Editing Clermont-Ferrand (section)

==<FONT COLOR="#3366FF">'''HISTORY OF CLERMONT-FERRAND'''</FONT>==
Clermont ranks among '''the oldest cities of France'''. The first known mention was by the Greek geographer Strabo. The city was at that time called Nemessos—a Gaulish word for a sacred forest. It witnessed the famous '''Battle of Gergovia''' won by the Gauls led by Vercingetorix over the Romans led by Julius Caesar, in 52 BC. After the Roman conquest, the city was called Augustonemetum, a name which combined its original Gallic name with that of the Emperor Augustus. Its population was estimated at 15000–30000 inhabitants in the 2nd century, making it one of the largest cities of Roman Gaul.

In 848, the city was renamed Clairmont, after the castle Clarus Mons. During this era, it was an episcopal city ruled by its bishop, and it was the starting point of the First Crusade from the Christian world to free Jerusalem from Muslim domination—'''Pope Urban II preached the crusade there in 1095''' at the Council of Clermont. In 1120, to counteract the power of the clergy, the counts of Auvergne founded the city of Montferrand on the model of the new cities of the Midi. In 1551, Clermont became a royal city, and in 1610, the inseparable property of the Crown.

On 15 April, 1630, the Edict of Troyes (the First Edict of Union) '''forcibly joined the two cities of Clermont and Ferrand'''. This union was confirmed in 1731 by Louis XV with the Second Edict of Union. At this time Montferrand was no more than a satellite city of Clermont, in which condition it remained until the beginning of the 20th century. Wishing to retain its independence, Montferrand made three demands for independence, in 1789, 1848, and 1863.

In the 20th century, '''the construction of the Michelin factories''' and city gardens, which shaped the modern Clermont-Ferrand, definitively reunited Clermont and Montferrand. Today, although the two cities are amalgamated, one may find in Clermont-Ferrand two distinct downtowns, and Montferrand retains a strong identity.

'''''More informations about the History of Clermont-Ferrand on the [[wikipedia:Clermont-Ferrand]] !'''''