| Saint-Flour | |
| Commune Status: | Subprefecture and commune |
| Image Flag: | Flag of Saint Flour, Cantal.svg |
| Image Coat Of Arms: | Blason_ville_fr_Saint-Flour_(Cantal).svg |
| Arrondissement: | Saint-Flour |
| Canton: | Saint-Flour-1 and 2 |
| Insee: | 15187 |
| Postal Code: | 15100 |
| Mayor: | Philippe Delort[1] |
| Term: | 2020 - 2026 |
| Intercommunality: | Saint-Flour Communauté |
| Coordinates: | 45.0344°N 3.0936°W |
| Elevation M: | 783 |
| Elevation Min M: | 757 |
| Elevation Max M: | 1040 |
| Area Km2: | 27.14 |
Saint-Flour (in French sɛ̃fluʁ/; Auvergnat: Sant Flor) is a commune in the south-central French department of Cantal, approximately 100 km south of Clermont-Ferrand. Its inhabitants are called Sanflorains.
The upper city (ville haute) of Saint-Flour is located on the abrupt volcanic dike Planèze, the lower city (ville basse or "Faubourg") extends on the banks of the Ander.
There are numerous dolmens in the neighborhood[2] and scattered traces of Bronze Age occupation. Roman occupation is signalled by two Roman villas of middling importance, one near the railroad station, the other a modest Augustan-age villa near the hamlet of Roueyre, part of Saint-Flour. The Roman name of this small vicus was Indiciacum or Indiciacus, which evolved into Indiciat in the sub-Roman period, a reference to the landmark of Planèze.
Early, perhaps as early as the fifth century,[3] Florus of Lodève, credited in medieval tradition with being the first bishop of Lodève and belonging to the apostolic era,[4] arrived to Christianize the valley, and gave his name to the area, striking a rock with his staff, it was said, to create a holy spring that continued to be venerated under its Christianized guise, into the 20th century.[5]
The present town called Indiciac took shape only around the millennium, clustered around the monastery founded on the high rock in 996, at first little more than an oratory. The site, already occupied by a small monastic community, was donated to Odilo of Cluny by the Auvergnat seigneur, Astorg de Brezons;[6] the donation was confirmed by Pope Gregory V, i.e. in 996–99, but Astorg's nephew, Amblard "le mal Hiverné" ("the furious"), the comptour[7] perhaps asserting residual family interests in the place, seized it and laid it waste, sparing the church. Astorg and Amblard together then donated it to St Peter's, but Amblard reconsidered and erected a fortress in the ruins of the monastery, but, seized with remorse, donated it once more to Odilo of Cluny.[8] Urban II, following the Council of Clermont (1095) consecrated the new abbey church, which received a triple dedication reflecting local tradition and present affiliations: Saint-Sauveur, Saint Pierre and Saint Flour.[9]
The diocese of Saint-Flour was established in August 1317 by the Avignon pope, John XXII.
During the French Revolution, the commune took several dechristianized successive names, Fort-Cantal'l, Fort-Libre and Mont-Flour. It returned to its ancient historic designation in the An II (1793). The territory of the commune was never changed. Briefly, between 1790 and 1795, it served as the préfecture, of the newly created département, before Aurillac had succeeded to that position.
The troubadour Bernart Amoros recalled to his readers that he came from Saint-Flour:
Eu Bernartz Amoros clerges scriptors daquest libre si fui d'Alvergna don son estat maint bon trobador, e fui d'una villa que a nom Saint Flor de Planeza[10]
Poet Pierre-Laurent Buirette de Belloy (1727–95), author of a once-celebrated tragedy on the Siege of Calais, was born at Saint-Flour.
The annual École d'Eté de Probabilités de Saint-Flour has resulted in a series of volumes concerning probability theory. Founded in 1971, the summer school is sponsored by Clermont Auvergne University, the European Mathematical Society, and CNRS.[11]
