Samoëns

French commune
nomcommune=Samoëns
View of Samoëns
région=Rhône-Alpes
département=Haute-Savoie
arrondissement=Bonneville
canton=Samoëns
insee=74258
cp=74340
maire=André Simond
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=
longitude=6.72805555556
latitude=46.0847222222
alt moy=710 m
alt mini=671 m
alt maxi=2,665 m
hectares=9,729
km²=97.29
sans=2,323
date-sans=1999
dens=23
date-dens=1999

Samoëns is a commune of the Haute-Savoie "département" in France.

The town 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 at the edge of town linking up to Samoëns 1600 also known as the Plateau de Saix, this resort is part of the larger five town Grand Massif which includes Flaine and Morillon.

tonecutters

Stone has long been a traditional feature of the Upper Giffre Valley which is dotted with limestone 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.

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

The garden, which was created in 1906 by Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ, is sculpted into an area of 3.5 hectares on a mountainous outcrop overlooking the village. Water features and waterfalls, leafy glades, ruins of the Tornalta castle (12th century), a chapel (18th century) and 8,000 plants from mountains the world over.The "Maison de la Jaÿsinia" is at the entrance to the garden, with a reception area providing information about the garden and the history of its founder.

A south-facing garden laid out on a limestone slope overlooking the old village and crisscrossed with footpaths.It includes a chapel built in 1687 and mediaeval ruins. Extensive collections of mountain plants from all over the world, in an exceptional setting full of vistas and panoramic views, groups of trees and rocks, and fountains.

It was commissioned and inaugurated in 1906 by Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ, who was born in Samoëns and who went on to set up La Samaritaine department store in Paris. Since 1936, the garden has been directed by a Professor of Botany from the National Museum of Natural History.

Chapels Galore

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 15th century and the one in Les Allamands dating from the 19th 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.

Le Clos Parchet Farm Folk Museum

Created by Simone and Pierre Dechavassine.

The friends of Le Clos Parchet Farm invite you to find out about the history and work of families in the Upper Giffre Valley in previous centuries, on a real farm.Tour followed by tasting of home-made products. Duration: approximately 2 hours.

ee also

* Reseau Jean Bernard
* Grand Massif
* Morillon

External links

* http://www.samoens.com/
* http://www.grand-massif.com/
* http://www.giffre-reservations.com/
* http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/samoens.htm