Cran-Gevrier
Encyclopedia
Cran-Gevrier is a commune
in the Haute-Savoie
department in the Rhône-Alpes
region
in south-eastern France
.
. Part of the city is on a hill (hill of Gevrier). The hamlet of Cran was on the level of the Thiou
river. The top of the hill of Gevrier is designated as a natural preserve.
The Fier forms most of the commune's north-western border.
The Romans
were the first to settle on the hill. A Roman villa and a theatre were built there.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
department in the Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in south-eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Cran-Gevrier is in the east of AnnecyAnnecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
. Part of the city is on a hill (hill of Gevrier). The hamlet of Cran was on the level of the Thiou
Thiou
The Thiou, about 3.5 km long, is considered one of the shortest rivers in France. It is an effluent of Lake Annecy and an affluent of Fier, which is in turn is a tributary of the Rhone. The Thiou is considered one of the cleanest rivers in Europe and a postcard of the city of Annecy...
river. The top of the hill of Gevrier is designated as a natural preserve.
The Fier forms most of the commune's north-western border.
History
The city draws its origins from two hamlets: Cran and Gevrier. There are two possible origins for each one of these names:- Cran which means "notch" (permitted the establishment of a road between Boutae (Annecy) and Aquae (Aix-les-BainsAix-les-BainsAix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:...
), or between two rivers (river Thiou and river Fier). - Gevrier, the oldest hamlet, got its name either from the Grabriaccus villa, or from the word "guivre", the name of a mythical snake whose role in tales is to keep treasures (one finds a snake rolled up around a sword on the blazon of the lords of Aléry).
The Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
were the first to settle on the hill. A Roman villa and a theatre were built there.