La Roche-sur-Foron
| La Roche-sur-Foron | ||
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Haute-Savoie | |
| Arrondissement | Bonneville | |
| Canton | La Roche-sur-Foron (main town) | |
| Community association | Pays Rochois | |
| Coordinates | 46 ° 4 ′ N , 6 ° 19 ′ E | |
| height | 500-1,896 m | |
| surface | 17.94 km 2 | |
| Residents | 11,339 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 632 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 74800 | |
| INSEE code | 74224 | |
| Website | www.larochesurforon.fr | |
 The village of La Roche-sur-Foron |
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La Roche-sur-Foron is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes . It is the capital of the canton of La Roche-sur-Foron in the Arrondissement of Bonneville .
geography
La Roche-sur-Foron is located at around 550 m , around 20 kilometers southeast of the city of Geneva (as the crow flies). The municipality with a historic town center extends slightly higher on the western edge of the broad Arve valley , on both sides of the Foron stream , at the northern foot of the Montagne de Sous-Dine, a peak in the Bornes Alps .
The area of the 17.94 square kilometers large municipal area includes a section in the area of the Arvetal. In the northeast, the border runs along the edge of the broad Swiss pine lowland. From here the community area extends southward over the relatively gently sloping slope of La Roche-sur-Foron, which is drained by the Foron in an erosion valley. To the west the area extends to the high plateau of Bornes (up to 880 m ). A narrow strip stretches to the southeast to the mountain peaks of Sur Cou ( 1809 m ) and Roche Parnal (at 1896 m the highest point in La Roche-sur-Foron).
In addition to the town itself, La Roche-sur-Foron also includes several hamlet settlements and farms, including:
- La Balme ( 575 m ) on the western edge of the Arve valley
- Broy ( 600 m ) on the slope above La Roche-sur-Foron
- Lavillat ( 747 m )
- Les Fleuries ( 750 m ) east of the Foron
- Champully ( 800 m ) on the edge of the Bornes plateau
- Montizel ( 850 m ) on the edge of the Bornes plateau
- Orange ( 1067 m ) on a ledge between the Arve valley and the Flan valley at the foot of the Montagne de Sous-Dine.
Neighboring municipalities of La Roche-sur-Foron are Cornier and Amancy in the north, Saint-Sixt , Saint-Laurent and Glières-Val-de-Borne in the east, Thorens-Glières in the south and Évires and Etaux in the west.
history
The municipality of La Roche was already settled in the Burgundian period; a Burgundy grave was discovered near La Balme. The place is first mentioned in a document in 1032 under the Latin name Rochia . From 1033 to 1219 La Roche was the headquarters of the Counts of Geneva . They had the town fortified in the 12th century and granted it town charter in 1335.
At the beginning of the 15th century, La Roche came under the rule of Savoy together with the county of Geneva and from then on shared its fate. The town became a flourishing center in the middle of Savoy, but had to suffer from fires and epidemics (plague from 1542 to 1587). During the Savoy War between Geneva and Savoy, it was looted and devastated in 1590; at that time the old castle of the Counts of Geneva was also destroyed. La Roche was the first French town to have electric street lighting in 1885. In 1961, La Roche was renamed La Roche-sur-Foron by decree to make it easier to distinguish from other places of the same name.
population
| Population development | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2003 |
| Residents | 4,456 | 5,049 | 6.008 | 6,627 | 7.116 | 8,538 | 10,711 |
With 11,339 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017), La Roche-sur-Foron is one of the largest municipalities in the Haute-Savoie department. In the last few decades, and especially since 1990, population growth has been marked.
Attractions
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La Roche-sur-Foron has a well-preserved medieval old town with remains of the former city fortifications (Porte Saint-Martin). In the old town there are numerous town houses with richly decorated facades, including the Maison des Chevaliers and the Maison Boniface. The Grenette, an old grain hall, dates from 1832, while the Hôtel de Ville (town hall) was built in 1842.
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste church originally dates from the 12th century. The choir has been preserved from this period. However, numerous alterations and extensions were made later, including remarkable chapels from the early 16th century; the nave got its present shape in the 19th century. It has been listed as a historical monument since 1975. The Collège Sainte-Marie is now housed in the former Saint Bernard convent.
The Tour des Comtes de Genève, the last remnant of the medieval castle (1258) of the Counts of Geneva, stands on a rock spur.
Economy and Infrastructure
La Roche-sur-Foron was an important trading town from an early age. Thanks to the fertile soils in the area, agriculture still has a certain value today. Since the 1950s, the town has gradually developed into an urban center and various commercial and industrial zones have emerged. Today there are numerous small and medium-sized businesses, as well as various high-tech industries, construction and trading companies and companies in the service sector.
Various important events take place in La Roche-sur-Foron. The most important of these are the Simodec (Salon International de la Machine-outil et du Décolletage; every second year in March) and the Foire Internationale de la Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc (always in May).
The community is very well developed in terms of transport. It is on the main road from Annecy to Bonneville ; Another important road connection is with Annemasse . The closest connection to the A41 motorway is around two kilometers away. The A40 motorway (Geneva – Chamonix) is also easily accessible. La Roche-sur-Foron has a train station on the Annemasse – Annecy railway line and is the starting point of the branch line to Saint-Gervais .
Town twinning
Since 1972, a town partnership has been maintained with the German town of Stockach , located on the northwestern shore of Lake Constance . The French city of Saint-Renan in Brittany has been a twin town since 1996 and Candelo in the Italian region of Piedmont since 2002 .
Sons and daughters
- Jean-Louis Grillet (1756–1812), Savoy clergyman and historian
- Luigi Pelloux (1839-1924), Italian general and politician
