Clemont-Ferrand

Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergnat: Clarmont-Ferrand / Clarmont d'Auvèrnhe) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. It is the prefecture (capital) of the Puy-de-Dôme department. Serge Godard is the current Mayor of the city. Clermont-Ferrand sits on the plain of Limagne in the Massif Central and is surrounded by a major industrial area. The city is famous for the chain of volcanoes surrounding it. The Puy-de-Dôme (13km from the city) is the highest of these and well-known for the telecommunication antennas that sit on its top and are visible from far away. Clermont-Ferrand's most famous public square is place de Jaude, on which stands a grand statue of Vercingetorix sitting imperiously on a horse and holding a glaive. The inscription reads: J'ai pris les armes pour la liberté de tous (English: I took to arms for the liberty of all). This statue was sculpted by Frédéric Bartholdi who also created the Statue of Liberty.