On the last
foothills of the Livradois, before the plain of Brioude, the wooded
hiltops of Champagnac are called by the local people the mounts Bitous.
From the rural domain of Durbiat, we have a very large view on the
Margeride, the Plomb of Cantal, the Luguet and the Sancy. The fairs of
Champagnac : the area of Champagnac favoured a happpy convergence of
ways and so a certain commercial activity.At the beginning of the XVIth
century, this transit encouraged to beg to the royal favour the creation
of markets and fairs : since the end of the wars, the king greatly
accepted it to make the economic recovery of the country easier. The
conditions of access being favourable, François 1st creates
at Champagnac 4 fairs every year and 1 market every week. This favour
will have a great influence on the development of Champagnac. In this
small town which grows the patricians are created. In this period of
social change, the enriched landowner often buys the property of the
ruined local squire, thus raising his family to the middle class.Then
the reform will compromise this material prosperity. At least, the
impulsion is given : protected during the periods of troubles by its
walls, heritage of a time and of a social state which go towards the
end, Champagnac will see prosper its fairs and markets, factors of its
wealth to be between the two mondial wars, there are still many markets
and craftsmen (milliners, woden-sold shoes makers, saddlers,
clog-makers, cartwrights, linen maids...) a weekly cinema, a public
school and a private boarding school, 13 café bars among which 5 hotels
and restaurants ! Almost every house of the village has got a cowshed
with some cows, the farm activity being joined with the trade and the
local crafts. And the famous three-month fairs are still very popular.
Every population of the neighbouring comes on foot ,on cart or on
cow-tip carts. The animals are at very special places : the cows at the
calvary, the sheep at the meadow Mirable, the pigs at the square of the
church and the calf at the square of the café-bar Tavernier. The 5
restaurants serve more than 50 meals each and in the village lot of
people have a picnic lunch. In the evening, there is a dance in every
café-bar. Nowadays,if the ageing of the population prompts to the
pessimism, the village knows a revival of activity in summer thanks to
the lake and its fitting-out;
Traducted in
english by marie-dominique varlet written in french by
Jacques de SEAUVE and M-C FAUGERE
Etymology : Campagnius
Geographic
situation : 70 km from Clermont-Ferrand and from the Puy en Velay, 16 km
from Brioude
Altitude : 900 metres, summit La
Chaud
Population : 277 inhabitants
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