Menthon-Saint-Bernard
| Menthon-Saint-Bernard | ||
|---|---|---|
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Haute-Savoie | |
| Arrondissement | Annecy | |
| Canton | Faverges | |
| Community association | Grand Annecy | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 52 ′ N , 6 ° 12 ′ E | |
| height | 443-1,229 m | |
| surface | 4.51 km 2 | |
| Residents | 1,889 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 419 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 74290 | |
| INSEE code | 74176 | |
Menthon-Saint-Bernard is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes .
geography
Menthon-Saint-Bernard is located at 482 m , about seven kilometers southeast of the city of Annecy (as the crow flies). The village extends on an alluvial plain on the eastern bank of Lac d'Annecy , nestled between the heights of Mont Baret in the north, the Dents de Lanfon in the east and the Roc de Chère in the south.
The area of the 6.67 km² municipal area includes a section on the east bank of Lake Annecy. In the Menthon-Saint-Bernard area, the lake shore is flat because the village stream has created an alluvial plain here over time and has pushed it slightly into the lake. In the south, this plain is bounded by the limestone cliffs of the Roc de Chère ( 651 m ), some of which have rocks falling vertically into the lake.
To the northeast, the community area extends to the Col de Bluffy ( 630 m ), a wide saddle flanked by the heights of Mont Baret and the Tournette massif . The pass connects Lake Annecy with the Fier Valley . The highest point is reached at 1229 m on Mont Baret , which is part of the Bornes Alps .
In addition to the actual town center, Menthon-Saint-Bernard also includes various hamlet settlements and farms, including:
- Presles ( 471 m ) in the plain north of Menthon-Saint-Bernard
- Les Moulins ( 510 m ) in the valley of the Dorfbach, at the southern foot of Mont Baret
- Ramponnet ( 540 m ) to the east adjoining the village
Neighboring municipalities of Menthon-Saint-Bernard are Veyrier-du-Lac and Alex in the north, Bluffy in the east, Talloires-Montmin in the south and Saint-Jorioz and Sévrier in the west.
history
The municipality of Menthon-Saint-Bernard was already settled in pre-Christian times. The place was also populated during Roman times; Remains of extensive thermal baths have been found and excavated. Menthon was first mentioned in a document in the High Middle Ages. The place name is made up of the Celtic words men (stone, rock) and dunum (fortress) and means something like fortress on the rock .
Bernhard von Menthon , patron saint of the alpine inhabitants and founder of the hospice on the Great Saint Bernard , was probably born in the first castle of Menthon in 923 . The castle has belonged to the von Menthon family, who originally came from Burgundy, since the 11th century. There were minor changes in the area in 1864 when the district of Choseaux was separated from Talloires and Menthon was added, and in 1910 when Presles came from Veyrier-du-Lac to Menthon. It was not until 1943 that the municipality of Menthon was officially renamed Menthon-Saint-Bernard .
Attractions
The parish church was built in 1847 in the neoclassical style. Menthon-Saint-Bernard Castle , which was built in the 13th century and modified in the 15th century, sits enthroned on a ledge east of the village . There were further changes in the 17th century and around 1880, when the castle was equipped with several new turrets. The castle La Charbonnière and the manor of Taine should also be mentioned.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 575 |
| 1968 | 702 |
| 1975 | 818 |
| 1982 | 1,178 |
| 1990 | 1,517 |
| 1999 | 1,659 |
With 1,889 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017), Menthon-Saint-Bernard is one of the smaller communities in the Haute-Savoie department. Since the early 1960s, thanks to the attractive residential area and proximity to Annecy, there has been a significant increase in population. Outside the old town center and on the mountain slopes, numerous new single-family houses and villas were built.
Economy and Infrastructure
Menthon-Saint-Bernard was a predominantly agricultural village until the 20th century . Today there are some small and medium-sized businesses. Many workers are commuters who work in the larger towns in the area, especially in Annecy. Thanks to its beautiful location on the lake and the mild climate, Menthon-Saint-Bernard has developed into a holiday resort in recent decades. Day tourism also plays an important role.
The village is very well developed in terms of traffic. It is located on the main road D909a, which runs from Annecy along the eastern bank of Lake Annecy to Doussard . Further road connections exist with Bluffy and via the Col de Bluffy with Thônes . The closest connection to the A41 motorway is around 13 km away.
Personalities
- Bernhard von Menthon (983 or 1008-1081 or 1086), saint of the Catholic Church
