The ascent to Auzelles reveals a landscape dominated by the verticality of the Livradois forests, where pine and deciduous canopies cover nearly two-thirds of the communal territory. Reaching altitudes that touch the thousand-meter mark, the air grows crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and resin. This is a realm of dispersed hamlets—nearly sixty in total—scattered across a rugged topography of granite and green. Travelers moving through these highlands will notice the stoic silence of the woods, interrupted only by the rustle of the Ailloux stream or the shifting light filtering through the dense timber.
Deep within the rural fabric near the hamlets of Ranvier and les Gruns, the earth retains the silhouette of the Motte de Pailler. This primitive fortification represents the genesis of the illustrious Montboissier lineage; before they occupied their grander seat in nearby Brousse, the lords of this domain governed from this timber-and-earth stronghold. The site resonates with the legacy of Peter the Venerable, the 12th-century Abbot of Cluny, whose family roots reach into this very soil. Although the medieval castle has largely succumbed to time, the strategic positioning of the motte offers a tangible link to the feudal anxieties and territorial ambitions of the early 11th century.
In the heart of the village, the Église Saint-Blaise stands as a repository of local devotion and artistic endurance. The entrance is guarded by 15th-century ironwork, the hand-forged hinges gripping the heavy timber doors with a tenacity that has survived five hundred winters. Within the muted light of the interior, the southern apsidal chapel reveals a delicate mural of the Descent from the Cross, a silent witness to the religious fervor that once animated this mountain community. The presence of 17th-century bells, cast by the master founder Limaux, ensures that the acoustic signature of the village remains anchored in its pre-revolutionary past, inviting a slow, contemplative observation of the textured stone and ancient craftsmanship.
Markets of Livradois-Forez
Market day
Time your visit to enjoy the local market.
Friday
Market in Auzelles
Seasonal market · April to October
Local profile
At a Glance
- Population
- 391
- Demonym
- Auzellois, Auzelloises
- Altitude
- 449–1064 m
- Forest
- 63.9%
residents
local residents
lowest to highest
commune coverage
Did You Know?
“The village is the ancestral cradle of the Montboissier family, whose most famous son, Peter the Venerable, became the influential Abbot of Cluny and a key figure in 12th-century Christendom.”
Cultural Heritage
Protected historic monuments in Auzelles
Eglise Saint-Blaise
Auzelles
Recent Wildlife & Flora Log
Nature observations recorded within 5km of Auzelles.
Tremella mesenterica (Schaeff.) Pers.
Jelly Ear
Small Elephant Hawk-Moth
Black-Veined White
Bluebell
7-spot Ladybird
Anostirus purpureus (Poda, 1761)
Field-rose
Deptford Pink
Froghopper
Trails around Auzelles
Discover physical challenges and natural beauty in the immediate vicinity.
Boucle Dore
Le Parc Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez, pays de l'herbe et de l'arbre, vous promet un séjour inoubliable entre vallons et crêtes.
Circuit n°46 Le Val de Mende
Secteur Cunlhat
Circuit n°47 Tour de Cunlhat
Secteur Cunlhat
Des Hautes-Chaumes au Livradois (circuit route n°8)
Discover this trail through the heart of Livradois-Forez.
Grande traversée du Livradois-Forez à VTT
Au cœur de l’Auvergne, la Grande Traversée du Livradois-Forez, vous emmène faire le tour Parc Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez, entre deux massifs qui s’étagent de 400 m à 1600 m d’altitude.
Pradier's cross
Departure: From the church square in Auzelles. Go down to the left of the church, then take the first path on the right after the bridge, turn at a right angle after the last Auzelles house onto a good path which leads to the Pradier cross. 1. Upon entering the village, turn left and, 50 m further, turn right onto the D996. Follow it for 300 m, then take a path on the right between low walls. Arriving on a tarmac path, take it on the left then take a grassy path on the right (next to a large henhouse) until you reach the D996. 2. Cross the D996 and continue on a good path. At the first crossroads, continue straight through the woods to come out on the D112E. Take it on the left for approximately 250 m, then turn onto the first path on the left which leads to La Frissonnette. 3. Then turn right until you reach the road. Take it to the right and turn left onto a path which goes down to the D112E. 4. Turn left on this road for 200 m. In front of the Mahut, turn left onto a tarmac path towards Les Boissières (chemin des Puys). Leave it on the right at the 1st crossroads (chemin de la Prulhière), follow the tarmac for 800 m then take a grassy path on the left to the road to the village of La Pruhlière. The crossing to reach the middle of the village, pass to the left of the cross and go down opposite under the houses. Turn right to take a long grassy path. Take the next path on the left to the village of Besset Bas. 5. Continue opposite and turn right to take the D112 for 200m. Take a path on the right which goes down into the Miodet valley. Facing the stream, go up the path on the left and reach the hamlet of Chabanette. 6. At the exit of the hamlet, turn right and reach the Chabanette inn. At the crossroads, take the road on the left for 100 m. After the first house, follow the path which goes to the right above Miodet. At the small wooden bridge, go straight towards the road which goes up to the village. Take it to the right for 100 m, turn left onto Impasse du Boulanger then right to reach the church.
Explore Nearby
Complement your visit to Auzelles by exploring these neighboring villages.
Brousse
A high-altitude landscape where the legacy of Cluny's most famous abbot meets the dark geometry of basalt and the austerity of Romanesque stone.
Ceilloux
A high-altitude sanctuary of dispersed hamlets and medieval sacred art, where the silence of the Livradois forests meets the enduring granite of a 15th-century parish church.
Cunlhat
A high-altitude sanctuary of Benedictine heritage and cinematic history, where medieval stone meets the avant-garde.
Échandelys
A high-altitude sanctuary where the dense conifers of the Bois-Grand meet the aristocratic legacy of the des Roys family, offering a serene afternoon of architectural and sylvan exploration.
Saint-Amant-Roche-Savine
A high-altitude sanctuary of literature and stone where the rugged Livradois landscape meets the refined echoes of 20th-century French prose.
Saint-Éloy-la-Glacière
A high-altitude sanctuary of ancient timber and Romanesque echoes where Revolutionary history meets the sharp air of the Livradois summits.
Saint-Jean-des-Ollières
A journey into the volcanic heights of the Livradois, where ancient basaltic flows and the curious history of the "Piqueurs"—itinerant masters of disguise—converge.
