Limagne
Encyclopedia
The Limagne is large plain in the Auvergne region
of France in the valley of the Allier river, on the edge of the Massif Central
. It lies entirely within the département of Puy de Dôme. The term is sometimes used to include this, and three other less extensive plains, that lie along the valley of the Allier, in which case the first is known as Grande Limagne to distinguish it from the others. The name is derived from the Latin
Lacus Magnus, or large lake.
, downthrown from the Massif Central by a series of normal faults that border the western edge of the plain. It contains about 2 km of sediments, and the amount of stretching of the crust
is estimated as 1.2–1.3. The rifting started in the Late Eocene
and the main phase of subsidence continued into the Late Oligocene
. The Limagne Graben forms part of a system of linked rift
s, including the Rhine Graben, known as the European Cenozoic Rift System
, that formed in response to compressional deformation of the Alpine
foreland
.
Volcanism accompanied the rifting and continued into the Pleistocene
. The sediments deposited in the basin are affected by numerous intrusion
s. The area was the first where peperite
s were described, from a basalt
ic intrusion into lacustrine
limestone
.
production, with some tobacco
and sugar beet
. Vineyards are found along the borders of the plain on the edge of the Massif Central, particularly at Corent
and Châteaugay
.
Auvergne (région)
Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...
of France in the valley of the Allier river, on the edge of the Massif Central
Massif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
. It lies entirely within the département of Puy de Dôme. The term is sometimes used to include this, and three other less extensive plains, that lie along the valley of the Allier, in which case the first is known as Grande Limagne to distinguish it from the others. The name is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Lacus Magnus, or large lake.
Geology
The Limagne plain is a grabenGraben
In geology, a graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults. Graben is German for ditch. Graben is used for both the singular and plural....
, downthrown from the Massif Central by a series of normal faults that border the western edge of the plain. It contains about 2 km of sediments, and the amount of stretching of the crust
Crust (geology)
In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...
is estimated as 1.2–1.3. The rifting started in the Late Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
and the main phase of subsidence continued into the Late Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
. The Limagne Graben forms part of a system of linked rift
Rift
In geology, a rift or chasm is a place where the Earth's crust and lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics....
s, including the Rhine Graben, known as the European Cenozoic Rift System
European Cenozoic Rift System
The European Cenozoic Rift System is an 1100 km long system of rifts formed in the foreland of the Alps as the lithosphere responded to the effects of the Alpine and Pyrenean orogenies...
, that formed in response to compressional deformation of the Alpine
Alpine orogeny
The Alpine orogeny is an orogenic phase in the Late Mesozoic and Tertiary that formed the mountain ranges of the Alpide belt...
foreland
Foreland
Foreland is the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It is located three miles east of the town of Brading, and due south of the city of Portsmouth on the British mainland. It is characterised by a pub called the Crab and Lobster and various beach huts plus a beach cafe and a coast guard...
.
Volcanism accompanied the rifting and continued into the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
. The sediments deposited in the basin are affected by numerous intrusion
Intrusion
An intrusion is liquid rock that forms under Earth's surface. Magma from under the surface is slowly pushed up from deep within the earth into any cracks or spaces it can find, sometimes pushing existing country rock out of the way, a process that can take millions of years. As the rock slowly...
s. The area was the first where peperite
Peperite
A Peperite is a sedimentary rock that contains fragments of igneous material and is formed when magma comes into contact with wet sediments. The term was originally used to describe rocks from the Limagne region of France, from the similarity in appearance of the granules of dark basalt in the...
s were described, from a basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic intrusion into lacustrine
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
.
Economy
The Limagne is a very fertile plain and is mainly an area of cerealCereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
production, with some tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
. Vineyards are found along the borders of the plain on the edge of the Massif Central, particularly at Corent
Corent
Corent is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.It sits approximately 2 miles north of Les Martres-de-Veyre on the side of the old volcanic Puy de Corent....
and Châteaugay
Châteaugay
Châteaugay is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
.
Main sites of interest
- AuzonAuzonAuzon is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France....
- medieval village with a romanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church - BrioudeBrioudeBrioude is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne region in south-central France. It lies on the banks of the River Allier, a tributary of the Loire.-History:...
- The basilicaBasilicaThe Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
of St Julien - Château de RavelChâteau de RavelThe Château de Ravel is a castle situated in the commune of Ravel, in the département of Puy-de-Dôme, France.The castle of Revel was begun by Bernard de Revel, noted in 1171. Purchased by Philip III of France in 1283, it was given by Philip IV to his future chancellor, Pierre Flotte...
- EffiatEffiatEffiat is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
- for its château - IssoireIssoireIssoire is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-Geography:Issoire is located on the Couze River, near its junction with the Allier, SSE of Clermont-Ferrand on the Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée railway to Nîmes...
- Romanesque basilica - Mozac AbbeyMozac AbbeyMozac Abbey is a former Cluniac monastery in the commune of Mozac near Riom in Auvergne, France.-History:A monastery was founded here in either 533 or 680 by Saint Calminius and his wife, Saint Namadia...
- Celebrated for its romanesque sculptures - RiomRiomRiom is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-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...
- RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
city, one of the French Towns and Lands of Art and HistoryFrench towns and lands of Art and HistorySince 1985, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication has pursued a policy of preserving and promoting France's heritage. Historic towns and districts have been designated Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire .... - Usson, Puy-de-DômeUsson, Puy-de-DômeUsson is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
- Ruined château and the columnar jointed basaltBasaltBasalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
, orgues basaltique.