Rodez (French pronunciation: [ʁɔdɛs] ⓘ, [ʁɔdɛz] ⓘ, locally: [ʁoˈðɛs]; Occitan: Rodés, [ruˈðes]) is a small city and commune in the South of France, about 150 km northeast of Toulouse.

Located in the south of France, in the heart of the triangle formed by Toulouse, Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier, in the western foothills of the Massif Central, the Rodez landscape is situated between the valleys and high plateaus of Grands Causses [fr] and the moist hills of Ségala.

During winter, Rodez has occasional snowfall due to its low altitude of 550 metres (1,800 ft) in contrast to other towns in the north of the department closer to the higher Aubrac plateau.

[17] The portion of this highway, declared a national priority in 1993 between Rodez and Albi, is currently in the process of restructuring with the doubling of the carriageways, after decades of studies and that since 18 October 2010, date of the official launch of this vast site.

[19] As for the portion of the RN88 between Rodez and Sévérac-le-Château, this last link is missing dual carriageway, studies are underway but work will not begin before 2020 due to lack of credits granted.

Agglobus is the transit network serving the communes of the Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Rodez [fr], nearly 60,000 people, where a multiple purchase ticket shall not exceed €0.20.

Road traffic is carried around the walls located on the boulevards of Estourmel, Belle Isle, Denys Puech and Flaugergues encircling the centre and served by streets parallel to this historic heart.

It continues to work to obtain the label Ville d'Art et d'Histoire and wishes to file its candidacy for UNESCO world heritage.

This place has coherence with the various cultural and economic facilities which are adjacent (Musée Soulages [fr], festival hall, cinema multiplex and the centre of L'Amphithéâtre).

After the Roman occupation, the oppidum (fortified place) was renamed Segodunum, while in late Imperial times it was known as Civitas Rutenorum, whence the modern name.

The city remained a flourishing merchant centre up to the 18th century, when the nearby town Villefranche-de-Rouergue was made the seat of the experimental Provincial Estates of the Haute-Guyenne.

Rodez is a city of more than two millennia: its existence dates back to the 5th century BC, when a Celtic tribe of Central Europe, the Ruteni, stopped in the south of Auvergne to found one of these characteristic oppida of the Gallic civilization, that of Segodunum [fr].

To the town, the famous dynasty of the Counts of Armagnac and Rodez, eventually acquired sovereign privileges: Coining money at the Martelenque Tower, wearing the crown and persisting to recognise the antipope Benedict XIII and his heirs Bernard Garnier and Jean Carrier, for a time.

The French Revolution took away Villefranche's role of administrative capital, for the benefit of Rodez, which became prefecture and chef-lieu district [fr] of the new department of Aveyron due to its central position.

This difference (which was in fact not due to a handling error but the uncertainty of the instruments used) plunged him into deep trouble and he made every effort to avoid having to report on his work in Paris.

Little by little, Rodez evolved by affirming and developing its role as capital of the department of Aveyron from the 21st century, creating its own economy and independence, whilst remaining linked to Toulouse.

Thus, from this period, many facilities have appeared such as the Jacques Puel Hospital [fr], the development of the Rodez-Marcillac Airport platform, high-speed connections to Rodez, the Esplanade du Foirail with its multiplex cinemas, the Pierre Soulages Museum and its festival hall.

Its inhabitants are called Ruthénois in French,[55] from the name of the Ruteni, a Gallic tribe which once occupied the territory, the former demonym of "Rodanois" (from Occitan rodanés) having given way to this scholarly form.

This medical, surgical, gynaecology and obstetrics (MCO) hospital with emergency adult and paediatric facilities, is the second regional technical platform[68] after the CHU de Purpan in Toulouse.

Specialised and ultra-specialised in the disciplines of medicine, paediatrics, neonatology, oncology and surgery, it holds medical equipment of the latest generation.

Two buildings of three floors joined by an underground level and raised tunnels are built on a total area of 6,000 square metres (65,000 sq ft).

The Aveyronnais, very fond of bowling games, participate each year for the Championship of France of quilles de huit [fr], beginning in August.

Finally on the side of young people, Grand Rodez [fr] student associations are present and, in addition, throughout the year, many bar-restaurants and bar-discos of the city participate in entertainment on the Ruthenois Piton ("terrasses en fêtes" [terraces in festivals],[86] for example).

[102] Rodez and its suburbs have developed local trade and large national brands, during the 21st century, to avoid a brain drain to the major centres like Toulouse and Montpellier.

[105][106] Due to the geographical location of Rodez, between the Millau Viaduct and Conques, but also close to cities of the Midi such as Toulouse and Montpellier, its 2,000 years old historical past offers culture with museums, including the Musée Soulages [fr].

Several restaurants serve local specialities, notably aligot, farçous, tripoux, and Roquefort, Laguiole, and Cantal cheeses, as well as red wine from the nearby village of Marcillac.

Since 3 February 2012, the Ruthenois Piton is classified among the "big sites" of Midi-Pyrénées[113][114] and a steering committee is preparing the candidature of Rodez to the label of Towns and Lands of Art and History as well as the UNESCO World Heritage.

The building is equipped with a beautiful bell tower, genuine laced pink sandstone, visible from afar, dominating the top of the city of its 87 metres (285 ft).

Four hundred steps climb to reach the statue of the Virgin (located at the top of the bell tower) and the magnificent panorama of the city.

The head of "France" ("of azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis of or") corresponds to an increase granted by King Henry IV in 1596, and therefore is not in contradiction with the first blazon, oldest (should say "stitched").