The puy de Dôme is one of the most iconic mountains in France — a UNESCO World Heritage volcano that attracts thousands of visitors per year. Yet few are aware of this mountain's strange cultural history. For thousands of years, down to the days of Julius Caesar and Vercingétorix, the puy was a focus of both reverence and fear. Locals told strange stories about the mysterious persons and creatures that haunted its cliffs — and many of these beliefs persisted until the 19th century.

This lecture, which will take place in the former seigneurial castle of Saint-Genès-Champanelle, will explore the dark aspects of the puy de Dome's history, charting both its rise as a Gallo-Roman "wonder of the world" and its transformation into a place of demonism and witchery.

La conférence sera en langue anglaise. Les supports seront projetés en français pour les non-anglophones.