Portraits of emblematic people | Pays d'Aurillac Tourism

Saint-Géraud d'Aurillac

855 - Birth

Count Geraud was born around 855 at Château de Saint-Etienne, his parents' home. Descended from a noble family, he inherited the family lands and distinguished himself by his piety, charity and sense of justice. It is to him that we owe the first development of the town of Aurillac.

895 - Foundation of Saint-Géraud abbey

In 895, he founded the Abbey of Saint Géraud next to the church of Saint-Clément, built by his father, the very spot where his parents were buried. Despite his desire to become a monk, Geraud chose to remain a lord to protect and support his community, living by the principles of poverty and chastity.

909 - Deaths

Geraud died on Friday, October 13, 909, and his body was buried in the abbey church. Following numerous miracles, he was canonized, becoming the patron saint of the town of Aurillac. Saint-Géraud is celebrated every year on October 13, and his legacy lives on in the region's culture and history.

Gerbert d'Aurillac Pope Sylvester II

946 - Youth

Gerbert d'Aurillac was born into a poor family around 938 in the hamlet of Beillac (commune of Saint-Simon) in the Cantal region of France.
He was accepted as a novice by the Benedictine monks of Saint-Géraud d'Aurillac. He was a studious monk with a thirst for knowledge. He went on to study in Spain, where he discovered Arabic numerals and designed his abacus (calculating tablet).

991 - Archbishop of Reims

In 991, Hugues Capet appointed Gerbert Archbishop of Reims.
In 996, he attended the coronation of Otto III, King of Germania, who later appointed him Bishop of Ravenna in Italy.

999 - Pope

On the death of Pope Gregory V on February 18, 999, he had him elected pope and consecrated on April 2, 999.
He became the first French pope, under the name Sylvester II (Pope of the Year 1000).
He died on May 12, 1003 in Rome.

To discover The Saint-Simon frescoes

Les Fresques GerbertSITE ET MONUMENT HISTORIQUE

Au cœur des Monts du Cantal, entre Aurillac et le Puy Mary (Grand Site National), visitez le village de St Simon et son église.

Saint-Simon

Alexis Joseph Delzons

1775 - Youth

Born on March 26, 1775 in Aurillac, Alexis Joseph Delzons was a general during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

1811 - Napoleonic years

He distinguished himself in the Italian and Russian campaigns. Promoted to brigadier general in 1811, he distinguished himself by his courage and leadership.

1812 - Death

He died at the battle of Maloyaroslavets in Russia on October 24, 1812, during Napoleon's retreat from Russia.

Eloy Chapsal

1811 - Birth and youth

From a family of boilermakers, Eloy Chapsal was born on June 25, 1811.

1930 - Beaux-Arts de Paris

He discovered his passion for painting while still very young.
In 1930, he entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was taught by such masters as Gros, Blondel and David d'Angers.
From 1840, he exhibited for 7 years at the Paris Salon.

1853 - Director of the Aurillac Museum

Despite his notoriety, he returned to Aurillac for good, becoming Aurillac's official portraitist.
In 1853, he became the 1st director of the Aurillac museum, a position he held until his death on July 20, 1882.

Émile Duclaux

1840 - Birth

Émile Duclaux was born in Aurillac on June 24, 1840. His youth in the Cantal left its mark on him, and he remained attached to this region throughout his life. His early interest in the sciences led to brilliant studies at the École normale supérieure.

1873 - Collaboration with Louis Pasteur

In 1873, Duclaux joined Louis Pasteur's team, with whom he collaborated on groundbreaking work in microbiology. In particular, he contributed to research on fermentation, hygiene and the fight against infectious diseases. He became Pasteur's disciple and successor, playing a central role in the dissemination of Pasteur's discoveries.

1904 - Death and scientific legacy

Émile Duclaux died in Paris on May 2, 1904. For the rest of his life, he remained a fervent supporter of Pasteur's work, helping to popularize the scientific principles of hygiene and microbes. He also headed the Institut Pasteur after Pasteur, consolidating his role as a major figure in microbiology.
The town of Aurillac dedicated a street to him on May 15, 1904, and a high school to him on July 25, 1904 (sculpture of the bust outside the school grounds).

Arsène Vermenouze

1850 - Birth and youth

He was born on September 26, 1850 in Vielle d'Ytrac, near Aurillac. His father, Firmin Vermenouze, was a grocery merchant in Spain.
From 1879, he sent his first poems to various Cantal newspapers.
From 1887 onwards, he played a leading role in Cantalien cultural and political life, publishing satirical poetry in Auvergnat.

1894 - Publications in Occitan and French

In 1894, he wrote the founding manifesto "À toute l'Auvergne" (To all Auvergne), and became president of the first Ecole Félibréenne Auvergnate, whose mission was to defend and illustrate the langue d'oc, particularly the Aurillac language, through its magazine Lo Cobreto (now La Cabreta).
Arsène Vermenouze is also a great French-language poet. In 1903, he published "Mon Auvergne", a collection that won an award from the Académie française.

1910 - Death

Arsène Vermenouze passed away in Aurillac, leaving behind an important literary legacy for Occitan culture.
Square Vermenouze, featuring the artist's bust
Rue Arsène Vermenouze

Paul Doumer

1857 - Birth and youth

Paul Doumer was born into a modest family in Aurillac, in the faubourg St Marcel (since June 3, 1932, it has been called rue Paul Doumer). His humble origins and difficult beginnings shaped his character and his political commitment to social reform and education.
He leaves Aurillac for Lozère and then Paris. He studied to become an engraver and, at the same time, took evening classes to earn his baccalaureate.
A wealthy family took him in to help finance his studies, and he obtained a double degree in mathematics and law.

1931 - President of the Republic

Married and ill, he gave up teaching and turned to politics. He was successively General Councillor, Deputy, Senator, Minister, President of the Senate and finally President of the Republic in 1931.

1932 - Murder

On May 6, 1932, on his way to the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild to open an exhibition on writers of the Great War, he was assassinated by Paul Gorgulov.
The municipality of Aurillac chose to build this symbolic monument, bearing a column as a sign of mourning, as well as the allegory of Immortality. The bas-relief pedestals depict Paul Doumer's life and qualities (willpower, probity, goodness and duty). Designed by architect Labro, the monument was inaugurated on July 22, 1934 by French President Albert Lebrun.

Marie Marvingt

1875 - Born in Aurillac

Marie Marvingt was born in Aurillac, in the Cantal region of France. From an early age, she showed an insatiable curiosity and a taste for challenges, which were to become the hallmarks of her life.

1908 - First major successes in aviation and sport

In 1908, she was one of the first women to fly a plane and took part in aerial competitions. That year, she also excelled in a variety of sporting disciplines, including cycling, swimming and mountaineering. She even attempted to take part in the Tour de France (then forbidden to women).

1915 - First woman to fly a military aircraft on a war mission

During the First World War, in 1915, Marie Marvingt became the first woman to fly a military aircraft on a reconnaissance mission. She also campaigned for the creation of air ambulance services, anticipating the development of airborne emergency medicine.

Henri Mondor

1885 - Birth and youth

Henri Mondor was born on May 20, 1885 in Saint-Cernin, Cantal.
A pupil at the Lycée Emile Duclaux, this brilliant young man showed an aptitude for learning from an early age, which led him to pursue a career in medicine.
At the age of 24, he passed his internship at the Paris hospitals and obtained his doctorate five years later.

1925 - Professor at the Paris Faculty of Medicine

In 1925, Henri Mondor was appointed Professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, a prestigious position that underlined his expertise in surgery. He distinguished himself in fields such as thoracic and vascular surgery. He also described a rare condition that now bears his name: Mondor's disease, a form of superficial thrombophlebitis.

1962 - Death and lasting recognition

He was named Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor at the age of 71.
Henri Mondor died on April 6, 1962 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He left a remarkable medical legacy, but also a literary work, as he was passionate about poetry and writing, with a particular admiration for Stéphane Mallarmé.
Henri Mondor's name was given to several hospital establishments, including the Aurillac public hospital in 1972, made official by President Georges Pompidou.

Elise Rieuf

1897 - Birth and studies

Born in Massiac in 1897, Elise Rieuf received her secondary education at the Lycée d'Aurillac.
Her father, Antoine Rieuf, was one of the co-founders and donors of the town's Museum of Art and Archaeology.
Elise Rieuf's vocation as an artist was an early and decisive one.
After attending the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Clermont-Ferrand (1915-1918), she prepared to become a professor of drawing in Paris (1921-1922).

Years 1920-30 - Travel

She taught in Düsseldorf, then Agen, and in 1927 left for China, after marrying the architect Paul Veysseyre.
In 1930, she left her husband, divorced him and returned to France, bringing with her a considerable body of work inspired by her discovery of the Far East.

1990 - Death

An unrepentant traveler and a strong, independent personality, she traveled Europe with her sketchbook in hand, but it was in Auvergne, her home base, that she ended her days, especially in Massiac, where she died in 1990.
In 1993, his hometown dedicated a museum to him, displaying some of his finest works.

Antonin Lac

1912 - Birth and youth

Born on August 25, 1912 in Carlat, at the age of 17 he passed his "brevet" at the Cours complémentaire d'Aurillac, and enrolled at the Ecole Normale to become a teacher, as well as being a rygbyman in the first team of the Stade Aurillacois.

1942 - Entry into the Resistance

Mobilized in 1939 with the 92nd RI in Clermont-Ferrand, he joined the Resistance in 1942 with the Francs-Tireurs, and took part in the attack on Mont Mouchet. In 1944, he created the Fred company, and took part in the fighting at Le Lioran and Entraygues. For his actions, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille de la Résistance.
One of his major achievements, between 1962 and 1964, was the creation of the Maison de l'Éducation Nationale in Aurillac, which was named after him in 1990.
He was awarded the Légion d'Honneur at the age of 64.

1989 - Death in Aurillac

Yvonne Arriazu, known as Madame Charlot

1934 - Birth

1940s - Maison Charlot

His father-in-law, Jésus Arriazu, created what was to become the famous "Maison Charlot" on rue du Prince, with his son Anselme and his daughter-in-law as partners. For several decades, this itinerant business set up on the outskirts of Square Vermenouze delighted young and old alike.

Until 2015

During the summer, Yvonne prepares and serves magnificent ice cream cones, never hesitating to add an extra scoop for greedy children.
Here, in winter, the ice-cream cart gives way to a brazier where chestnuts roast to warm the hearts of walkers. With her legendary smile, Yvonne places her "castagnes" in a newspaper cone. The hot paper is immediately snapped up, sometimes leaving traces of black ink on the fingers, and the local treasure is eaten on one of the benches in the Square Vermenouze.

Did you know?

The Tourist Office offers guided tours of Aurillac’s historic center during the school vacations.

Immerse yourself in history with an unforgettable guided tour of old Aurillac. From its picturesque streets to its emblematic monuments, let yourself be seduced by the timeless charm of the city of Aurillac.

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