Place de la Rodade, Montferrand

The highest point of Montferrand, Place de la Rodade was a major centre of Auvergne fairs from the 15th century onwards. It still retains its commercial spirit today, with a weekly market and reminders of its past, such as the Fountain of the Four Seasons.
The name Rodade, from the Occitan language, comes from the verb rodar, meaning “to turn around”. A church with a burial chamber—probably circular in plan—stood on this site from at least the early 13th century and was still present in the 14th, before disappearing at an unknown date. For local people, rodade referred either to the act of circling the church or, more simply, to the church itself.

This square occupies the highest point of the hill chosen for the founding of Montferrand and offers a splendid view of Clermont, the Limagne Graben and the Chaîne des Puys mountain range. This panorama explains why the medieval gateway here was named Porte de Bel Regard (“Beautiful View”) from the outset.

In the 15th century major fairs were held in the square—described by some as “Auvergne’s most noteworthy market”. Livestock trading continued into modern times and ended definitively in 1990.

Part of the old fairground survives at the north-west corner of the square: the metal rings once used to tether animals can still be seen, along with the original paving. The Fontaine des Quatre Saisons, a combined fountain and drinking trough created by the Volvic school of sculpture, was erected in the 19th century.

The square has retained its commercial character, with a weekly market still held every Friday.