Riom is a
communeThe commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. The French word commune appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, meaning a small gathering of people sharing a common life; from Latin communis, things held in common.French communes are roughly...
in the
Puy-de-DômePuy-de-Dôme is a department in the center of France named after the famous dormant volcano, the Puy-de-Dôme.-History:...
department in
AuvergneAuvergne is one of the 26 administrative regions of France.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not part of Auvergne...
in central
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
Until the
French RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
, Riom was the capital of the province of
AuvergneAuvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne...
, and the seat of the
dukes of Auvergne-History:In the 7th century Auvergne was disputed between the Franks and Aquitanians. It was later conquered by the Carolingians, and was integrated for a time into the kingdom of Aquitaine...
. The city was of
GaulGaul is a historical name used in the context of the Roman Empire in references to the region of Western Europe approximating present day France and Belgium, but also sometimes including the Po Valley, western Switzerland, and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River...
ish origin, the Roman
Ricomagus. In the intensely
feudalizedFeudalism is a decentralized sociopolitical structure in which a weak monarchy attempts to control the lands of the realm through reciprocal agreements with regional leaders...
Auvergne of the 10th century, the town grew up around the collegiate Church of
Saint AmabilisSaint Amabilis of Riom was a French saint. Sidonius Apollinaris brought Amabilis to serve at Clermont.He served as a cantor in the church of Saint Mary at Clermont and as a precentor at the cathedral of Clermont and then as a parish priest in Riom...
(Saint Amable), the local saint, who was the object of pilgrimages.
Discussion
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Riom is a
communeThe commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. The French word commune appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, meaning a small gathering of people sharing a common life; from Latin communis, things held in common.French communes are roughly...
in the
Puy-de-DômePuy-de-Dôme is a department in the center of France named after the famous dormant volcano, the Puy-de-Dôme.-History:...
department in
AuvergneAuvergne is one of the 26 administrative regions of France.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not part of Auvergne...
in central
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
History
Until the
French RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
, Riom was the capital of the province of
AuvergneAuvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne...
, and the seat of the
dukes of Auvergne-History:In the 7th century Auvergne was disputed between the Franks and Aquitanians. It was later conquered by the Carolingians, and was integrated for a time into the kingdom of Aquitaine...
. The city was of
GaulGaul is a historical name used in the context of the Roman Empire in references to the region of Western Europe approximating present day France and Belgium, but also sometimes including the Po Valley, western Switzerland, and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River...
ish origin, the Roman
Ricomagus. In the intensely
feudalizedFeudalism is a decentralized sociopolitical structure in which a weak monarchy attempts to control the lands of the realm through reciprocal agreements with regional leaders...
Auvergne of the 10th century, the town grew up around the collegiate Church of
Saint AmabilisSaint Amabilis of Riom was a French saint. Sidonius Apollinaris brought Amabilis to serve at Clermont.He served as a cantor in the church of Saint Mary at Clermont and as a precentor at the cathedral of Clermont and then as a parish priest in Riom...
(Saint Amable), the local saint, who was the object of pilgrimages. Riom was the capital of the dukes of Auvergne. In the 14th century the city benefitted from the patronage of the
Jean, duc de BerryJohn of Valois, the Magnificent, was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was the third son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg; his brothers were Charles V, King of France, Louis I of Anjou, King of Naples and Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy...
, who rebuilt the Ducal Palace and the Saint-Chapelle. In 1531, Riom and the Auvergne reverted to the Crown of France.
In 1942, Riom was the site of the
Vichy governmentVichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944. This government, which succeeded the Third Republic, officially called itself the French State , in contrast with the previous designation, "French Republic." Marshal...
's abortive war-guilt trials, called
Riom TrialThe Riom Trial was an attempt by the regime of Vichy France, headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain, to prove that the leaders of the French Third Republic had been responsible for France's defeat by Germany in 1940...
s.
Sights
In 1985 Riom received the French classification of
Ville d'Art et d'Histoire recognizing its sixteen classified historical monuments as well as another 57 on the supplementary listings. Several 17th- and 18th-century private houses (
hôtels particuliers) are open to the public with collections of costumes and works of decorative art.
Riom's two major public squares are
Place Jean-Baptiste Laurent and
Place du pré-Madame in which stand two large fountains in homage to Desaix.
Notable people
Riom was the birthplace of:
- Pierre Victor, baron Malouet
Pierre Victor, baron Malouet , a French publicist and politician, was born at Riom ....
(1740–1814), publicist and politicianA politician or political leader is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making. This includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people who seek those positions, whether by means of election, coup d'état, appointment, electoral fraud, conquest,...
- Gilbert Romme
Gilbert Romme was a French politician and mathematician who developed the French Republican Calendar.-Biography:...
(1750–1795), politician
- Joseph Projectus Machebeuf
Joseph Projectus Machebeuf was a French Roman Catholic missionary and the first Bishop of Denver.-Biography:...
(1812–1889), Vicar Apostolic Colorado and Utah Bishop Denver Co USA
Cultural references
Tesuque is mentioned in
Willa CatherWilla Siebert Cather was an American author who grew up in Nebraska. She is best known for her depictions of frontier life on the Great Plains in novels such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and The Song of the Lark.- Early life :Born Wilella Siebert Cather in 1873 on a small farm in the Back Creek...
's 1927 novel
Death Comes for the ArchbishopDeath Comes for the Archbishop is a 1927 novel by Willa Cather. It concerns the attempts of a Catholic bishop and a priest to establish a diocese in New Mexico Territory....
, Book Nine Chapter 1.
Twin towns
- Algemesi
Algemesí is a municipality in the comarca of Ribera Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain.The town of Algemesí is one of the major centres for the production of citruses in Spain, and several cooperatives are based there...
, Spain
- Nördlingen
Nördlingen is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Bavaria, Germany, with a population of 20,000. It is located in the middle of a giant meteorite crater, called the Nördlinger Ries. The town was also the place of two battles during the Thirty Years' War...
, Germany
- Viana do Castelo
Viana do Castelo is a city and a municipality and seat of the district of Viana do Castelo in the Norte region of Portugal. The city proper has 36,148 inhabitants and the municipality has a total population of 91,238 inhabitants over a total area of 318.6 km².It is located at the mouth of...
, Portugal
- Adur, England
- Żywiec
Żywiec is a town in south-central Poland with 32,242 inhabitants . After being part of Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998, it has been part of the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999 and includes one of the eight protected areas in Silesian Voivodeship, called Żywiec Landscape Park.-...
, Poland
External links