Welcome to the Italian North!

The Savoie region of France was the original homeland of the Savoy dynasty, who became the first rulers of a newly united Italy in 1861. From their strongholds amidst of the highest peaks in the Alps, the Savoy began expanding a thousand years ago on both sides of the divide, into what is now France and Italy but what was then a myriad of small feudal states.

The modern unity of Italy – some 1400 years since the fall of the Roman Empire, the last time the Italian peninsula was united – was by no means a certain historical outcome. Indeed, had the Savoy monarchy renounced their plans to unify Italy through the annexation of Lombardy and later Veneto, in place of “Italy” we might now have a transalpine “Savoy-Kingdom of Sardinia”, which would include some of the most beautiful terrain in the Western Alps from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea at Nice.

Recently, contributor Enrico Santangelo ventured over the present-day border to explore two of the main towns in the splendid Maurienne valley, close to the wild Parc National de Vanoise. This is his tale:

From Bardonecchia town centre (90 Km/1h by car from Torino bypass/ motorway A32) in Italy we traveled to St. Jean de Maurienne, via Fréjus-St. Michel de Maurienne, Savoy.

On August 4, 2011, nothing seemed more suitable than having a glimpse at the region bordered by the Alps between Fréjus tunnel and Mont Cenis. My companion (= “copine”) and I followed the N543 highway straight up to St. Michel, avoiding the pretty insignificant town of Modane and the “route à péage” (toll route) of the inartistic, distracting A43 motorway….

St. Michel de Maurienne (visit time: circa 2hrs.). From hilltop, where two differently shaped medieval towers stand out (”la tour ronde” and “la tour carré”), one may enjoy a sweeping view of the Arc valley (from the name of the river crossing the town) and of St. Michel town centre. The “vieux borg” (old town) is surrounded by a group of sixteenth-century buildings, situated at a stone’s throw from the “paroisse” (parochial church), housing six wooden altars along its three late Renaissance St. Peter’s Basilica-like naves, with a dome at the transept crossing. As in the majority of alpine churches, wood - cheaper and warmer – was preferred to marble for the construction of altars. Near the church, the “Espace Alu” (aluminum museum) is also worth a visit. It exhibits the history of the aluminum mines in the region and displays a unique collection of objects and jewelry in the “alu boutique” (http://www.espacealu.fr/musee-presentation.htm).

Have a look at the “Mairie” (Town Hall) on your way back.

St. Jean de Maurienne (visit time: circa 6 hrs.). Following the N543 highway, we arrived at St. Jean de Maurienne (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne), where every year the “Fête du pain” (Bread fair) is celebrated on August 4. This is a sort of homemade bread competition, during which variously-shaped crunchy and crusty bread loaves (including the world-renowned Queen of French bread: “M.me La Baguette”) are blessed by the bishop of St. Jean – through the “typical” St. John the Baptist’s blessing – and then freely distributed to citizens and tourists.

Apart from the yummy bread-making attraction, the visitors’ curiosity may also be attracted by the Hôtel de Ville (a posher name usually applied to the “mairie” of bigger towns), the bishop’s palace, the church of Nôtre Dame, the Cathedral and cloisters and even by the history of… St. John’s blessing of the bread. The catholic-clerical three-finger blessing apparently relates to St. John’s the Baptist’s three severed fingers, smuggled into Europe by St. Thecla in the first century AD (see The Golden Legend – The Decollation of Saint John Baptist, at http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/golden260.htm); the three relics are still on display in St. Jean’s cathedral.

The Cathedral has three naves with chapels, presbytery and a choir running along the apse wall. The adjoining fifteenth-century cloister is beautifully adorned with rose bushes; the façade however is nothing more than an eighteenth-century juxtaposed porch. The wooden choir with its fifteenth-century carved walnut stall seats and benches is quite remarkable, displaying underneath the typical medieval “misericordiae” (misericords = acts of mercy). Each member of the local clergy holding a stall in the Cathedral chapter might even have the chance to discreetly show one of his (confessed and indulged for) weaknesses/sins by having his lifting seat symbolically carved underneath. For a brief description of misericords (in Britain) see  http://content.yellowgrey.com/ms/a_handbook_of_medieval_misericords.php.

The seventeenth-century Bishop’s palace is used as an exhibition hall and a museum. If you are into cutlery you might be interested in visiting the Opinel exhibition of knives and table hardware, and discovering the secrets of a family entirely devoted to what has become a national emblem. The museum part of the palace is a permanent collection of pictures, costumes and objects related to the Maurienne county (“cradle” of the house of Savoy with its long line of Humberts and Amadeuses), the Savoy duchy and the Savoy-Kingdom of Sardinia. The wall picture of the ancient Savoy state illustrates the transalpine vocation of its rulers.

The left-nave portal of the Church of Nôtre Dame, just beside the right nave of the Cathedral, is worth a mention due to its fine white marble embrasure with thin columns and beautifully sculpted capitals.

We decided to conclude our delightful St. Jean and “Fête du pain” (Bread fair) experience with a glass of fine Savoie red wine. The Mondeuse “cépage” indeed intrigues the taster’s palate with its fresh red berries and spicy flavors.

Santé et Bonheur avec du pain and du vin de Savoie!

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