Vercingétorix, the reducible Gaul of Clermont-Ferrand
This was what actually happened during the Gallic Wars as Vercingetorix he did not have the help of Panorámix's magic potion nor did he have Obelix, the strong man, or Asterix, the cunning, as allies. He did not even have the support of the imagination of Goscinny who he created together with Uderzo the village of the irreducible Gauls that still and always resists the invader, that is, the Roman Empire.
For years Vercingétorix embodied the mythical and patriotic figure of the French people . Such was the importance of this character that even his shield, which he symbolically gave to Julius Caesar after his defeat, was the one used to move Abraracúrcix, the great Gallic chief of the village created by Uderzo and Goscinny, who only feared that heaven fell on the head.
This is Clermont-Ferrand
Although it is not known exactly where Vercingetorix was born believed to have come from ancient Nemoso , in the French region of Auvergne, territory that corresponds to its capital, Clermont-Ferrand. In fact, this French city has a large number of references to the Gallic leader in its streets and squares. The most important is the spectacular statue of Vercingetorix on horseback, work of the Alsatian sculptor Bartholdi (who also created the Statue of Liberty in New York), which is located in Plaza Jaude, the nerve center of Clermont Ferrand.
Vercingetorix statue
The capital of Auvergne , which was born from the union of the old city of Clermont and the medieval Montferrand, is a town in France well known for being the entrance to the vast Central Massif and for being located on a volcanic territory. In fact, the city is surrounded by more than eighty dormant volcanoes, the best known being the Puy de Dome , which can be accessed through a rack railway, and in which one of the the great sanctuaries of Gaul, the temple of Mercury.
Puy de Dome
Clermont-Ferrand It is a city with more than two thousand years of history and a heritage in which two buildings stand out: the Romanesque basilica of Notre-Dame-Du-Port , listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its characteristic Gothic cathedral, built with the peculiar Volvic black stone.
Clermont-Ferrand is a quiet city, secluded at times, and dotted with several restaurants where it is more than advisable to taste the powerful gastronomy of the region headed by the five cheeses with Protected Designation of Origin that are made: the Bleu d'Auvergne, the Saint-nectaire, the Salers, the Cantal or the Fourme d'Ambert.
Bleu d'Auvergne
After pampering yourself by savoring the delicious and, in turn, calorific Auvergne cheeses, it is highly advisable to climb the 250 stairs of the Bayette Tower from the cathedral to enjoy a view of the city that leaves speechless. Surely Vercingetorix would have summoned Toutatis after seeing a panorama of his land from above.
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The tower of the Bayette
The tower of the Bayette