Le Reposoir
| Le Reposoir | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Haute-Savoie | |
| Arrondissement | Bonneville | |
| Canton | Cluses | |
| Community association | Cluses-Arve et Montagnes | |
| Coordinates | 46 ° 1 ' N , 6 ° 32' E | |
| height | 820-2,749 m | |
| surface | 37.36 km 2 | |
| Residents | 522 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 14 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 74950 | |
| INSEE code | 74221 | |
Le Reposoir is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes .
geography
Le Reposoir is located at 982 m , southwest of Cluses , about 37 kilometers southeast of the city of Geneva (as the crow flies). The mountain village extends in a basin at the confluence of the Grand Foron and the Petit Foron, in the northern Bornes Alps (part of the Savoy Alps ) between the peaks of the Chaîne du Bargy and the Chaîne des Aravis, in Faucigny .
The area of the 37.36 km² large municipality covers a section of the Bornes Alps. The main settlement area forms the basin of Le Reposoir, in which the two mountain streams Grand Foron (from the west) and Petit Foron (from the south) converge and flow as Foron du Reposoir to the northeast through a deep valley to the Arve . The valley basin is surrounded by densely wooded slopes; There are extensive alpine meadows above around 1800 m . In the northwest, the valley is flanked by the limestone peaks of the Chaîne du Bargy, including the Pointe Blanche ( 2437 m ) and the Bargy ( 2299 m ). The south-western and southern ends of the valley are formed by the Col de la Colombière ( 1613 m ) and the Pointe d'Almet ( 2231 m ). In the very south, the municipality reaches as far as the Pointe Percée , at 2752 m the highest peak in the Aravis chain and thus also the highest point of Le Reposoir. To the east the border runs over the ridge of the Chaîne du Reposoir (in the Pointe d'Areu 2478 m ).
Neighboring municipalities of Le Reposoir are Mont-Saxonnex , Marnaz and Scionzier in the north, Nancy-sur-Cluses , Magland and Sallanches in the east and Grand-Bornand in the south.
history
The story of Le Reposoir began in 1151 when Jean d'Espagne, a Carthusian monk , founded a Carthusian monastery in this remote valley. In the period that followed, the valley was reclaimed and a settlement was established near the monastery. The monastery has long been an important pilgrimage site and was restored in the 17th century. It was looted during the French Revolution . The last monks did not have to leave the monastery until 1901. Then the building was converted into a hotel. After renewed renovation work, a Carmelite community has lived in the Chartreuse du Reposoir since 1932.
Attractions
The most important sight is the Chartreuse du Reposoir. The convent buildings and the large cloister date from the 17th century, the small cloister from the 15th century. Also in the 15th century the monastery church got its present form with medieval wall paintings; it was renovated in the 20th century.
The parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the village of Le Reposoir was built in the 19th century. On the Col de la Colombière stands the Notre Dame de l'Assomption chapel, which was built in 1955.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 250 |
| 1968 | 251 |
| 1975 | 212 |
| 1982 | 242 |
| 1990 | 289 |
| 1999 | 375 |
With 522 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017), Le Reposoir is one of the small communities in the Haute-Savoie department. In the course of the 20th century, the number of inhabitants decreased continuously due to strong emigration (in 1901 there were still 417 inhabitants in Le Reposoir). Since the mid-1970s, however, a significant increase in population has been recorded.
Economy and Infrastructure
Until well into the 20th century, Le Reposoir was a village dominated by agriculture and alpine farming. Today there are various small business enterprises. The Reblochon cheese is made here. In the last few decades, Le Reposoir has developed into a holiday resort and thus received a significant economic boom. The municipality specializes in both summer tourism and winter tourism (mountain railways and ski lifts).
The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a departmental road (Routes des Grandes Alpes) that leads from Cluses over the Col de la Colombière to Saint-Jean-de-Sixt in the center of the Bornes massif. The closest connection to the A40 motorway is around 12 km away.
