European umbrella capital

Welcome to Aurillac, a town where craftsmanship and tradition combine to offer products of exceptional quality. Known as the umbrella capital of Europe, Aurillac is a must for umbrella lovers and those interested in discovering the fascinating history of this indispensable accessory.

Aurillac and the umbrella

Legend has it that the Jordanne river, which flows through the town, once enchanted visitors with its golden flakes. This gold was exchanged locally for copper brought from Spain by Northern European pilgrims returning from Santiago de Compostela.

Thus, as early as the Middle Ages, a tradition of copper beaters was born in Aurillac. Here, craftsmen fashioned metal parts such as coulants, walnuts and aiguillettes, indispensable for umbrella making. Cantalien farmers brought back cotton cloth from Spain, which was used to make the first blankets.

All the elements were in place to make Aurillac the cradle of the umbrella.

A few key dates

The story begins with Alexandre Périer, a native of Marmanhac. From the age of 15, he traveled the roads as a peddler, merchant and tinkerer, before becoming a travelling umbrella salesman thanks to a cousin in Deux-Sèvres.

Returning to the Cantal in 1844, after marrying Elisa Combadière de Saint-Simon, he put his umbrella-making plans into practice by opening a workshop on Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, and then went into partnership with Durand Lafon.

Second half of the 19th century

1857: Durand Lafont et Pertus founded
1862: the company already employs 130 workers and 90 home workers
1877: it moves behind the Palais de Justice
1884: After splitting with his partner, Alexandre Périer founded a new company: Alexandre Perier et compagnie.

1884

Jean-Baptiste Poignet, a sales clerk, joins forces with Jacques Vaurs, an umbrella merchant, to open a factory at 16 rue des Fossés (today rue du Président Delzons).
The Piganiol company was born.

Early 20th century

The quality of umbrellas made in Aurillac was already recognized in France and abroad. This reputation was confirmed by several awards, including a silver medal at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition and a gold medal awarded to the Poignet company in Brussels in 1897.
In 1900, Aurillac had five companies specializing in umbrella manufacture: Uzols, Lancelot, Poignet, Lafont and Bois.
In 1903, these 5 companies employed around 625 people: 175 in the workshop, mainly men, and 450, mostly women, working from home.

1928

Aurillac has eight factories employing 250 workers and 500 home workers, producing over a million umbrellas a year.
In 1928, René Piganiol joined Delort et Terrisse, then succeeded his father-in-law Jean Delort in 1932. The company then took the name Terrisse et Piganiol.

World War II

The outbreak of the Second World War was catastrophic for many umbrella manufacturers, leading to the closure of numerous companies. By 1941, only five manufacturers remained: Delcros, Terrisse et Piganiol, Sauvagnat et Maynard, Dalbin et Picard, Capitaine.

1946

When the war ended in 1946, umbrella production had declined considerably, with only 80 male and 150 female home workers, and output down to 500,000 umbrellas.

Second half of the 20th century

Only three umbrella manufacturers managed to survive: Sauvagnat, Piganiol and Dalbin. These companies are committed to relaunching umbrella production in Aurillac.
With the development of the Sauvagnat company, which reached its peak between 1960 and 1970, nearly 2 million umbrellas were made every year in Aurillac, representing 40% of national production.

Discover our umbrella manufacturers

During your visit to Aurillac, be sure to visit the Maison Piganiol and the Delos-France workshop, famous umbrella manufacturers.

Manufacture Maison Piganiol

Atelier Delos-France

An umbrella sky

This initiative was first launched in 2017 with just one street involved. It involved 350 umbrellas. The operation is being carried out in collaboration with Maison Piganiol. In 2021, a rainbow of 1259 umbrellas will accompany passers-by on 2 streets in Aurillac’s old town center, rue Emile Duclaux and rue Victor Hugo.