The town of Rochefort-Montagne is located at the northern limit of the Monts Dore volcanic complex and at the end of a deep trough valley, dominated by the Tuilière and Sanadoire rocks.
The history of the village of Rochefort-Montagne
It was between the 11th and 15th centuries that the town of Rochefort-Montagne was organized around the fortified rock (château des Dauphins d'Auvergne), hence the origin of its name "roche-fort" (today today only part of the tower remains). The town became a place of active commerce, which experienced its expansion with the construction of the royal road Clermont-Aurillac, in the 18th century and the arrival of the railway.
It was then that sheep and goat farming took precedence over crops and Rochefort-Montagne became a large commercial town animated by numerous cattle fairs. The construction of the hall dates back to the beginning of the 19th century and in the 1910s housed an important market.
The church of Rochefort-Montagne
The current church, modern, in neo-Romanesque style, is located at the foot of the hillock of the castle. The old church was an annex to that of Saint-Martin de Tours (neighboring village) until the Revolution. Rebuilt in the second half of the 19th century, the west facade and the bell tower are in andesite, the other walls in coated rubble. Inside is an altar decorated with the tetramorph (symbol of the four evangelists): bull of St Luke, lion of St Mark, eagle of St John and angel of St Matthew. The monument to the dead built in the 1920s is special: it represents a woman. It is the work of Mabrut, a famous sculptor from the region.
The village of Saint Martin de Tours
The village of Saint Martin de Tours, also located in the commune of Rochefort-Montagne, has a pretty Romanesque church, one of the last to be surrounded by a cemetery (a decree of 1904 having ordered the transfer of that here on the outskirts of the towns for better sanitation).
For a long time, Saint-Martin de Tours was a place of pilgrimage. The feverish came to lie down on a tombstone adorned with the insignia of the Episcopate to obtain healing.
Hiking
Many hikes start from the village and allow, among other things, to discover the valley of the Chausse or to access the loose rock of Orcival, enjoying superb viewpoints and crossing some hamlets of the village.
Un educational path in the heart of the village, offers all year round to families with young children a real free mini-adventure in the open air.
Your stay in Rochefort-Montagne
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Ideas for hikes to do near Rochefort-Montagne
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