Welcome to the website of our Association!

Our Association and the city of Aigueperse warmly greet you. Visitors enjoy one of the most beautiful sights at the « chaîne des puys », the famous volcanoes of Auvergne, parading above the fertile valley of Limagne. The « puys » are, for the time being, fortunately asleep.

You are kindly invited to discover, in our immediate neighbourhood, numerous authentic villages, very scenic landscapes and historical places along the rural roads of North Limagne. For hikers, well-signed footpaths offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy scenic places outside the busy roads.

Vue aérienne d’Aigueperse

At the corner of each nearby rural road, as well as in our city of Aigueperse, you will have opportunities to go back to the history of France (in particular between the 13th and 16th centuries). More particularly, you will be at the heart of the famous County of Montpensier (soon becoming a Duchy). The splendour of Aigueperse picked-up at the end of the 15th century, when Claire (Chiara) de Gonzague, daughter of the marquis of Mantova (Italy) married Gilbert de Bourbon-Montpensier.

Since then and until the 1630s, several prominent Aiguepersois, officers of the prince of Bourbon-Montpensier, served the kings of France : they included the famous chancelier of France and Garde des sceaux, Michel de L’Hospital, a native of Aigueperse in 1507 where his father was serving the connétable Charles de Bourbon as his doctor. Members of the Marillac family, and of the Coiffier family (maréchal d’Effiat) also served in various prominent functions several kings of France and regents. Their hôtels particuliers, as well as several others, are still lining-up alongside the main street of Aigueperse. Built in 1475, next to the former palace of the Montpensiers, the Sainte-Chapelle is, for the time being, not open to the public.

Among the symbols of the past, Aigueperse and its neighboring region include numerous listed monuments, more than twenty castles (some are still furnished) ; Roman-style churches (same period as Norman-style of Great Britain), nicely carved water-basins in each little village, a series of impressive typical pigeon-houses (lucky pigeons!), all typical of the urban and rural heritage of North Limagne.

Since 1983, the Association culturelle d’Aigueperse et ses environs publishes Sparsae with articles about archeology, architecture and historical events linked to the Aigueperse region. This website includes a detailed index of the themes treated in its pages as well as the tables of content of each of its well-documented and illustrated issues.

Next to the Bourbonnais region, port of entry of Auvergne, Aigueperse and its nearby region are worth spending some time and reading about its rich history.