Clermont-Ferrand, city in central France, capital of Puy-de-Dôme Department, on the Tiretaine River and the Limagne Plain. Called the Akron of France, it is an industrial city, with industries producing rubber products, electronic equipment, bicycles, machinery, precision tools, chemicals, furniture, clothing, linen, and processed food. Compagnie Générale des Establissements Michelin is headquartered here. The company, involved in the manufacture of tires and tubing, is one of the largest employers in Clermont-Ferrand.
The city is the historic capital of the Auvergne Region and is noted for its picturesque Renaissance houses. The 12th-century Romanesque church of Notre Dame du Port and the 13th-century cathedral are architectural attractions. The universities of Clermont-Ferrand I and II (1810, reorganized 1977) are here. The city is the birthplace of the 6th-century historian Saint Gregory of Tours and the 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal.
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