Billom

Billom is a common French, located in the department of the Puy-de-Dôme and the area of Auvergne. Billom belongs to the urban surface of Clermont-Ferrand.

Geography

Localities and variations

Communes bordering

History

The name of Billom could come from " Biliomagus" , name formed starting from the Celt " magus" meaning market. Billom was located on the course of the Roman Voie which connects Lyon to Bordeaux and which passes by Clermont (of the milliary columns were found). No element attests the presence of a vicus with Billom at the time Gallo-Roman. On the other hand, the villae are numerous around in the countryside.
  • 5th century: evangelization of the area by Saint-Austremoine and Saint-Juvénal
A monetary workshop is attested at the time mérovingienne. It is the first unquestionable mention of the existence of a vicus.
  • 8th century: creation of the Saint-Cerneuf chapter.
  • 10th century: creation of the second parish of the city: Saint-wolf
In the Middle Ages, Billom consists of two distinct districts: Saint Cerneuf and Saint Wolf. A first enclosure surrounds Saint Cerneuf and its church in XIIe and 13th century. At the 14th century, the two districts are joined together by a wall which will be altered at the 16th century (to face the threat of Protestant bands).

Certain historians believed to be able to say that in XIIIe century, the modest town of Billom counted a brilliant university (the fourth of France, after Paris, Toulouse and Montpellier and who would have counted up to two miles pupils!). If Billom were since 1281, the 4th Good Town of Auvergne, it remained a commercial village of modest size (a few thousands of inhabitants) and there to see a major university is hardly serious… Malheureusement, this rumor remains… The attested elements evoke a diploma of graduate are arts delivered with Billom at the 13th century. At the 15th century, a teaching of civil law and canon law is exempted. A serious work misses to judge number of pupils concerned…

  • 16th century: Billom knows in 1556 the creation of the first college Jesuit of France (1556. This college was with the site of the current public college.
The college of the Jesuits was related to the front of the scene in 1762, during the prohibition of the order and the setting under sequestration of its goods. A searching revealed the presence of the " typus religionis" , an immense table which shows the pope and the Jesuits with the bar of a ship symbolizing the world. This part will be used at the time of the lawsuit against the Jesuits. Capuchins, Jesuits, Bénédictines, Visitandines, many brotherhoods, canons of Cerneuf Saint, monks which manage the general hospital, Billom is before a a whole city where the monks are numerous in the Middle Ages and at the time modern. This will be worth the name of " to him; Billom Saint". Two important processions proceed every year: the procession of invaluable blood and the procession of the Penitent blacks. During the revolutionary period, this famous " invaluable sang" was analyzed by the Revolutionists anxious to discredit the Christian religion. Blood was in fact of the gasoline of vegetable origin…

Creation of the bankruptcy court (one of the first in France). It will be confirmed by Charles IX in 1569 and Henry IV in 1594. It will be active until in 1999. Billom was indeed in the Middle Ages and at the time modern a commercial city. It produced in particular ropes starting from hemp, ropes very much used to equip the boats with the royal navy. Billom declines at XVIIe and the beginning of the 18th century. The city is very touched by the crises frumentaires of 1693-94 and 1709. The decline of Billom continues at the 19th century after the abandonment of hemp. The culture of garlic develops after 1850.

  • 19th century: Arrived of the train in 1875. Creation in 1884 of the preparatory military academy of the children reared by the army of Billom (closed in 1963).
Billom is today in the zone of influence of the agglomeration clermontoise. Located at a 30aine of minutes of Clermont, it profits from the periurbanisation. Its superb medieval center, in particular cultural dynamism of its inhabitants, the beauty of the undulating landscapes which surround it (" Tuscany auvergnate"), with the doors of Clermont give him reasons to hope for a serene future even if it will not find its last size.

Administration

Demography

Religious heritage

  • Saint-Cerneuf Church: it is of Gothic style poitevin, it was strongly altered during the history. The crypt is Romance.
  • Church Saint-Wolf: medieval Gothic style of XIVe and XVe century.
  • Church of Tinlhat

Civil inheritance

  • the town of Billom comprises a medieval district.

* Houses of the Butchers, the Chapter (XVe century),
* House of the Senior (XVIe century),
* House of Bailly (XVème and XVIème),
* Belfry of XVIe century.

Schools

  • College of the Belfry
  • Elementary school Guyot-Dessaigne
  • Nursery school of the beffroy
  • nursery school our-lady
  • elementary school our-lady
  • College our-lady

Files

  • parochial Registers and of civil statue since:
  • genealogical Examinations:
  • municipal Deliberations since:

Others

See too

  • Common of the Puy-de-Dôme

Internet sites on the life with Billom

  • the town hall

  • Country of Billom Saint-Dier
  • Site of association Billom Rebirth

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