Savoy

The French Alps, the most westerly and the highest part of the great arc of the Alps, occupy the old provinces of Savoy and Dauphiné and extend also into Provence. The historical region of Savoy (French Savoie, Italian Savoia), corresponding broadly to the present- day départements of Haute-Savoie (chief town Annecy) to the north and Savoie (Chambéry) to the south, extends from the southern shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) to a line running from Les Echelles (between Chambéry and Grenoble) by way of the Col de la Croix de Fer to the Col du Galibier, and is bounded on the west by the middle Rhône valley and on the east by the Italian region of Piedmont. Most of this area is occupied by the magnificent Savoy Alps, extending between Lake Geneva and the Isère valley and rising to a height of 4,807 m/15,772ft in Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. To the west is a beautiful pre-Alpine lake district, with the Lac d'Annecy and the Lac du Bourget, surrounded by mountains rising to 1,800 m/5,900ft.

The history of Savoy, the ancestral territory of the Italian royal house, has followed a different course from that of the Dauphiné. Early traces of human settlement have been found on the shores of the Lac du Bourget and Lac d'Annecy. The region, originally inhabited by a Celtic tribe, the Allobroges, was occupied by the Romans in the second century B.C. and became part of the province of Gallia Cisalpina. From the fifth C. the Burgundians began to settle here, founding the kingdom of Burgundy which (including Savoy) was incorporated in the German Empire (the Holy Roman Empire) in 1033. Nevertheless the Counts of Savoy retained their independence and, secure in their possession of the Alpine passes, sought to extend their domains into Italy and France and consequently became involved in bitter warfare. In 1101 the Counts of Savoy gained the status of Counts of the Empire and in 1416 became Dukes of Savoy. In 1418 they transferred their residence to Turin in the northern Italian principality of Piedmont but continued to call themselves Dukes of Savoy. After the wars of religion, in 1564, Savoy was compelled to cede Geneva, Vaud and the Valais to the Swiss Confederation. It saw further fighting during its wars with Louis XIV of France. Following a victory by Prince Eugene of Savoy at Turin, the treaty of Utrecht (1713) brought Savoy additional territory in the form of the kingdom of Sicily, which it exchanged soon afterwards for Sardinia. After the unification of Italy the House of Savoy ceded Savoy and Nice to France in recognition of French military assistance, and this transfer was confirmed by a plebiscite in 1860.

The 19th C. saw the development of the railroad (which reached Fréjus in 1872) and the road system.

Climbers and winter sports enthusiasts have long recognized the attractions of Savoy.

Winter sports resorts like Chamonix, Megève, Morzine and Val d'Isère have an international reputation, as have spas like Aix-les-Bains, Thonon and Evian.

The Mont Blanc Tunnel, a road tunnel 11.6km/7.25mi long, gives Savoy (and Europe north of the Alps) a direct link with Italy. Agriculture - cattle-rearing, dairy farming, fruit-growing - still plays an important part in the economy.

Walking and climbing in summer and all kinds of winter sports are the main attractions, but there are many other possibilities, for example fishing in the mountain streams and lakes. Many resorts have tennis courts and facilities for riding and bathing, as well as a number of golf-courses.