History

A religious town ever since the Early Middle Ages, Issoire has kept a 12th century gem intact: the Romanesque Abbatiale Saint-Austremoine (abbey church) that can he visited both inside and out. During the Renaissance, whilst several natives of Issoire held posts as senior royal servants, religious upheaval brought Queen Margot back into exite just 10 km from Issoire. Using audiovisual techniques, the Tour de l'Horloge clock tower takes us right back to the adventurous times of the 15th and 16th centuries.

Culture

Issoire cultivates its Romanesque and Renaissance past (exhibitions, symposiums in the Centre d'Art Roman -(Romanesque Art Centre and the Tour de l'Horloge) and is opening up to contemporary pictorial art. But the town also delights in street entertainment, and, thanks to the Animatis hall it has a centre for music, theatre and dance, in particular for young people. The Corn Exchange hosts tradilional fairs and is instrumental in livening up Issoire all year round.

Owing to its location in the Limagne plain, encircled by two highland nature reserves and heralded by a reputation for good food ("in Issoire, see pretty girls, drink good wine"!) Issoire is able to supply you with bread, vegetables, pork butchery meats (one of lssoire's pork butchers is French champion for rabbit terrine), Auvergne cheeses, fruit (apples), Boudes wine and sparkling Arvie water! For those with a sweet tooth, there's a light pastry flavoured with hazelnuts called the suprême d'Issoire (Issoire supreme).

Issoire toast with bleu d'Auvergne cheese

Ingredients (for 1 person): 1 slice of cured or cooked ham, bleu d'Auvergne cheese, 2 tomatoes. Emmental cheese, cream, 1 slice of bread, white Auvergne wine, salt, pepper, nutmeg.
Use an ovenproof dish.

Rub garlic around the dish, take a slice of stale bread and rub it with garlic. Moisten with the white wine, and then cover it with a slice of cured or cooked ham. Cut thin strips of blue cheese; spread them over the ham and the slice of bread. Place a few slices of tomato around the dish. Cover everything with Emmental cheese then pour over 1 tablespoon of single cream. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Brown in the oven at 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4) for about 20 minutes.