commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...
''région'', in the canton of Saint-Éloy-les-Mines.
Its name finds its roots in the five small water streams that unite here to later join the
Sioule
The Sioule (; oc, Siula) is a long river in central France, a left tributary of the river Allier. Its source is near the village of Orcival, north of Mont-Dore, in the Massif Central. The Sioule has cut a deep gorge, especially in its upper ...
River. Gouttières is around big and situated between 600–700 meters above sea level
The area is rural with a high conservation of wildlife and biodiversity. There is a coverage of about 30% woods and some cereal cultivation and the breeding of
Charolais cattle
The Charolais () or Charolaise () is a French breed of taurine beef cattle. It originates in, and is named for, the Charolais area surrounding Charolles, in the Saône-et-Loire department, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of eastern F ...
.
Economy
Most inhabitants grow their own vegetables, they have often chicken and raise rabbits and some raise their own pigs. Old fashioned farmer life slowly makes place for bigger exploitations and little by little young inhabitants are leaving or involved in other activities. Rockwool, Michelin or a Steel factory are the options to find jobs in the industry although this type of work seems to be diminishing. Some work in the service economy or even some culture activities arise, such as pottery making or art.
Also tourism develops. French, English and many Dutch, have bought small houses or old barns to turn them into their holiday homes.
Tourism and culture
The French and European funding helped to bring more gites and other tourist attractions to the area.
The village is known in all the ''département'' of Puy-de-Dôme for the pottery of 'la Batisse' that creates utilitarian and creative ceramic works. You can take classes in pottery or be trained on a professional artisan level.
The Dutch artist Wouter Verrips also contributes to the cultural life teaching art classes and summer courses as well exploiting a painting sculpture and printmaking studio.
The village high time is the last weekend of April when all work together to organise the pottery market of Gouttières.
A nationwide selection of pottery makers and ceramists present their work and the event brings over 10.000 visitors to the village.
Geography
The commune is located southeast of Montluçon and northwest of
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attract ...
.
The
Bouble
The Bouble () is a long river in the Allier and Puy-de-Dôme departments in south central France. Its source is at Gouttières. It flows generally northeast. It is a left tributary of the Sioule into which it flows between Saint-Pourçain-sur ...
has its source in the northern part of the commune.