La Balme-de-Sillingy
| La Balme-de-Sillingy | ||
|---|---|---|
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Haute-Savoie | |
| Arrondissement | Annecy | |
| Canton | Annecy-1 | |
| Community association | Fier et Usses | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 58 ' N , 6 ° 3' E | |
| height | 457-923 m | |
| surface | 16.51 km 2 | |
| Residents | 5,037 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 305 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 74330 | |
| INSEE code | 74026 | |
| Website | www.labalmedesillingy.fr | |
La Balme-de-Sillingy is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes .
geography
La Balme-de-Sillingy is located at 482 m , about ten kilometers northwest of the city of Annecy (as the crow flies). The village extends in a broad valley, which is drained by the Petites Usses stream, at the western foot of the Montagne de Mandallaz below the rock formations of the Tête, in the Genevois .
The area of the 16.51 km² municipal area includes a section of the Genevois. The central part of the area is taken up by the wide, formerly boggy valley plain, in which the lake of La Balme is also located. The northern part of this plain is drained by the Petites Usses to the north to the Usses , while the southern part already belongs to the catchment area of the Fier . To the west of this depression, the community area extends over a gently sloping slope with several terraces into the hilly landscape that extends between the valleys of Fier and Usses. To the east, the municipality extends over the wooded ridge of the Montagne de Mandallaz , on which the highest point of La Balme-de-Sillingy is reached at 927 m . The south-western end of this ridge is formed by the Tête ( 900 m ), which drops to the Sillingy depression with a steep slope criss-crossed by rock bands.
In addition to the actual town center, La Balme-de-Sillingy also includes various hamlet settlements and farms, including:
- La Bonasse ( 570 m ) on a plateau west of the Petites Usses valley
- Avully ( 561 m ) on a plateau west of the La Balme valley
- La Bâthie ( 540 m ) on a promontory above the Petites Usses valley
- Dalmaz ( 525 m ) on the plateau east of the valley basin at the foot of the Montagne de Mandallaz
- Lomprau ( 525 m ) on the plateau east of the Petites Usses valley
- Montdragon ( 510 m ) on a ledge above the Petites Usses valley
- Vincy ( 546 m ) on the plateau at the western foot of the Montagne de Mandallaz
Neighboring communities of La Balme-de-Sillingy are Mésigny and Choisy in the north, Cuvat , Pringy and Epagny Metz-Tessy in the east and Sillingy in the south.
history
The municipality of La Balme-de-Sillingy was already settled in prehistoric times and during Roman times. The place name is derived from the late Latin word balma ( cave , grotto , abri ).
In the 13th and beginning of the 14th centuries, the Counts of Geneva first built a castle in La Balme at the foot of the Montagne de Mandallaz. Probably this castle could not be strategically secured enough, so that the Counts of Geneva had a new castle built on the promontory of La Bâthie as early as 1316. This castle was naturally protected on three sides by the Petites Usses valley system and on the fourth side by an artificial moat. The hamlet of La Bâthie was granted certain freedoms in the 14th century, and the castle was for a long time the seat of a castleague of the Counts of Geneva. In 1536, when the French invaded Savoy, and in 1591 in the battle between the Savoy and the Bernese, the castle was badly damaged.
Attractions
The neo-Gothic style village church dates from the 19th century. Only sparse remains of the former castles of the Counts of Geneva in La Balme and La Bâthie can be seen (wall foundations). In Dalmaz there is a castle that was built in the 14th century. It was restored after a fire in 1985.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 573 |
| 1968 | 589 |
| 1975 | 1.007 |
| 1982 | 1,940 |
| 1990 | 3,075 |
| 1999 | 3,729 |
| 2006 | 4,315 |
With 5037 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) La Balme-de-Sillingy is one of the medium-sized communities in the Haute-Savoie department. In the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, the number of inhabitants decreased continuously due to strong emigration (in 1861 there were still 761 inhabitants in La Balme-de-Sillingy). Since the beginning of the 1970s, however, thanks to the attractive residential area and the proximity to Annecy, there has been a marked increase in population. In the last four decades the population has increased sevenfold. Various single-family house quarters were created outside the old town center.
Economy and Infrastructure
Until well into the 20th century, La Balme-de-Sillingy was predominantly an agricultural village. Today there are various small and medium-sized businesses. In the vicinity of the main street, larger industrial zones have developed in recent years. Many workers are also commuters who work in the Annecy area.
The village is very well developed in terms of traffic. It is on the main road N508, which leads from Annecy to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine . Further regional road connections exist with Sillingy, Choisy and Thusy . The closest connection to the A41 motorway is around 9 km away.
