Glières Plateau
Encyclopedia
The Glières Plateau is a limestone
plateau in the Bornes Massif
. Distant from La Roche-sur-Foron
and Thorens-Glières
by 29 km and 15 km respectively, il is located around the communes of Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières
and Thorens-Glières.
In the local speech, the word is found only in the singular
. Following the events of March 1944
, the journalist
Dépollier spoke of Glière, in the singular. It was only after the Second World War that the name took on the majestic plural. Although some Savoyards
still refer to the plateau as "Glières", the majority now call it "les Glières".
, located between the Auges mountains (1800m) and the Frêtes, is in reality a valley. Its mean altitude is 1450m and it is bounded by cliffs of Urgonian limestone. In fact the plateau has several levels.
Places include the Lanches wood, the Auges chalets, the Mouilles chalet, the l'Ovine chalet, the Notre-Dame des Neiges chapel
, the Glières col, the col de l'Ovine, the maison du plateau, Paccot parking, the pas du Loup, the plaine de Dran, the plan du Loup, and the pointe de Puvat.
during the Second World War, its mountainous territory giving rise to a Maquis group of resistance fighters
which was organized and led by lieutenant Tom Morel
, Compagnon de la Libération. The plateau was chosen in January 1944 to accept British parachute drops
of arms to supply the local resistance, then as a base of operations against the German rear
to take place at the moment when the awaited landings by the allies would occur. The plateau was cut off, poorly accessible by road (and therefore by the enemy) but identifiable by allied aircraft
through its proximity to Lake Annecy
. The "battle of Glières" (March 1944) left 121 dead from the maquisards against almost 5000 soldiers from the Wehrmacht
and the Vichy milice
.
Although the English managed to carry out three parachute drops onto the plateau (of which a large one on the 10 March may have brough some 45 tonne
s of weapons), the reinforcements promised by Captain "Cantinier", the Free French envoy, never arrived.
In 1973, the national monument of the Resistance, created by the sculptor Émile Gilioli
, was constructed in memory of the dead of the Resistance on a field offered for this purpose by Jean-François de Roussy de Sales. The monument was inaugurated on 2 September 1973 by André Malraux
. The sculpture showed the sun held by a hand.
In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy
made a stop there on the eve of the 2007 French Presidential Election, and declared that he would return each year after he was elected. This visit was followed by a demostration of 3000 people on 13 May 2007. On 17 March 2008, Sarkozy would return for the first time, to commemorate the resistance. The media influence
of this "pilgrimage
" recalled similar high-profile visits by former President François Mitterrand
to the Roche de Solutré.
On 17 May 2009, on the instigation of the CRHA (Citoyens Résistants d'Hier et d'Aujourd'hui), a rally was organized on the Glières plateau to commemorate the republic's values of solidarity
, fraternity
, living together and of justice
as expressed in the 15 March 1944 manifesto of the Conseil national de la Résistance
. Stéphane Hessel
, godfather of the association, former resistance fighter and follower of the communist party Raymond Aubrac
, former communist resistance fighter Walter Bassan, Colomiers
schoolteacher Alain Refalo, and head of general psychiatry
in the 8th sector in Essonne and psychoanalyst Dr. Michaël Guyader held a discussion on the need to continue the fight of the Resistance and to stand on the pedestal of social advancements which the CNR programme had presented. These demonstrations and discussions became part of the framework of the politics of opposition.
, at the time in 1962 the French departement d'Alger
, was named the "Plateau des Glières", as a result of the presence of the monument to those fallen for France in the two world wars, and particularly in homage to the Savoie maquisards in the Second World War.
is today the main activity on the plateau in winter with over 36 km of groomed piste
s alternative and skating, as well as now several kilometres of groomed pistes for walking.
The plateau is dotted with ancient farm
s and stable
s, some of which have been converted into restaurant
s or gîte
s.
Access is somewhat difficult; two winding roads are in use, neither being closed during winter.
A marked itinerary directs walkers around the plateau in summer, with numerous signs telling the visitor about Alpine life at the beginning of the 20th century and about the Battle of Glières, with the monument in honour of the Resistance.
piste is set up each year for children.
Speleological activities
are also available, with about 15 caves over 150 metres deep catalogued in les Frêtes. The deepest hole currently known on Glières Plateau is the tanne à Paccot, also called the A2 hole, estimated at 400 metres.
, filmed on the plateau in March 2007. Walter, retour en résistance, by Gilles Perret, filmed partly on le plateau in May 2007-8. Glières 44, le cortège des ombres, by Patrice Morel, a 52 minute documentary
produced in 2004 by France 3 Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne. Available from the video libraries of France 3 Lyon, France 3 Grenoble et INA.
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
plateau in the Bornes Massif
Bornes Massif
The Bornes Massif is a mountainous massif in the north French Prealps in the département of Haute-Savoie. It has 20 peaks higher than 2000 m and is a popular destination for winter sports...
. Distant from La Roche-sur-Foron
La Roche-sur-Foron
La Roche-sur-Foron is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
and Thorens-Glières
Thorens-Glières
Thorens-Glières is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France, and is the birthplace of St. Francis de Sales.-References:*...
by 29 km and 15 km respectively, il is located around the communes of Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières
Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières
Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières, commonly referred to as Petit-Bornand, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-People:...
and Thorens-Glières.
Etymology
In the Francoprovençal language, glière means a rocky and sandy plateau without rivers.In the local speech, the word is found only in the singular
Singular
A grammatical number denoting a unit quantity Singular may also refer to:* Gravitational singularity, a location where the quantities that are used to measure the gravitational field become infinite...
. Following the events of March 1944
Tom Morel
Théodose Morel, known as Tom Morel was a career military officer and French Resistance fighter. A student, then instructor, at the Saint-Cyr military academy, he fought for the French Army against the Italians in the Alps...
, the journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Dépollier spoke of Glière, in the singular. It was only after the Second World War that the name took on the majestic plural. Although some Savoyards
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
still refer to the plateau as "Glières", the majority now call it "les Glières".
Geography
The plateauPlateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
, located between the Auges mountains (1800m) and the Frêtes, is in reality a valley. Its mean altitude is 1450m and it is bounded by cliffs of Urgonian limestone. In fact the plateau has several levels.
Places include the Lanches wood, the Auges chalets, the Mouilles chalet, the l'Ovine chalet, the Notre-Dame des Neiges chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, the Glières col, the col de l'Ovine, the maison du plateau, Paccot parking, the pas du Loup, the plaine de Dran, the plan du Loup, and the pointe de Puvat.
History
The Glières Plateau was an important site of the French ResistanceFrench Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
during the Second World War, its mountainous territory giving rise to a Maquis group of resistance fighters
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
which was organized and led by lieutenant Tom Morel
Tom Morel
Théodose Morel, known as Tom Morel was a career military officer and French Resistance fighter. A student, then instructor, at the Saint-Cyr military academy, he fought for the French Army against the Italians in the Alps...
, Compagnon de la Libération. The plateau was chosen in January 1944 to accept British parachute drops
Drop zone
A drop zone is a place where parachutists or parachuted supplies land. It can be an area targeted for landing by paratroopers, or a base from which recreational parachutists and skydivers take off in aircraft and land under parachutes...
of arms to supply the local resistance, then as a base of operations against the German rear
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
to take place at the moment when the awaited landings by the allies would occur. The plateau was cut off, poorly accessible by road (and therefore by the enemy) but identifiable by allied aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
through its proximity 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...
. The "battle of Glières" (March 1944) left 121 dead from the maquisards against almost 5000 soldiers from the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and the Vichy milice
Milice
The Milice française , generally called simply Milice, was a paramilitary force created on January 30, 1943 by the Vichy Regime, with German aid, to help fight the French Resistance. The Milice's formal leader was Prime Minister Pierre Laval, though its chief of operations, and actual leader, was...
.
Although the English managed to carry out three parachute drops onto the plateau (of which a large one on the 10 March may have brough some 45 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s of weapons), the reinforcements promised by Captain "Cantinier", the Free French envoy, never arrived.
In 1973, the national monument of the Resistance, created by the sculptor Émile Gilioli
Émile Gilioli
Émile Gilioli , was a French sculptor.Gilioli was one of the representatives of abstract French sculpture in the 1950s.- Biography :...
, was constructed in memory of the dead of the Resistance on a field offered for this purpose by Jean-François de Roussy de Sales. The monument was inaugurated on 2 September 1973 by André Malraux
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
. The sculpture showed the sun held by a hand.
In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
made a stop there on the eve of the 2007 French Presidential Election, and declared that he would return each year after he was elected. This visit was followed by a demostration of 3000 people on 13 May 2007. On 17 March 2008, Sarkozy would return for the first time, to commemorate the resistance. The media influence
Media influence
Media influence or media effects are used in media studies, psychology, communication theory and sociology to refer to the theories about the ways in which mass media affect how their audiences think and behave....
of this "pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
" recalled similar high-profile visits by former President François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
to the Roche de Solutré.
On 17 May 2009, on the instigation of the CRHA (Citoyens Résistants d'Hier et d'Aujourd'hui), a rally was organized on the Glières plateau to commemorate the republic's values of solidarity
Solidarity
Solidarity is a Polish trade union federation that emerged on August 31, 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyard under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa. It was the first non-communist party-controlled trade union in a Warsaw Pact country. Solidarity reached 9.5 million members before its September 1981 congress...
, fraternity
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
, living together and of justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
as expressed in the 15 March 1944 manifesto of the Conseil national de la Résistance
Conseil National de la Résistance
The Conseil National de la Résistance or the National Council of the Resistance is the body that directed and coordinated the different movements of the French Resistance - the press, trade unions, and members of political parties hostile to the Vichy regime, starting from...
. Stéphane Hessel
Stéphane Hessel
Stéphane Frédéric Hessel is a diplomat, ambassador, writer, concentration camp survivor, former French Resistance fighter and BCRA agent. Born German, he became a naturalised French citizen in 1939...
, godfather of the association, former resistance fighter and follower of the communist party Raymond Aubrac
Raymond Aubrac
Raymond Aubrac is a French engineer, and was a member of the French Resistance.Born Raymond Samuel in Vesoul, Haute-Saône in a Jewish family, Aubrac and wife, Lucie in 1940 were in the Resistance in Lyon and took pseudonym Aubrac to escape the persecution of the occupation...
, former communist resistance fighter Walter Bassan, Colomiers
Colomiers
Colomiers is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.It is the largest suburb of the city of Toulouse, and is adjacent to it on the west side...
schoolteacher Alain Refalo, and head of general psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
in the 8th sector in Essonne and psychoanalyst Dr. Michaël Guyader held a discussion on the need to continue the fight of the Resistance and to stand on the pedestal of social advancements which the CNR programme had presented. These demonstrations and discussions became part of the framework of the politics of opposition.
Glières Plateau of Algiers
An urban area of AlgiersAlgiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, at the time in 1962 the French departement d'Alger
Alger (département)
Alger is a former French département in Algeria. The département of Alger existed between 1848 and 1962.-The origin of the administrative divisions:...
, was named the "Plateau des Glières", as a result of the presence of the monument to those fallen for France in the two world wars, and particularly in homage to the Savoie maquisards in the Second World War.
Tourism
Cross-country skiingCross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
is today the main activity on the plateau in winter with over 36 km of groomed piste
Piste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....
s alternative and skating, as well as now several kilometres of groomed pistes for walking.
The plateau is dotted with ancient farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s and stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
s, some of which have been converted into restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s or gîte
Gîte
"Gîte" is a French term which refers to a specific type of holiday accommodation. A "Gîte" is a holiday home that is available for rent. Gîtes are usually fully furnished and equipped for self-catering...
s.
Access is somewhat difficult; two winding roads are in use, neither being closed during winter.
A marked itinerary directs walkers around the plateau in summer, with numerous signs telling the visitor about Alpine life at the beginning of the 20th century and about the Battle of Glières, with the monument in honour of the Resistance.
Other activities
Rackets and cross-country skiing are frequently practiced, and snowkiting is also possible. A lugeLuge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
piste is set up each year for children.
Speleological activities
Speleology
Speleology is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, their make-up, structure, physical properties, history, life forms, and the processes by which they form and change over time...
are also available, with about 15 caves over 150 metres deep catalogued in les Frêtes. The deepest hole currently known on Glières Plateau is the tanne à Paccot, also called the A2 hole, estimated at 400 metres.
Filmography
La Jeune Fille et les loups with Laetitia CastaLaetitia Casta
Laetitia Marie Laure Casta is a French model and actress.-Early life:Laetitia Casta was born in Pont-Audemer, Normandy, France. Her mother, Line Blin, is from Normandy. Her father, Dominique Casta, is from Corsica. She has an older brother, Jean-Baptiste, and a younger sister, Marie-Ange...
, filmed on the plateau in March 2007. Walter, retour en résistance, by Gilles Perret, filmed partly on le plateau in May 2007-8. Glières 44, le cortège des ombres, by Patrice Morel, a 52 minute documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
produced in 2004 by France 3 Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne. Available from the video libraries of France 3 Lyon, France 3 Grenoble et INA.