Samoëns
Encyclopedia
Samoëns is a commune
in the Haute-Savoie
department in the Rhône-Alpes
region
in south-eastern France
.
The village of Samoëns is located in the Vallée du Giffre in the French Alps
and carries the designation of a "ville fleurie" distinguishing it as one of the most beautiful towns in France
. It is a popular summer destination as well as the site of a ski resort
that departs from a new lift (Grand massif Express) at the edge of town linking up to Samoëns 1600 also known as the Plateau des Saix, this resort is part of the larger five town Grand Massif which includes Flaine
and Morillon
. The Grand Massif ski area has 265 km of slopes (17 Green, 60 blue, 53 Red and 14 Black)
quarries (hardness coefficient, 13). To complement their income from farming, the men in the region used to work stone.
In 1659, there were so many frahans (the local name for stonecutters) in Samoëns and their expertise was so well-known that they set up a very famous brotherhood. It engaged in charity work, taking care of the sick and training young apprentices in its own school of draughtsmen, which had an extensive library.
The members of the brotherhood of masons and stonecutters in Samoëns were contacted for leading construction projects. They worked with Vauban
on his fortifications, were commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte
to build canals in Saint-Quentin
, and worked in Givors
and even further afield, in Poland
or Louisiana
.
To ensure that they were not understood by outsiders when talking to each other, they used their own dialect, called mourmé.
Evidence of their talent can be seen all over the village, in its architecture.
Even now, there are a number of stonecutters upholding the tradition in Samoëns and the brotherhood has become a cultural association, the Société des Maçons. It offers tours with eight enthusiastic guides who show visitors the Samoëns of the past and present.
(3.7 hectares) is a botanical garden
specializing in alpine flowers, established in 1906 by Marie-Louise Cognac-Jaÿ, a native of Samoëns and founder of La Samaritaine department store in Paris. Since 1936 it has been directed by the Scientific Division of Botany from the National Museum of Natural History
. It is open all year and is free of charge.
Most of them were built in the 17th century (except for the chapel in Le Bérouze, which dates from the fifteenth century and the one in Les Allamands dating from the nineteenth century).
The onion domes suddenly come into view as you round a corner in a footpath, reminding today's hikers of the patient work undertaken by the craftsmen of days gone by.
Two of these small buildings have had a surprising history – they were moved from one place to another! The chapel in Le Bérouze was originally built at the mountain pass known as Col de Couz but it was badly damaged during an invasion by Swiss troops in 1476. Four years later, it was decided to "bring it down the mountain" and rebuild it on the main square in Le Bérouze.
In Mathonex, the chapel looks down over the village like a lighthouse warning sailors of the dangers of the coastline but the original building was much closer to the centre of the village. Its "relocation" became a necessity after a landslide.
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...
.
The village of Samoëns is located in the Vallée du Giffre in the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
and carries the designation of a "ville fleurie" distinguishing it as one of the most beautiful towns in 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 is a popular summer destination as well as the site of a ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
that departs from a new lift (Grand massif Express) at the edge of town linking up to Samoëns 1600 also known as the Plateau des Saix, this resort is part of the larger five town Grand Massif which includes Flaine
Flaine
Flaine is the name of a ski area in the Haute Savoie region of the French Alps, and is a part of the linked Grand Massif domain. It is in the territory of the communes of Magland and Arâches. Flaine is linked to Samoëns, Morillon, Les Carroz and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, with 267 km of pistes in total...
and Morillon
Morillon
Morillon is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is a popular summer and winter vacation destination.-Ski:...
. The Grand Massif ski area has 265 km of slopes (17 Green, 60 blue, 53 Red and 14 Black)
Stonecutters
Stone has long been a traditional feature of the Upper Giffre Valley which is dotted with limestoneLimestone
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....
quarries (hardness coefficient, 13). To complement their income from farming, the men in the region used to work stone.
In 1659, there were so many frahans (the local name for stonecutters) in Samoëns and their expertise was so well-known that they set up a very famous brotherhood. It engaged in charity work, taking care of the sick and training young apprentices in its own school of draughtsmen, which had an extensive library.
The members of the brotherhood of masons and stonecutters in Samoëns were contacted for leading construction projects. They worked with Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
on his fortifications, were commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
to build canals in Saint-Quentin
Saint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
, and worked in Givors
Givors
Givors is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies on the Rhône River about south of Lyon and on the main road between that city and Saint-Étienne. The city has long served as a crossroads between the communities of the Rhône River and those of the Loire River...
and even further afield, in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
or Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
To ensure that they were not understood by outsiders when talking to each other, they used their own dialect, called mourmé.
Evidence of their talent can be seen all over the village, in its architecture.
Even now, there are a number of stonecutters upholding the tradition in Samoëns and the brotherhood has become a cultural association, the Société des Maçons. It offers tours with eight enthusiastic guides who show visitors the Samoëns of the past and present.
Land of Art and History
Samoëns is the only winter sports resort to be classified by the Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques. Guided visits are a good way of discovering the history of the town and its surrounding hamlets.Jaysinia botanical garden and house, the Cognacq-Jay Foundation
JaÿsiniaJaÿsinia
Jaÿsinia is a botanical garden specializing in alpine flowers, located in Samoëns, Haute-Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France. It is open daily except when there is snow on the ground; admission is free....
(3.7 hectares) is a botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
specializing in alpine flowers, established in 1906 by Marie-Louise Cognac-Jaÿ, a native of Samoëns and founder of La Samaritaine department store in Paris. Since 1936 it has been directed by the Scientific Division of Botany from the National Museum of Natural History
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
. It is open all year and is free of charge.
Chapels
There are no less than nine chapels in and around Samoëns, not counting the many shrines and other cultural buildings visible in a landscape dotted with hamlets.Most of them were built in the 17th century (except for the chapel in Le Bérouze, which dates from the fifteenth century and the one in Les Allamands dating from the nineteenth century).
The onion domes suddenly come into view as you round a corner in a footpath, reminding today's hikers of the patient work undertaken by the craftsmen of days gone by.
Two of these small buildings have had a surprising history – they were moved from one place to another! The chapel in Le Bérouze was originally built at the mountain pass known as Col de Couz but it was badly damaged during an invasion by Swiss troops in 1476. Four years later, it was decided to "bring it down the mountain" and rebuild it on the main square in Le Bérouze.
In Mathonex, the chapel looks down over the village like a lighthouse warning sailors of the dangers of the coastline but the original building was much closer to the centre of the village. Its "relocation" became a necessity after a landslide.
See also
- Reseau Jean Bernard
- Grand Massif
- MorillonMorillonMorillon is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is a popular summer and winter vacation destination.-Ski:...
- Communes of the Haute-Savoie department