Faverges
Encyclopedia
Faverges is a commune
in the Haute-Savoie
department in the Rhône-Alpes
region
in south-eastern France
.
It occupies the glacial valley which gave birth to Lake Annecy
.
, the lake extended some 30 km, from Sillingy
all the way to the site of Faverges, at the base of the Dent de Cons
mountain. In those times, the waters of the lake joined the river Isère
, and people first settled the lakeshores and sunny slopes.
of Viuz, which covered some fifty acres (200,000 m²), was an important stop along the Roman road
which ran from Turin
to Geneva
. Merovingian times also left numerous traces on the landscape. In the Middle Ages
, pre-industrial metalworks were renowned for their iron and copper tools and jewelry. Numerous forges, making nails, clasps, and all types of iron implements, were built along the rivers and streams from which they derived some of their energy needs. The Tamié Abbey
was founded in 1132, and Faverges castle around 1250. At that time, Rodolphe (or "Ruph") lived a hermit's life on a nearby mountain and left his name to the hamlet of St. Ruph. The deep religious fervor of the 14th and 15th centuries is responsible for the ten chapels and sanctuaries dedicated to St. Ruph in the area.
The French Revolution
left few traces on the community, except for some vandalism to the town church. In 1811, the castle was turned into a cotton-weaving factory, thus launching Faverges into the Industrial Revolution
. This is a fitting heritage for a town whose name derives from the Latin
faber, fabricae (manufacture).
, S.T. Dupont, Bourgeois) providing some 2,500 jobs, which is especially remarkable in that Faverges itself has only some 7,000 inhabitants.
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...
.
It occupies the glacial valley which gave birth to Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France .It is the second largest lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget, if the French part of Lake Geneva is excluded. It is known as "Europe's cleanest lake" because of strict environmental regulations introduced in the 1960s...
.
Geology
Originally, at the end of the ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, the lake extended some 30 km, from Sillingy
Sillingy
Sillingy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
all the way to the site of Faverges, at the base of the Dent de Cons
Dent de Cons
Dent de Cons is a mountain of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, France. It lies in the Bauges range. It has an altitude of 2062 metres above sea level....
mountain. In those times, the waters of the lake joined the river Isère
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
, and people first settled the lakeshores and sunny slopes.
History
The digs in Viuz and at the Thovey site in Faverges have yielded a great deal of information about Gallo-Roman times, some two thousand years ago. The vicusVicus (Rome)
In ancient Rome, the vicus was a neighborhood. During the Republican era, the four regiones of the city of Rome were subdivided into vici. In the 1st century BC, Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into 14 regions, comprising 265 vici. Each vicus had its own board of...
of Viuz, which covered some fifty acres (200,000 m²), was an important stop along the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
which ran from Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. Merovingian times also left numerous traces on the landscape. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, pre-industrial metalworks were renowned for their iron and copper tools and jewelry. Numerous forges, making nails, clasps, and all types of iron implements, were built along the rivers and streams from which they derived some of their energy needs. The Tamié Abbey
Tamié Abbey
Tamié Abbey is a Cistercian monastery, located in the Bauges, Savoie, France. It was founded in 1132, as a daughter house of Bonnevaux Abbey, by Peter of Tarentaise, who was also the first abbot....
was founded in 1132, and Faverges castle around 1250. At that time, Rodolphe (or "Ruph") lived a hermit's life on a nearby mountain and left his name to the hamlet of St. Ruph. The deep religious fervor of the 14th and 15th centuries is responsible for the ten chapels and sanctuaries dedicated to St. Ruph in the area.
The French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
left few traces on the community, except for some vandalism to the town church. In 1811, the castle was turned into a cotton-weaving factory, thus launching Faverges into the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. This is a fitting heritage for a town whose name derives from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
faber, fabricae (manufacture).
Economy
Faverges now has several important factories (StäubliStäubli
Stäubli is an international mechatronics company, primarily known for its textile machinery, connectors and robotics products.-History:...
, S.T. Dupont, Bourgeois) providing some 2,500 jobs, which is especially remarkable in that Faverges itself has only some 7,000 inhabitants.