Le Reposoir is a commune

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

Situated at the foot of the Col de la Colombière

Col de la Colombière

Col de la Colombière is a mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Haute-Savoie in France.It connects Cluses in the Arve valley with Le Grand-Bornand in the Borne valley...

 and is known as one of the most picturesque regions of the Savoyard Pre-Alps. The Foron River runs through the valley and is a tributary of the Arve

Arve

The Arve river flows for approximately 100 km through France, in the département of Haute-Savoie, and in Switzerland...

 River.

History

The history of the village is often confused with the foundation of the Chartreuse monastery, founded in 1151 at the behest of Aymon I de Faucigny. The monks cleared and valued the land for farming and established the pastoral and agricultural life, which in turn brought inhabitants seeking a life of work and prayer.

Le Reposoir means 'The Resting Place'.

Monuments

The Chartreuse monastery is situated in a wooded cirque within, though aside, from Le Reposoir village. Overlooking a picturesque lake, the tranquillity of the monastery is a popular attraction of Le Reposoir.

Founded in 1151 by Jean d'Espagne at the behest of Aymon I de Faucigny, the monastery survived many trials and tribulations, including the French Revolution, various levels of destruction and pillaging over the ages and finally expulsion of the monks in 1901, after which it was transformed into a hotel. The Chartreuse was bought by Alessandra di Rudinì, daughter of former Italian Prime Minister Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì

Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì

Marquis Antonio Starabba di Rudinì was the 18th and 21st Prime Minister of Italy between 1891 and 1892 and from 1896 until 1898.-Biography:...

, in 1922. She then converted to Catholicism and entered the Carmelite order. In 1932 the restored Chartreuse became Carmelite.

The Chartreuse monastery now houses approximately twenty nuns.

Activities

The village is the point of departure for hiking to the summit of Pointe Percée

Pointe Percée

The Pointe Percée is the highest mountain in the Aravis range in Haute-Savoie. It rises to 2752 meters and has 1643 m of prominence, and thus is classified as an ultra prominent peak. Its first documented climb was by M. L. Maquelin of Geneva in 1865, though likely climbed much earlier....

 (Summit of the Aravis

Aravis

Aravis is a fictional character in the children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. She is a main character in The Horse and His Boy.Aravis is a young Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling nobility of Calormen...

 Ranges) as well as many other regional hikes. Skiing is a popular activity in the village - the village houses its own ski lift and neighbours Le Grand-Bornand

Le Grand-Bornand

Le Grand-Bornand is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The commune is a ski resort and owes its name to the river which runs through it...

 ski resort.

Rock climbing surrounds the village, with a number of popular cliff faces within easy driving distance.

Le Reposoir is also a thoroughfare for the Tour de France

Tour de France

The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

 and a very popular route for cyclists.

Personalities

Setting of an episode of Pierre Bonte's celebrated "Bonjour Monsieur le Maire" in 1967.

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...

, former President of France, chose Le Reposoir as the site of celebrations for his fourth anniversary of his election to the Presidency of the Republic of France.