Starting with King Louis XIII and the Cardinal Richelieu who together transformed the feudal French Monarchy to an Absolute Monarchy, by controlling the opposition of the “Grands” (the Lords) and the growing power of the Protestant (siege of La Rochelle, 1628). Mazarin, Louis XIV’s regent, ended the popular revolts of La Fronde.

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Bastille Day
February 21, 2003  By France.com 

This month, like every year on the 14th of July, the French will celebrate their Fête Nationale or Bastille Day, as it is known in English-speaking countries. It commemorates the storming of a Paris royal fortress––the Bastille––on July 14, 1789, a date of great historical significance as it marks the transition from an absolute monarchy to a republican regime.

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Revolution Era
February 21, 2003  By France.com 

The 18th century’s Enlightment brought thinkers such as Voltaire and Rousseau to struggle against the principles of the old regime and absolutism. In 1789, the state’s financial crisis brought social turmoil, triggering the Revolution. On July 14th, a Parisian mob revolted and stormed the Bastille prison, symbol of the old regime.

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Social Customs
February 21, 2003  By France.com 

French society likes formality in many aspects of everyday life as obligatory handshaking or cheek kissing 😉 , the use of the vous (rather then the familiar tu) and of titles when refering to a superior or a stranger and the concern about always dressing well.

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Renaissance Era
February 21, 2003  By France.com 

Renaissance – 15th to 16th century

The Renaissance style refers to the style of the historic period primarily marked by King Francois I.

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Napoleonic Era
February 20, 2003  By France.com 

The Revolution ends in 1799 when Napoleon Bonaparte entered Paris and was crowned First Consul at the age of thirty. A brilliant politician and a military genius, he took the title of emperor Napoleon I in 1804.

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