Thiers

Thiers rises above the steep valley of the Durolle, whose waters powered the workshops below the town. Cutlery became a distinctive local craft: records mention cutlers in 1460, and twenty-three were counted in 1476. Grinding workshops first developed along the river beneath the upper town before spreading upstream into the gorges. The blades produced by its specialised craftsmen gave Thiers a reputation that reached well beyond Auvergne.