Located at the
gates of the Haute-Loire county , on the banks of the Allier river, Brioude profits
from a provincial atmosphere and southern climate where it makes good food.
A commercial, active and attractive town, it has a rich and varied
inheritance.
Basilica
of brioude: Built in the XI° and XII° centuries by the religious counts to
the glory of God and his holy martyr Julien, it replaces the churches raised
successively since the IV° century to shelter the tomb of the saint. In the XIII and XIV centuries the nave was covered with a voute of the Gothic type.
Saint Julien de Brioude is a church of pilgrimage, high among the list of
Minor Basilica in 1957. The popularity of saint Julien explains the dimensions
of the church (the largest of Auvergne).
The salmon,
the traditional fish of Brioude. There used to be abundant supplies in the
Allier river but now the species is all but extinct in the river. Its
history is told in the "Maison de Saumon"
Brioude draws its name from a Celtic root, brivas or briv which
indicates at the time a bridge or a passage of river. The city was born
from the invasion of Celtic people, Arverni, which were established
in a territory whose limits are Moulins in North and Brioude in the
south. The city made its great strides following the martyrdom of
saintJulien , and became thereafter a place of worship and passage
for the pilgrims on the way towards Compostelle.
