Samoëns
| Samoëns | ||
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Haute-Savoie | |
| Arrondissement | Bonneville | |
| Canton | Cluses | |
| Community association | Montagnes du Giffre | |
| Coordinates | 46 ° 5 ' N , 6 ° 44' E | |
| height | 671-2,665 m | |
| surface | 97.29 km 2 | |
| Residents | 2,458 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 25 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 74340 | |
| INSEE code | 74258 | |
| Website | www.samoens.com | |
 View of Samoëns |
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Samoëns is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes . It belongs to the canton of Cluses in the arrondissement of Bonneville .
geography
Samoëns is located at 710 m , east of Cluses , about 46 kilometers east-southeast of the city of Geneva (as the crow flies). The village extends on the northern edge of the wide valley floor of the Giffre , in the Savoy Alps in the Haut-Giffre , in the eastern Faucigny .
The area of the municipal area of 97.29 km² includes a section of the Savoy Alps with strong relief. The area is crossed from southeast to northwest by the Giffre, which flows in a wide valley with a flat valley floor about 1.5 km wide. At Samoëns, the Giffre takes in the Nant d'Ant torrent from the south and the Clévieux from the north . South of the Giffre valley, the municipal area extends to the heights of the Grand Massif (tourist region) with the peaks of Tête du Pré des Saix ( 2113 m ) and Tête Pelouse ( 2474 m ). To the north and east, the municipality extends into the source valleys of the Clévieux, which are flanked by rugged limestone peaks. The eastern border runs over Les Avoudrues (with 2666 m the highest elevation of Samoëns), Pointe Rousse des Chambres ( 2655 m ) and the western summit of the Dents Blanches ( 2638 m ). There are several small firn fields on the northern slopes of these mountains. There are several caves in the karst relief. In the far north, the municipality extends over the watershed into the headwaters of the Dranse de Morzine above Morzine .
In addition to the actual town center, Samoëns also includes numerous other villages, settlements and hamlets as well as farms, including:
- L'Etelley ( 690 m ) on the southern edge of the Giffre valley
- Vercland ( 825 m ) on a terrace on the southern slope of the Giffre
- Le Villard ( 800 m ) on the northern slope of the Giffre
- Mathonex ( 910 m ) on a ledge on the northern slope of the Giffre
- Chantemerle ( 1060 m ) on the northern slope of the Giffre
- La Bérouze ( 690 m ) in the Giffre valley
- Les Moulins ( 720 m ) in the valley of the Giffre at the outlet of the Clévieux
- Vallon d'en Bas ( 710 m ) in the Giffre valley
- Vallon d'en Haut ( 713 m ) in the Giffre valley
- Sougey ( 720 m ) in the Giffre valley
- Les Allamands ( 1030 m ) in a valley basin of the Clévieux
The neighboring communities of Samoëns are Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval in the east, Arâches-la-Frasse in the south, Morillon and Verchaix in the west, Morzine in the north and the Swiss community of Champéry in the northeast.
history
Various finds indicate that the area around Samoëns was already settled in the Neolithic . The first written mention of the place took place in 1167 under the names Samoens and Samoën . Later the names Samoyn , Semoeng , Samoding , Samodens and 1652 Samoùan appeared . The place name means sept mons (seven mountains / alpine meadows), derived from the Franco-Provencal words sat (seven) and moens (mountains). Other sources lead Samoëns back to the Burgundian personal name Sanemod or Senamod .
In the Middle Ages , Samoëns belonged to the Faucigny rule. As part of the Dauphiné, the place came to France in 1349, but was given to the Counts of Savoy in an exchange of countries in the Treaty of Paris in 1355 . After that, Samoëns shared the fate of Savoy . In 1476 a Bernese troop broke into Samoëns over the mountain passes from Valais and destroyed the village and its castle. In the 16th century the place received certain rights of freedom. Since the 17th century Samoëns developed into a center of the stonecutter and bricklaying trade. The limestone quarried near Samoëns was used to build churches, bridges and houses in the near and far region. Because of this and the extensive Alps (dairy farming and cheese production), Samoëns achieved a certain level of prosperity, especially in the 18th century. The area changed in 1865, when Verchaix was separated from Samoëns and raised to an independent municipality.
Attractions
The parish church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption originally dates from the 12th century, but was given its current shape when it was rebuilt in the 17th century, with some parts of the previous building being included. Chapels are in Bérouze, Vallon, Chantemerle and Vercland (all from the 17th century) and in other hamlets. The town center, the center of which is the Place du Gros-Tilleul, is characterized by solid stone houses (stone carvings). The square is named after the linden tree that was planted here in 1438. Also worth mentioning are the market hall (Grenette) from the 16th century, the Maison de Lucinge (now the town hall), the ruins of the former castle and the mansions of Château de Bérouze and Château du Tannay.
The Ecomusée du Clos Parchet and the Jardin botanique alpin Jaysinia, a 3-hectare botanical garden founded in 1906 by Louise Jay-Cognacq, are worth a visit.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 1,673 |
| 1968 | 1,647 |
| 1975 | 1,724 |
| 1982 | 1,954 |
| 1990 | 2.148 |
| 1999 | 2,323 |
| 2006 | 2,332 |
With 2,458 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) Samoëns is one of the medium-sized municipalities 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 Samoëns still had 3,008 inhabitants). Since the beginning of the 1970s, however, a significant increase in population has been recorded.
Economy and Infrastructure
Samoëns used to be a village mainly characterized by agriculture , alpine farming and handicrafts. Today there are various small business enterprises. Tourism developed as early as the 19th century. In the last few decades Samoëns has developed into an important holiday resort in the Haut-Giffre. The municipality specializes in both summer and winter tourism (various mountain railways and ski lifts) and is part of the Grand Massif tourist region.
The village is off the main thoroughfares, but is easily accessible from Taninges via the D907 departmental road. Another road connection exists with Morillon on the southern side of the Giffre valley.
Personalities
- Marie-Louise Jaÿ , (1838–1925), entrepreneur, patron and art collector
