France Auvergne

Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700. The city is famous for the chain of volcanoes, the Chaine des Puys surrounding it. The famous dormant volcano Puy-de-Dome is one of the highest of these and well known for the telecommunication antennas that sit on its top and are visible from far away. Clermont-Ferrand has two famous churches. One is Notre-Dame du Port, a Romanesque church which was built during the 11th and 12th centuries. It was nominated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. The other is Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral, built in Gothic style between the 13th and the 19th centuries.

Le Puy-en-Velay is a commune in south-central France near the Loire river. The city is famous for its cathedral, a kind of lentil, and for its lace-making. Le Puy-en-Velay's most striking attraction is the Cathedrale Notre-Dame du Puy, dating chiefly from the first half of the 12th century. The façade, striped in courses of white sandstone and black volcanic breccia, is reached by a flight of sixty steps, and consists of three orders, the lowest composed of three high arcades opening into the porch, which extends beneath the first bays of the nave.