Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Savoie
Arrondissement	Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne ( sub-prefecture )
Canton	Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne ( Chef-lieu )
Community association	Coeur de Maurienne Arvan
Coordinates	45 ° 17 ′ N , 6 ° 21 ′ E Coordinates: 45 ° 17 ′ N , 6 ° 21 ′ E
height	489-1,200 m
surface	11.51 km 2
Residents	7,746 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	673 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	73300
INSEE code	73248
Website	www.saintjeandemaurienne.fr
	; Saint-Jean de Maurienne

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is a French municipality with 7746 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes . The small town is a sub-prefecture of the Arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne , capital ( Chef-lieu ) of the canton of the same name , which includes 16 municipalities, and the seat of the Cœur de Maurienne Arvan municipal association .

geography

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is located at the confluence of the Arc , the river that formed the Maurienne valley, and its tributary Arvan .

history

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne has been the main town of the Maurienne since the 6th century when Saint Thekla brought relics from Egypt with John the Baptist ( Saint Jean-Baptiste in French ). During this time the city was raised to the seat of a bishopric by Gontran, a grandson of Clovis I (see the diocese of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne ). In the year 753 here came Grifo , a son of Charles Martel , in a battle killed.

In 1857 the railway line to Aix-les-Bains was completed, which enabled a gradual industrialization of the previously quite remote mountain region, in 1860 the place with the Duchy of Savoy finally came to France.

economy

The city lives from a factory in which aluminum is produced by electrolysis of aluminum oxide, as well as from tourism because of the nearby winter sports resorts, the Alpine peaks and the Vanoise National Park .

Saint-Jean is also famous for its knife factory Opinel , which has been producing a folding knife that has been extremely popular in France since the end of the 19th century. The trademark is the hand of the oath of St. Johannes (French: Saint Jean ), just like the city's coat of arms. A multimedia museum shows the development of the factory and its people.