On September 15, 2026, the Gergovie Museum hosted the first exchange day focused on landscape, as part of the Grand Site of France initiative for the classified site of Gergovie and the Arverne sites. The objective was to share the principles and challenges of the landscape approach specific to French Grand Sites and to cross-reference perspectives on the Arverne landscapes and their future.
Nearly 50 participants, including elected officials from the fourteen communes within the classified site, from Mond’Arverne Communauté, Clermont Auvergne Métropole, the Puy-de-Dôme Department, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, as well as experts, took part in this day. These stakeholders will sit on the project's territorial council and coordinate thematic working groups.
Following an introduction by Sébastien Galpier, coordinator for the GIP « Gergovie, Cité des Gaulois » and Vice-President of the Puy-de-Dôme Department for Culture and Heritage, the morning session highlighted the paramount importance of landscape in the Grand Site of France approach. Interventions by Marion Courdoisy, Frédéric Decaluwe, Stéphanie Doucet, Elisabeth Helyer, and testimony from Marie-Anne Marchis, Vice-President of the Puy-de-Dôme Department for Tourism, enriched the discussions.
The afternoon was dedicated to a field-based approach on the Gergovie plateau. This collective walk allowed participants to closely observe the landscapes, their components, and to address the concept of the 'spirit of the place,' a cornerstone of the Grand Site of France label.
This day will contribute to the collective reflection and the development of a shared vision for the landscapes of Gergovie and the Arverne sites. The Grand Site of France initiative aims to reconcile the preservation of remarkable landscapes, visitor reception quality, and sustainable territorial development, through management and consultation with local stakeholders.
For the GIP « Gergovie, Cité des Gaulois », this day marks a new stage in building the territorial project, emphasizing that landscape is not merely the setting but a fundamental basis, closely linked to the history, heritage, uses, and contemporary dynamics of the Arverne territory.
The GIP « Gergovie, Cité des Gaulois » brings together the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the Puy-de-Dôme Department, Mond’Arverne Communauté, Clermont Auvergne Métropole, the Municipality of La Roche-Blanche, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourisme. Together, they share a common ambition: to bring an exceptional heritage to life while balancing environmental excellence, historical transmission, tourism appeal, and local development. The GIP notably manages the Archaeological Museum of the Battle of Gergovie.
