Et bien Monsieur le Maire à des goûts minables.
Moi, à Challes Les Eaux, il n'y a que ce bâtiment là qui m'a charmé.
Je regrette de ne pas avoir d'autres clichés du garage.
One of the 2 remaining towers of the castle, formerly featuring a high dunjeon in the middle.
The castle stretches along the narrow crest for almost 250m, the fortress itself enclosing the 'city' quarters hosting servants and staffs. Maximum width is around 20m. Only old plans show their location, since the place is heavily damaged from long time abandon (seemingly after a fire).
The fortress follows exactly the path of the old roman road leading to Italy (a strange itinerary to our eyes, but the best possible way for the Romans who knew their subject about roads).
Both ends featured a toll gate, where the Lords of Montmayeur made their fortune with every traveller & cargo coming in, or out, Savoie territory. Their hold on the tax perceived for the duchy was said to be very comfortable.
Towers surroundings were cleared a few years ago and allow some nice views. Note the 'Pic de l'Uille' mount facing Mont Raillant, where another massive fort (not as old as Montmayeur) was erected, but completely demolished by Connétable de Lesdiguières on Louis XIII instructions. Relations between Savoie and Dauphiné (affiliated to France) were always a bit of conflictual regarding the borders question.
Going the crest trail that replaces the roman road all the way down to La Chapelle Blanche, there is a huge erratic stone after La Générale farmhouse ; it is named 'Pierre du Vrieu' after an assumption that it is nestled so close to the hillcrest edge, one could make it bounce just by the push of a hand (you can just try).
In the opposite direction, a small isolated chapel dedicated to St Michel is halfway between castle and Cochette pass that can bring you to Villard d'Héry and Montmélian (western side of the hill) or La Trinité and La Rochette (eastern side).
This is 'le clos st Anthelme' - private co-owned property featuring the former corner tower of a large defensive complex.
It was built around XI-XIIth century to protect local populations from Sarrazin (Arabic pillards) invasions.
The next tower (now just fully restored) is visible in the BG above.
CHIGNIN plateau & village, outside producing the most expensive and maybe the finest eponymous white wine in Savoie, is still something of a mystery today.
This unique in Europe, major site of interest deserves a full development by itself.
I shall build a dedicated site, with exclusive pictures I did just after an archeologic study conducted by Lyon University in 1985.
Landscape changed definitely thereafter, local owners using bulldozers to flatten the ruins around the towers and plant wineyards instead of growing milk cows. I did also some drawings. maybe I will also dare some restitution artwork.
For the moment, one can arrange with this temporary file and sort out some basic info:
Mandatory sources to read about, among many others are :
- Les environs de Chambéry (Gabriel Pérouse, 1926) : detailed notice with author's own analysis, reedited @ La Fontaine de Siloé
Les Châteaux et maisons-fortes de Savoie, Michèle Brocard-Plaut with Edmond Brocard pictures (short notice about the site).
Note that Perouse's analysis locates Bourdeau ruins outside the complex, while later studies do not. In the latter case, the castle would have been asymetric - but why would there have been another separate tower, instead ?
The place is already strange enough to have hosted so many towers, with their respective lords after it turned out of being a collective fort ; with 7 towers turned isolated from each other, each with its own outbuildings, Chignin was a surprising "village of castles" only.
Pre-roman coins dated -42 (from the Sequanes gauls tribe) were found in the fields around, leading to think that the place was already used long before it went fortified in the Middle-Age.
Serious assumptions locate a major city (much larger than nearby Chambéry at the time, with population in excess of 5,000 vs 2,500-3,000) in the valley just in front of the elevated plateau.
This city called St André was destroyed by a facing mountain landslide of 1248. Its main cliff is impressive enough to let the viewer imagine the total disaster it has been : hundred million tons of limerock falled early in the morning, killing most inhabitants.
The shape of the mountain is supposed to have been similar, although some say it was joining gently to the current pass.
Since the multiple layers of rock rolled over enclosed waters that went immediately vaporised by extreme friction and pressures exerted, the landslide was carried over very far down.
Fresk paintings of the disaster (that are not so old) are visible on the church's ceiling, topping the (much older) crypted vault.
Legend says landslide stopped just at the feet of the monks running this Myans church (where a gilt statue of Vierge Marie overlooks the place, you can see it from the highway).
All the landscape around was heavily affected by the seismic-engaged landslide (a big earthquake and a tsunami were registered in England the same day).
Small stony hills, big chunks of stone (the biggest being 'Pierre Hâchée' - the Slit Stone near the village), various lakes and ponds form the new profile of the area. Lake St André, for example, was formed from this cataclysmic event.
A legend says water cover the former church of the St André lost city and that you can hear the bells through the waters (this is just BS ; I am an early visitor of this lake and nothing such is to be witnessed of course).
BTW, I am the 'inventor' of windsurfing on this lake, together with my friend André Pravert whose parents co-owned the property pictured here, at the time.
As youths in 1980, we asked our respective parents to bring us sometimes to this lake in order to perform the then new fashionable sport, windsurfing ; the spot was very good with fair crosswinds and a nice island to turn around, but growing imitation of this brilliant idea prompted a municipality act preventing to do so :D).
All this area produces a famous white wine, called 'Apremont' and sometimes referred as "abymes" (a local term reminding of the chaotic array of stones & earth left by the disaster).
Local modern landscaping, need for building plots,... tend to level it all flat and most remnants of the falled pieces of the mountain will have disapeared by the next decades.
There is another small lake, Lac Noir, to be reached via an easy walk above current St André (name survives but designates a small village).
It is nestled in the forest at the bottom of Mt Granier and not visible from any place around.
A road nearby can lead the inspired visitor to Bellecombe village, where ruins of a large castle remind of the conflicting eras between Savoie independant state and France, allied with dauphinese lords to guard their respective but moving borders here.
night lighting was fitted for the 1992 Albertville Olympic Winter Games. It followed 1989 lighting of the nearby Nivolet mountain, supported by EdF public power company - but illumination of the latter happens more and more scarcely, while the chapel is often lit
topping Mt St Michel towering Challes.
Ruins of a former chapel are lying just behind and they both should follow an antic roman temple : the place was used by Romans as a smoke signals relay between Lemencum (currently Chambéry) and Cularo (Grenoble) via similar far visible places all the way long, like Avalon tower near Pontcharra
This picture was taken from a high floor of the Fortune Town's parking lots, on Ratchadaphisek Rd.
C.P. is my Ltd Cy HQ & operational offices place.
Chamnan Phenjati was built in 1988 and is still a practical and enjoyable place to work.
Not a so busy hive since it is just a 30-storey building, with basic but sufficient in-house services : extensive parkings, pool, 2 tennis, 2 food halls (5th floor canteen with open terrace was just rebuilt), 2 food shops, 2 cafés, 1 bank with W.U. service, 2 ATMs...
Location & environment, view are convenient, with as many malls like Fortune Town and its great IT Mall, Tesco-Lotus, Esplanade, Carrefour, Jusco, Robinson being very close - plus Thailand Cultural Centre & Siam Niramit Theatre.
Many pubs & discos all around (soi 4, soi 8, the Inch, the Baryan Tree...). Car dealers everywhere if you need a second hand vehicle.
This place has got it all for overall attractive prices - and is just 2 stations away from major BTS/MRT connecting knot Sukhumvit-Asok. Look no further, that's the place for both working & living
Fortune Town Mall, seen from my 'HQ offices' (25th FL.) in Chamnan Phenjati.
The narrow, lengthy shape of the mall stretches along Ratachadaphisek Rd. Above the 2 floors + basement of shops, multiple parking lots support the Fortune (Mercure) Hotel (left) and CP Tower 2 offices building (right); the mall further extends several dozens meters to the right.
Note IC Tower (beige) behind and much further in the BG, Bayoke II (309 m)
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farangset's conversations
Et bien Monsieur le Maire à des goûts minables. Moi, à Challes Les Eaux, il n'y a que ce bâtiment là qui m'a charmé. Je regrette de ne pas avoir d'autres clichés du garage.
more »
One of the 2 remaining towers of the castle, formerly featuring a high dunjeon in the middle.
The castle stretches along the narrow crest for almost 250m, the fortress itself enclosing the 'city' quarters hosting servants and staffs. Maximum width is around 20m. Only old plans show their location, since the place is heavily damaged from long time abandon (seemingly after a fire).
The fortress follows exactly the path of the old roman road leading to Italy (a strange itinerary to our eyes, but the best possible way for the Romans who knew their subject about roads).
Both ends featured a toll gate, where the Lords of Montmayeur made their fortune with every traveller & cargo coming in, or out, Savoie territory. Their hold on the tax perceived for the duchy was said to be very comfortable.
Towers surroundings were cleared a few years ago and allow some nice views. Note the 'Pic de l'Uille' mount facing Mont Raillant, where another massive fort (not as old as Montmayeur) was erected, but completely demolished by Connétable de Lesdiguières on Louis XIII instructions. Relations between Savoie and Dauphiné (affiliated to France) were always a bit of conflictual regarding the borders question.
Going the crest trail that replaces the roman road all the way down to La Chapelle Blanche, there is a huge erratic stone after La Générale farmhouse ; it is named 'Pierre du Vrieu' after an assumption that it is nestled so close to the hillcrest edge, one could make it bounce just by the push of a hand (you can just try).
In the opposite direction, a small isolated chapel dedicated to St Michel is halfway between castle and Cochette pass that can bring you to Villard d'Héry and Montmélian (western side of the hill) or La Trinité and La Rochette (eastern side).
more »
This is 'le clos st Anthelme' - private co-owned property featuring the former corner tower of a large defensive complex.
It was built around XI-XIIth century to protect local populations from Sarrazin (Arabic pillards) invasions.
The next tower (now just fully restored) is visible in the BG above.
CHIGNIN plateau & village, outside producing the most expensive and maybe the finest eponymous white wine in Savoie, is still something of a mystery today.
This unique in Europe, major site of interest deserves a full development by itself.
I shall build a dedicated site, with exclusive pictures I did just after an archeologic study conducted by Lyon University in 1985.
Landscape changed definitely thereafter, local owners using bulldozers to flatten the ruins around the towers and plant wineyards instead of growing milk cows. I did also some drawings. maybe I will also dare some restitution artwork.
For the moment, one can arrange with this temporary file and sort out some basic info:
http://cid-94e6901aaf936383.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Arch%c3%a9ologie%20Savoie/Tours%20de%20Chignin%20%7C5photos%201985%20apr%c3%a8s%20campagne%20fouilles%20U%20de%20Lyon%7C6
Mandatory sources to read about, among many others are : - Les environs de Chambéry (Gabriel Pérouse, 1926) : detailed notice with author's own analysis, reedited @ La Fontaine de Siloé
Note that Perouse's analysis locates Bourdeau ruins outside the complex, while later studies do not. In the latter case, the castle would have been asymetric - but why would there have been another separate tower, instead ?
The place is already strange enough to have hosted so many towers, with their respective lords after it turned out of being a collective fort ; with 7 towers turned isolated from each other, each with its own outbuildings, Chignin was a surprising "village of castles" only.
Pre-roman coins dated -42 (from the Sequanes gauls tribe) were found in the fields around, leading to think that the place was already used long before it went fortified in the Middle-Age.
Serious assumptions locate a major city (much larger than nearby Chambéry at the time, with population in excess of 5,000 vs 2,500-3,000) in the valley just in front of the elevated plateau.
This city called St André was destroyed by a facing mountain landslide of 1248. Its main cliff is impressive enough to let the viewer imagine the total disaster it has been : hundred million tons of limerock falled early in the morning, killing most inhabitants.
The shape of the mountain is supposed to have been similar, although some say it was joining gently to the current pass.
Since the multiple layers of rock rolled over enclosed waters that went immediately vaporised by extreme friction and pressures exerted, the landslide was carried over very far down.
Fresk paintings of the disaster (that are not so old) are visible on the church's ceiling, topping the (much older) crypted vault. Legend says landslide stopped just at the feet of the monks running this Myans church (where a gilt statue of Vierge Marie overlooks the place, you can see it from the highway).
All the landscape around was heavily affected by the seismic-engaged landslide (a big earthquake and a tsunami were registered in England the same day).
Small stony hills, big chunks of stone (the biggest being 'Pierre Hâchée' - the Slit Stone near the village), various lakes and ponds form the new profile of the area. Lake St André, for example, was formed from this cataclysmic event.
A legend says water cover the former church of the St André lost city and that you can hear the bells through the waters (this is just BS ; I am an early visitor of this lake and nothing such is to be witnessed of course).
BTW, I am the 'inventor' of windsurfing on this lake, together with my friend André Pravert whose parents co-owned the property pictured here, at the time.
As youths in 1980, we asked our respective parents to bring us sometimes to this lake in order to perform the then new fashionable sport, windsurfing ; the spot was very good with fair crosswinds and a nice island to turn around, but growing imitation of this brilliant idea prompted a municipality act preventing to do so :D).
All this area produces a famous white wine, called 'Apremont' and sometimes referred as "abymes" (a local term reminding of the chaotic array of stones & earth left by the disaster).
Local modern landscaping, need for building plots,... tend to level it all flat and most remnants of the falled pieces of the mountain will have disapeared by the next decades.
There is another small lake, Lac Noir, to be reached via an easy walk above current St André (name survives but designates a small village).
It is nestled in the forest at the bottom of Mt Granier and not visible from any place around.
A road nearby can lead the inspired visitor to Bellecombe village, where ruins of a large castle remind of the conflicting eras between Savoie independant state and France, allied with dauphinese lords to guard their respective but moving borders here.
more »
Chignin partly visible in the BG
more »
limited view of Chignin from down under - with the mist hiding all mountains in the BG
more »
this is not near Challes ! I guess it is Château de Rubaud near Coise, but not 100% sure. Pls provide another pix to double check
more »
night lighting was fitted for the 1992 Albertville Olympic Winter Games. It followed 1989 lighting of the nearby Nivolet mountain, supported by EdF public power company - but illumination of the latter happens more and more scarcely, while the chapel is often lit
more »
topping Mt St Michel towering Challes. Ruins of a former chapel are lying just behind and they both should follow an antic roman temple : the place was used by Romans as a smoke signals relay between Lemencum (currently Chambéry) and Cularo (Grenoble) via similar far visible places all the way long, like Avalon tower near Pontcharra
more »
This picture was taken from a high floor of the Fortune Town's parking lots, on Ratchadaphisek Rd.
C.P. is my Ltd Cy HQ & operational offices place. Chamnan Phenjati was built in 1988 and is still a practical and enjoyable place to work.
Not a so busy hive since it is just a 30-storey building, with basic but sufficient in-house services : extensive parkings, pool, 2 tennis, 2 food halls (5th floor canteen with open terrace was just rebuilt), 2 food shops, 2 cafés, 1 bank with W.U. service, 2 ATMs...
Location & environment, view are convenient, with as many malls like Fortune Town and its great IT Mall, Tesco-Lotus, Esplanade, Carrefour, Jusco, Robinson being very close - plus Thailand Cultural Centre & Siam Niramit Theatre.
Many pubs & discos all around (soi 4, soi 8, the Inch, the Baryan Tree...). Car dealers everywhere if you need a second hand vehicle.
This place has got it all for overall attractive prices - and is just 2 stations away from major BTS/MRT connecting knot Sukhumvit-Asok. Look no further, that's the place for both working & living
more »
Fortune Town Mall, seen from my 'HQ offices' (25th FL.) in Chamnan Phenjati.
The narrow, lengthy shape of the mall stretches along Ratachadaphisek Rd. Above the 2 floors + basement of shops, multiple parking lots support the Fortune (Mercure) Hotel (left) and CP Tower 2 offices building (right); the mall further extends several dozens meters to the right.
Note IC Tower (beige) behind and much further in the BG, Bayoke II (309 m)
more »