Le Puy-en-Velay (Municipality, Haute-Loire, France)

Last modified: 2006-12-23 by ivan sache
Keywords: haute-loire | puy-en-velay (le) |
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Flag of Le Puy - Image by Ivan Sache, 8 November 2000

• Presentation of Le Puy
• Flag of Le Puy

See also:

• France
• Haute-Loire (Department, France)

Presentation of Le Puy

Le Puy-en-Velay is the préfecture of the department of Haute-Loire, which more or less matches the traditional pays of Velay.
Le Puy is located in a fertile basin in the middle of the volcanic plateau of Velay. The city is famous for its volcanic peaks (Rocher Corneille and Mont Aiguilhe - litt. Needle Mount, on which a church was erected), Romanesque churchs (the city was an important stopping place on one of the pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostela), its traditional hand-made lace (dentelle du Puy, with the National Academy of Hand-made Lace) and green lentil cultivation (lentilles vertes du Puy).
Its inhabitants (ca. 30,000 ) are called Ponots or Aniciens.

The name puy or pech, puech, puig, depending on the areas, is used in the Occitan-speaking area to design a mountain, and especially in Auvergne for volcanos (Puy-de-Dôme, Puy de Sancy, Puy Mary etc.).

Ivan Sache, 8 November 2000

Flag of Le Puy

The flag of Le Puy-en-Velay is vertically divided yellow and blue, and is probably derived from the municipal coat of arms.

Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 8 November 2000