Le Crest

For the commune in Drôme, see Crest, Drôme.

Le Crest (French pronunciation: [lə kʁɛ]) is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. It is part of the urban area of Clermont-Ferrand.

Le Crest
Commune
Le Crest from summit of Puy Giroux
Coat of arms
Location of Le Crest
Le Crest Show map of France Le Crest Show map of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Coordinates: 45°41′07″N 3°07′39″E
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Puy-de-Dôme
Arrondissement	Clermont-Ferrand
Canton	Les Martres-de-Veyre[1]
Intercommunality	Mond'Arverne Communauté
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Gérard Perrodin[2]
Area 1	6.84 km2 (2.64 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[3]	1,300
• Density	190/km2 (490/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Crestois, Crestoise
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	63126 /63450
Elevation	366–653 m (1,201–2,142 ft) (avg. 608 m or 1,995 ft)
Website	www.lecrest.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Originally, it was a market village in a rural area known for viticulture and other agricultural crops. As in areas of Italy, the ancient village developed around a fortress chateau built on a hilltop for defensive purposes. Dwellings of commoners were built outside the walls of the chateau. The village has a central square with a fountain and a market cross. Agricultural fields extend away from the limits of the village, so the people lived near each other in the village and would travel outside to the fields and vineyards to work.

Anton Docher, a missionary Catholic priest who served for 34 years at Pueblo of Isleta in New Mexico, United States, was born in Le Crest in 1852. He was later known as "The Padre of Isleta."

In popular culture

• The activities of the World War II resistance in Le Crest were the subject of the third series of the 1989 television drama Wish Me Luck.
• Samuel Gance's historical novel, Anton ou la trajectoire d'un père (2013), recounts the adventurous life of Father Anton Docher after he emigrated to the United States. Much of it is set in the village.^[4] It describes the life of the wine growers of the 19th century.

Famous people

• Anton Docher, was born in Le Crest. He later became a Catholic missionary who traveled to America and defended the New Mexico natives.
• Jim Rotondi, American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist, lived in Le Crest. One of his compositions, entitled "Le Crest", is dedicated to the village on his album "Dark Blue" (2016).
• Aurélien Rougerie, rugby team player, capitain of ASM et French champion in 2010 and 2017 lived in Le Crest.

Gallery

• 
  Le Crest, Dec. 2006
• 
  Church in Le Crest
• 
  "La tour de l'horloge"
• 
  The village about 1900, showing ancient chateau
• 
  Church c. 1900
• 
  General view
• 
  Haying and the village
• 
  Main square c. 1900
• 
  The main square, c. 1900
• 
  Fountain square and market cross, c. 1900

See also

• Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme department
• Anton Docher
• Jim Rotondi