Saint-Jean-de-Sixt
| Saint-Jean-de-Sixt | ||
|---|---|---|
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Haute-Savoie | |
| Arrondissement | Annecy | |
| Canton | Faverges | |
| Community association | Vallées de Thônes | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 55 ' N , 6 ° 25' E | |
| height | 828-1,860 m | |
| surface | 12.21 km 2 | |
| Residents | 1,453 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 119 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 74450 | |
| INSEE code | 74239 | |
| Website | www.saintjeandesixt.com | |
Saint-Jean-de-Sixt is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes .
geography
Saint-Jean-de-Sixt is located at 959 m , northeast of Thônes , about 22 kilometers east of the city of Annecy (as the crow flies). The village extends on a wide saddle between the valleys of Nom in the south and Borne in the north. It forms the center of the Bornes Alps and is located at the eastern foot of Mont Lachat.
The area of the 12.21 km² municipal area covers a section of the Bornes Alps. The main settlement area is occupied by a saddle that descends to the south to the course of the Nom river and to the north to the valley floor of the Borne , which is around 100 m lower. North of Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, the Borne draws a sharp bend, leaves the long valley in the Bornes Alps and breaks through the adjacent chain in a narrow gorge ( Défilé des Etroits ). To the northwest, the municipal area extends to Mont Lachat , on whose ridge the highest point of Saint-Jean-de-Sixt is reached at 1860 m . In the south, the municipality extends to the Talenge des Nom, which connects to La Clusaz and which is flanked on the east by the Tête du Danay ( 1730 m ) and on the west by the foothills of the Pointe de Beauregard.
In addition to the actual town center, Saint-Jean-de-Sixt also includes various hamlet settlements and farms, including:
- Forgeassoud ( 980 m ) on the saddle between Nom and Borne
- Le Villaret ( 870 m ) in the Borne valley
Neighboring communities of Saint-Jean-de-Sixt are Glières-Val-de-Borne in the north, Le Grand-Bornand in the east, La Clusaz in the south and Les Villards-sur-Thônes in the west.
history
Sixt goes back to the word scis and means something like split stones . The former place was on the hill of Crêt. Around 1860, when numerous houses were dilapidated, the residents decided to rebuild the place where it is today.
Attractions
The parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste was built between 1869 and 1871. In Villaret there is a chapel that was originally built around 1600, but was rebuilt from 1823 to 1826. Another chapel from the 17th century is in the hamlet of Forgeassoud. The houses in Villaret show the traditional Savoyard architectural style.
Population development
With 1,453 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017), Saint-Jean-de-Sixt is one of the smaller communities in the Haute-Savoie department. There has been a significant increase in population since the mid-1970s.
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 466 | 476 | 511 | 696 | 852 | 1.005 | 1,212 |
Economy and Infrastructure
Until well into the 20th century, Saint-Jean-de-Sixt was primarily a village characterized by agriculture and alpine farming . Today there are various small business enterprises. Many workers are commuters who work in the larger towns in the area. In recent decades, Saint-Jean-de-Sixt has also benefited from tourism thanks to its proximity to the winter sports resorts of La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand in the Bornes massif.
The village is located at the intersection of the important roads that open up the Bornes massif: the north-south crossing of the massif runs from Bonneville via Saint-Jean-de-Sixt and La Clusaz to Albertville , while the west-east crossing Thônes connects via Saint-Jean-de-Sixt with Le Grand-Bornand and Cluses .
Personalities
Pierre Favre , a companion of Ignatius of Loyola , was born on April 13, 1506 in Le Villaret.
