Savoie
Savoie is a department in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population of 436,434.
Together with Haute-Savoie, it is one of the two departments of the historical region of Savoy; the Duchy of Savoy was annexed by France in 1860, following the signing of the Treaty of Turin. The area is known for its numerous ski resorts and contribution to French cuisine, with culinary specialities such as fondue savoyarde, tartiflette, génépi, as well as various sorts of saucisson.
History
It is widely accepted that Savoie takes its name from the Latin Sapaudia or Sabaudia, meaning land covered in fir trees. Savoie was long part of the states of Savoy; though beginning in the 16th century, it was occupied by France several times. It was integrated into the Mont-Blanc department from 1792 to 1815. The province was annexed by France in 1860. The former Duchy of Savoy became the two departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie.Moûtiers, capital of the former province of Tarentaise Valley, ceased to be a subprefecture following a law that took effect on 10 September 1926.
Savoie hosted the 1992 Winter Olympics, based in Albertville with ski events at Tarentaise and Beaufortain. The coat of arms for Savoie was used as a pattern for the flames in the official emblem of the games.
The other main alpine valley is the Maurienne, connected to the Tarentaise valley by two passes, the col de la Madeleine and the highest pass in Europe, the col de l'Iseran. The Maurienne valley was through the col du Mont Cenis, the major commercial route between France and Italy. It is one of the longest intra-alpine valleys in the Alps.
Geography
Savoie is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region established on 1 January 2016. It was previously part of Rhône-Alpes. It borders the departments of Haute-Savoie, Ain, Isère, and Hautes-Alpes, as well as Italy's Aosta Valley and Metropolitan City of Turin.Much of Savoie is covered by mountains:
- Mont Blanc Massif
- Belledonne Massif
- Lauzière massif
- Aiguilles d'Arves Massif
- Massif des Cerces
- Aravis Range
- Mont Cenis Massif
- Bauges Massif
- Chartreuse Massif
- Vanoise Massif
- Beaufortain Massif
Climate
Most of the department features an alpine climate or a subalpine climate. At lower altitudes and in the valleys, the climate is humid continental or even oceanic in the frontcounrty and lake Bourget area, using the isotherm.Economy
According to the Chambéry chamber of commerce, close to 50% of the department's wealth comes from tourism. Each year, Savoie hosts over 30 million visitor-nights of tourists. Savoie also profits from its natural resources with particular strengths in ore processing and hydroelectric power.Savoie had an exceptionally high export/import ratio of 214% in 2005. Its exports rose to €1.768 billion and €825 million in imports. Its leading exports were steel, aluminum, and electric and electronic components.
Agriculture
Savoie is famous for its cows, which produce numerous cheeses, some of them are:- Beaufort
- Savoie gruyère
- Reblochon
- Abbaye de Tamié
- Tome des Bauges
- Tomme de Savoie
Apples and pears are also produced in the region and are well known for their qualities.
Demographics
Residents of Savoie are known as Savoyards, though they can also be called Savoisiens or Savoyens.Principal towns
The most populous commune is Chambéry, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 8 communes with more than 7,000 inhabitants:The "average" population density is not a good indicator: the valleys tend to be much more densely populated, whereas the mountains tend to be near-completely uninhabited.
Religion
The Catholic Church in Savoie is divided into three dioceses: Chambéry, Maurienne, and Tarentaise. Together, they form an archdiocese, in which the bishop of Chambéry is the archbishop.Politics
Departmental Council of Savoie
The Departmental Council of Savoie has 38 seats. 30 councillors are part of the J'aime la Savoie right-wing group; 8 councillors are part of the Savoie pour Tous left-wing group. Hervé Gaymard has been President of the Departmental Council since 2008. Thierry Repentin has been Opposition Leader since 1998.Members of the National Assembly
Savoie elected the following members of the National Assembly during the 2017 legislative election:Senators
Savoie is represented by two Senators in Parliament. Jean-Pierre Vial and Martine Berthet have served since 1995 and 2017 respectively. Both are members of The Republicans.Tourism
Tourism, which is quite important to Savoie, began to develop towards the end of the 19th century, mostly summer oriented. The increase in the popularity of skiing in the 20th century made Savoie home to the largest number of ski hills in France, including many famous ones:- Val-d'Isère
- Tignes
- Les Arcs
- La Plagne
- Courchevel
- Méribel
- Valmorel
- Les Menuires
- Val Thorens
- Les Saisies
- Savoie Grand Revard
- Bramans
- Bessans
- Valloire
- Aix-les-Bains
- Challes-les-Eaux
- Brides-les-Bains
- La Léchère
History
- Savoy, historical region
- House of Savoy, ruling dynasty of Savoy from 1032 to 1860
- Duchy of Savoy, rulers of Savoy region from 1416 to 1720
- Kingdom of Sardinia, 1720 to 1860
Language
- French language
- Franco-Provençal language
Places
- Communes of the Savoie department
- Arrondissements of the Savoie department
- Cantons of the Savoie department
- Chambéry
- Aix-les-Bains
- Lac du Bourget, the largest lake in France
- List of historical monuments in Savoy
Wine
- French wine, AOC wine of Savoie
- Savoy wine or wine of Savoie Allobrogie