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.
The ConstitutionA popular referendum approved the constitution of the Fifth Republic in 1958, greatly strengthening the authority of the presidency and the executive in relation to Parliament. The executive branchFrance has an original system with an executive headed by two officials: the President and the Prime […]
0 Read MoreHost to France’s favorite summer theater festival, this southern city 4 hours by train from Paris, boasts a rich history, and a varied architecture. Year after year, it ranks as one of the country’s favorite destinations amongst foreign and French tourist
0 Read MoreRegions oFrance has 26 rÈgions, which are further subdivided into dÈpartements. Alsace 67 Bas-Rhin 68 Haut-Rhin Aquitaine 24 Dordogne 33 Gironde 40 Landes 47 Lot-et-Garonne 64 PyrÈnÈes-Atlantiques Auvergne 03 Allier 15 Cantal 43 Haute-Loire 63 Puy-de-DÙme Basse-Normandie 14 Calvados 50 Manche 61 Orne Bourgogne (Burgundy) 21 […]
0 Read More<!–^~^441|left|Napoleon III^~^–> Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (April 20, 1808 – January 9, 1873) was the son of King Louis Bonaparte and Queen Hortense de Beauharnais; both monarchs of the Kingdom of Holland. He was elected President (1848-1852) of the Second Republic of France and subsequently Emperor […]
0 Read More784|left|Exterior of the Palais Garnier.|The Palais Garnier is a grand landmark at the northern end of the Avenue de l’Opera in Paris, France. It is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time. Built in the Neo-Baroque style, it is the thirteenth theatre to […]
0 Read MoreThe Dreyfus Affair was a political cover-up which divided France for many years in the late 19th century. [img]435|left|J’accuse![/img]It centered on the 1894 treason conviction of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish artillery officer in the French army. Dreyfus was, in fact, innocent: the conviction rested on false […]
0 Read More…mile Zola (April 2, 1840 – September 29, 1902) was an influential French novelist, the most important example of the literary school of naturalism and a major figure in the political liberalization of France. [img]439|left|Emile Zola[/img] Born in Paris, France, the son of an Italian engineer, […]
0 Read MoreAlfred Dreyfus (October 9, 1859 – July 12, 1935), French military officer best known for being the focus of the Dreyfus affair. Born in Mulhouse, Alsace, France, Dreyfus was the youngest of seven children in the family of a Jewish textile manufacturer who had accepted French […]
0 Read MoreTreaty of VersaillesFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 was the peace treaty that was created as a result of the six-month-long Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which put an official end to World War I. The treaty was ratified on January […]
0 Read MoreFor many centuries, this cathedral is where the Kings of France have been crowned. Today, it stands as one of the the most perfect architectural masterpieces of the Middle Ages.
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