Riom (rēôN'), town (1990 pop. 19,302), Puy-de-Dôme dept., S central France, in Auvergne. It has distilleries, tobacco plants, and factories making pharmaceuticals. Of Gallic origin, the Roman Ricomagus grew around the collegiate Church of St. Amable (1077; restored). It was the capital of the dukes of Auvergne. In 1942, Riom was the scene of an abortive trial of French leaders (including Blum, Daladier, and Gamelin) by the Vichy government. The defendants, charged with plunging France into World War II unprepared, produced evidence placing the guilt on their accusers, and the trial was recessed.
Riom
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Coordinates: 45°53′40″N 3°06′48″E / 45.8944444444°N 3.11333333333°E
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Commune of Riom |
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 Sainte chapelle |
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| Location | |
  Riom
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Auvergne |
| Department | Puy-de-Dôme |
| Arrondissement | Riom |
| Intercommunality | Riom |
| Mayor | Jean-Claude Zicola (2001–2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 337 m (1,110 ft) avg. |
| Land area1 | 31.97 km2 (12.34 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 18,828 (2006) |
| - Density | 589 /km² (1,530 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 63300/ 63200 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Riom (Occitan: Riam) is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
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History
Until the French Revolution, Riom was the capital of the province of Auvergne, and the seat of the dukes of Auvergne. The city was of Gaulish origin, the Roman Ricomagus. In the intensely feudalized Auvergne of the 10th century, the town grew up around the collegiate Church of Saint Amabilis (Saint Amable), the local saint, who was the object of pilgrimages. Riom was the capital of the dukes of Auvergne. In the 14th century the city benefitted from the patronage of the Jean, duc de Berry, who rebuilt the Ducal Palace and the Saint-Chapelle. In 1531, Riom and the Auvergne reverted to the Crown of France.
In 1942, Riom was the site of the Vichy government's abortive war-guilt trials, called Riom Trials.
Sights
In 1985 Riom received the French classification of Ville d'Art et d'Histoire recognizing its sixteen classified historical monuments as well as another 57 on the supplementary listings. Several 17th- and 18th-century private houses (hôtels particuliers) are open to the public with collections of costumes and works of decorative art.
Riom's two major public squares are Place Jean-Baptiste Laurent and Place du pré-Madame in which stand two large fountains in homage to Desaix.
Notable people
Riom was the birthplace of:
- Pierre Victor, baron Malouet (1740–1814), publicist and politician
- Gilbert Romme (1750–1795), politician
- Joseph Projectus Machebeuf (1812–1889), Vicar Apostolic Colorado and Utah Bishop Denver Co USA
Cultural references
Tesuque is mentioned in Willa Cather's 1927 novel Death Comes for the Archbishop, Book Nine Chapter 1.
Twin towns
- Algemesi, Spain
- Nördlingen, Germany
- Viana do Castelo, Portugal
- Adur, England
- Żywiec, Poland
See also
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Riom |
External links
- Riom - Official site for the city of Riom (in French).
- Riom Tourism - Official site from the Auvergne Office de Tourisme.
- Joan of Arc's letter to Riom - Translation by Allen Williamson of a letter dictated by Joan of Arc to the people of Riom on November 9, 1429.
- The Musée de Veygoux is a museum in the Manoir de Veygoux dedicated to the French Revolution and Desaix.
- The Riom trials of 1942, from a Marxist perspective
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 | Dammartin Family (architecture) |
| Maurice Gustave Gamelin (French military leader) |
| Paul Reynaud (French statesman & jurist) |
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 | Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Dammartin Family (architecture)
- Maurice Gustave Gamelin (French military leader)
- Paul Reynaud (French statesman & jurist)
- Pierre Rousseau (architecture)
- Léon Blum (French writer & statesman)
- Édouard Daladier (French politician & statesman)
- Auvergne (region, former province, France)
- Benild
- Guy Fran?ois (art)
- Georges Mauco (psychoanalysis)
- Riom-Parsonz
- Year 1831 (in Science & Technology)
- Amabilis of Riom
- Marquis de Lafayette
