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The chapel of Sainte-Marguerite dates from about the 12th century in its present condition. The chapel of Saint-Clair, near the dam, was closed down and emptied of its religious relics in order to be used as accommodation for a group of revolutionary armies. |
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The climatic deterioration which accelerated at the end of the 15th
century led to a swelling of the glaciers that obstructed the col's
passages, encroaching upon the high valley. Avalanches became increasingly
more frequent. The winters were more and more severe : the small scattered
houses grouped together at the foot of the chapel and were covered with
roofing stones.
This climatic change was at its most serious at the beginning of the 17th century : these "horrible glaciers" were at the bottom of the valleys. |
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A
working of cereal crops (barley and rye) gradually became established
: it was necessary to be fed during the longer winter months. These
food crops entirely covered the bottom of the valley and a large area
of the slopes. The smallest of projecting ledges were used and efficiently
regulated irrigation networks helped accelerate the growth of the shoots
which subsequently increased output.
The "swathes" of cereals were hit on smooth surfaces and the wind carried away impurities. Three water mills were in operation. An oven cooked the bread for each household in turn. The hard and dry rye bread could be kept for months on end. The barley pancakes were reheated in soup (or in milk) and were used to make highly nutritional dishes. Salted meats and cheeses were transported by horse and stored in little buildings (stores) that were located beside the brook that crossed the village. During the winter, the iron and silver-bearing lead mines were exploited under bad weather shelters. |
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Household pets were few and far between : up until the 19th century,
a family would typically possess about two cows that were used as draught
animals (pulling heavy loads) for ploughing, fifteen or so ewes for
milking and for providing wool and fuel (grobons) and a pig. |
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Two fears constantly haunted the village inspite of its isolation outside the great Alpine cols :
The seasons perpetually came and went. At the end of winter the villagers :
Some of the plants which were picked were intended for medicinal purposes, their roots used to filter the milk, the sorb used to make gnole, birch for brushes, the incense used to disinfect and scent the houses. Maple was used as a wood for sleighs. |
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The ground freezes and the snow falls. People and animals stayed in
a single room under the glare of oil lamps. Small pieces of furniture,
along with tools and crockery, were made and warm sheets woven. |
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At the end of this glacial trough, in the shade and the light of the
medieval world, being trapped by the elements, these mountain dwellers
were able to create a perfectly adapted micro society.
They left us their silent stone houses as well as their paths made out of granite slabs. L'Écot is one of the highest hamlets in France and presents itself in all its glory. It portrays the memory of those who lived there in past centuries and in which we are now the protectors. |
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THE COL DE L'ISERAN UOne
of the highest in Europe - altitude of 2770 metres |
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One of the most important sites for tourism in Savoie, the col de l'Iseran
enables one to cross the mountains of Val d'Isère towards Bonneval-Sur-Arc,
from the Tarentaise towards the Maurienne. It is a col in which the
inhabitants of the 2 villages had to cross by way of a mule track in
order to carry out their business.
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It was at the beginning of the last century that the idea of a tourist
route was born that would cross the High Alps, via the col de l'Iseran,
between Evian and Nice. Albert Lebrun, the President of the Republic,
inaugurated the route in 1937, after six years of construction.
Though the route of the Iseran is closed during the winter, it attracts a great number of visitors during the summer months when it is open. It is often a high mountain stage of the Tour de France. |
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The route offers splendid panoramic views because the main part of it runs through the Parc National de la Vanoise (Vanoise National Park). The landscape, fauna, and the flora are entirely protected. Signs warn you, but you can still marvel at all this with your eyes. Moreover, the flora from the Iseran area is one of the richest and most varied found anywhere in Europe. The route rises into an imposing landscape of the high mountains. There are splendid panoramic views over the glacial cirques of the Arc's sources, over Mont Pourri and the Grande Motte, over the cirque des Evettes where Albaron and the two Ciamarella were enthroned. |
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Even
at the col, the chapel of Notre Dame de Toute Prudence was built by
the architect Novarina. A statue by Edgar Delvaux in cream coloured
marble dominates the porch. |
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When
a motorist crosses the col de l'Iseran he must do so in being aware
of the dangers. You are in a high mountain area and care must be taken.
The journey can be made from Val d'Isère to Bonneval or in the opposite
direction. Either way the landscape is magnificent. Stop and take time
to admire this beautiful scenery. |
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On
the Bonneval slope, it is good to stop for a while in the verdant Lenta
valley. The view gradually becomes clearer over the frontier summits
and their enormous glaciers, in particular the Albaron and the peak
of Charbonnel. At the col go and see the chapel. It is possible to climb
up to the peak of Lessières using a steep path from where the view is
even more spectacular. It takes about 1 hour in order to reach the top,
but wear suitable shoes. Do not venture out if bad weather is forecast.
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LES
EVETTES
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In
the cold areas of the high mountains where precipitation falls in the
form of snow throughout the year, glaciers are formed. They result from
the accumulation and packing of snow over a number of years and are
presented in the form of cirques. They are also known as the catchment
areas for the glaciers.
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The
ice results from the transformation of the snow under the influence
of pressure and changes in temperature. Under the effects of gravity,
the glacier, in the form of a glacial tongue, tends to descend downstream
where it melts (ablation). Due to its sluggishness, it gives the illusion
of mobility. By using various marking methods it is possible to establish
its speed. The Evettes glacier moves by about 80 metres each year. This
glacier has got a vast catchment area of some 3500 metres wide and possesses
a glacial amphitheatre which rises to 2900 metres, representing an area
of some 270 ha. It is one of the most beautiful glaciers from the cirque
of the western Alps, as much for its wildness as for its accessibility.
There is the blue emerald colour of its lakes and lagots that explode
into a symphony of colour with their flowers and alpine pastures.
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The
Evettes glacier has one of the richest and most complex water levels
in the western Alps. A confused network of running and still waters
in which its name signifies glacier : evettes, the diminutive of "éve",
water. The water level is in fact the bottom of a large lake that has
recently dried up in a circular form, but which figured on a map dating
back to 1733. Aerial and terrestrial charts and photographs taken at
different times highlight the instability of this zone. Nowadays, the
waters are redirected towards the east in a torrent which rushes down
for some 100 metres below. It is in the form of the waterfall of Reculaz
and a small clear water lake is situated on the right hand side of the
glacier.
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The
site of the Evettes was subject more to human influence than from the
mountain pastures or the major routes such as Mont Cenis which are close
by. Free from construction, pastoral exploitation, the transportation
of goods and military posts, the first CAF refuge was only built in
1906 and the flora has been protected ever since.
Moreover, it is a conservation area and so the threat has been removed of seeing the site drowned by a hydroelectric plant. Mont Cenis, on the other hand, has seen rare species disappear under the waters. The first floristic data concerning the Evettes came from the Englishman Harald Stuart Tompson. In 1901, while travelling through the area, he noted the extremely rare uniflorous Groundsel, endemic to the Haute Maurienne, its germinal area being Piedmontese in origin (Grand Paradis). In 1908, Nisius Roux from Lyon, noted that the Celtic Valerian, like the Groundsel, was extremely rare and did not grow between an altitude of 2000 and 3000 metres, so its germinal area was from the Piedmontese slopes of the Alps. |
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In
1920, the same Roux organized les Journées d'Etude de la Société Botanique
de France (Botanical Society of France Studies). The report was the
first and most important study of its kind about the flora from this
site and benefited from the wisdom of a number of botanists who took
part in the work. Between Bonneval and l'Ecot, 66 species were noted
and from l'Ecot to the refuge of the Evettes, that is to say a difference
in altitude of 561 metres, 98 plants were observed. In the surrounding
areas of the refuge there were 34 other species noted and in the scree
covered slopes of l'Ouille du Midi there were 10 new plants and 18 other
sorts in the moraine of the Evettes glacier. Finally, descending into
the gorges of the Reculaz, 8 new varieties were discovered that included
234 interesting species, several of these plants being amongst the rarest
in France and the concentration of these was truly exceptional within
this defined perimeter. It is an area of very great interest for study
and biological research.
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Tourist
Office
73480 Bonneval-sur-Arc Tel. 04.79.05.95.95 - Fax : 04.79.05.86.87 E-mail : info@bonneval-sur-arc.com |
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