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History and heritage

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Birthplace to the House of Savoy

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The Maurienne is the southernmost valley of all the large transversal valleys located in the Savoy. First carved out by glaciers and then by the Arc river it offers an easy way to travel between France and Italy.

 

At the heart of the valley where the Arvan joins the Arc a large area opens up surrounded by mountainsides providing all the variety you would expect from alpine landscapes. In the background are the emblematic Aiguilles d’Arves Mountains. It was here that the small town of Maurienne was built. In the VI century, Gontran the King of Bourgogne and grandson of Clovis conquered the entire region which remained under the religious power of the Bishop of Turin.

A lady known in legend as Saint Thècle brought back relics of St John the Baptist from Alexandria in Egypt: three fingers from the hand that baptized Christ. In order to fittingly receive such great relics, Gontran made the town the head of a diocese, taking away power from his neighbour in Turin. The relics ensured that the town became the capital of the valley and led to the creation of its name: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and its coat of arms: a blessed hand. This event also led to the tradition of making pain bénit (blessed bread) which is commemorated during the bread festival held every year on the first Thursday in August.

  

Religious monuments were built in the town because it was the capital of the diocese. These monuments included a double cathedral and the bishop’s palace. These first structures were destroyed during unrest around the year 1000. Reconstruction had to take place reusing materials found on site: it is for this reason that fragments of Carolingian era sculptures were reused in the cathedral’s heavy pillars.

 

Reconstruction was made possible by Humbert aux Blanches Mains, the first Count of Maurienne, who restored order in the area. He received his investiture from the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, Conrad II, and founded the House of Savoy. His descendants also became Counts and then Dukes of a State that ran from la Bresse in Nice to Piedmont. Later descendants became Kings of Sardinia in 1718 and finally Kings of Italy until 1946. Italian unification resulted in the House of Savoy abandoning their home province in 1860.

 

The Maurienne played a great role in the rise of our princes due to its position as the “gatekeeper to the Alps.”  Humbert often visited the region and when he died was buried in front of the cathedral as were many of his descendants: Amédée la Queue, Boniface le Rolland… Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is therefore the top burial site for the Savoy dynasty. It was for this reason that in 1771 King Charles-Emmanuel ordered the construction of the cathedral’s porch under which his descendant Charles-Félix built a tomb in 1826 which can still be seen today. To the right of the tomb is a marble low-relief depicting Humbert’s investiture.

 

Close by, Notre-Dame church has kept its Norman chevet, a double arched gate, small columns and capitals sculpted out of gypsum (traditional material used for sculpting in Maurienne). One of these capitals shows two people who seem to be arguing over a bishop’s cross. It’s an allusion to the Investitures Quarrel which involved the pope and the emperor: this one depicts the excommunicated Henry IV of Germany who went to Canossa to obtain his pardon. He was related to the Counts of Maurienne and went across their land but had to negotiate his passage; this demonstrates the sizeable role our family of princes played in Europe.

 

The shell of the cathedral dates from the XI century. It has one of the oldest frameworks in France; some of the roof trusses have been dated with precision: the wood was cut in the autumn of 1074 or 1075. Under the cathedral’s chancel a crypt was built most probably to house the relics of Saint John the Baptist. Filled in in the XV century it was rediscovered in 1958 and can now be visited: techniques from early Norman architecture can be found here.

 

Great bishops imposed their mark on Saint-Jean. Many of them, such as Cardinal de Varembon, Cardinal d’Estouteville or Étienne Morel were great builders. In the XV century they produced master pieces of gothic art: a cloister linking the cathedral to the canon’s refectory; the great bell tower was topped by a spire which made the total height close to 80 metres tall. Unfortunately this spire did not survive the French Revolution in 1794.

 

Fortunately, the good sense of one Mauriennais ensured another jewel was saved: the stalls. At the end of the XV century the cathedral was transformed. The apse and the Norman ceiling were replaced by a chancel and Gothic arches. In this chancel, the sculptor Pierre Mochet had completed a magnificent set of stalls in 1498: one of these 13 groups of stalls known as the “credo Savoard,” can still be seen in Europe today. Next to the stalls is a Ciborium sculpted out of Carrare marble which housed the Holy Eucharist.

 

From the moment the Diocese was created, it was necessary for the bishop to have a home, especially because Saint-Jean de Maurienne was located on a great route meaning there were often important visitors passing through. What remains of these early constructions? It’s difficult to tell. The bishop’s palace located opposite the cathedral undoubtedly remains in its original place. However its current appearance is for the most part down to improvements made by Mgr de Martiniana in the second half of the XVIII century. Used by the sub-prefect under the Consulat and Empire, the building returned to its original use in 1825 until the separation of the Church and the State in 1905. This old bishop’s palace has today rediscovered its former glory of the XVIII century. It houses the Tourism Office as well as a museum of archaeology, religious art, traditional and popular arts and an exceptional collection of Mauriennais costumes which are amongst the oldest and most original to be found in the French Alps. Through the richness of their embroidery, their lace, the shimmering colours these costumes compete with even the most sumptuous baroque churches.

 

Up until this point there were two ruling powers. But with ambitious Counts and ambitious Bishops a conflict was inevitable. It occurred in 1326 when Arves residents staged a great revolt against the Bishop, their Lord Master. Even though the Count himself probably brought about the revolt, he helped the Bishop to regain his power. However from that point onwards the bishop agreed to share his power with an appointed judge, “le corrier.” His headquarters were located in a stronghold with cells in the lower section. The judge’s tower, to which was added a transalpine openwork style staircase in the centuries that followed, is still visible although now as part of unrelated buildings, a few metres from the great bell tower.

 

 From this medieval period, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne retained its cross shape which can be found on the north-south axis where the picturesque Rue Saint-Antoine continues into Rue du College. This road takes its name from Saint-Joseph College which is located in the old Bernadine’s convent, a beautiful example of Cistercian heritage from the XVII Century.

 

An administrative area, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is livened up by fairs and markets, helped by its position at a crossroads. Hotels and hostels welcome many travellers: the tourist vocation of Saint-Jean began even before the word existed! And well before mass industry made the valley one of the highest producing areas of aluminium, many small trades existed. The many properties of alpine plants inspired Father Guilled to invent Mont Corbier liquor; a museum retraces its history. Coming from a family of tool makers, Joseph Opinel created the scissors on the banks of the Arvan which went on to conquer the world. And because we are talking about local celebrities we must not forget Doctor Fodéré, considered the father of legal medicine and the great couturier Pierre Balmain, who spent all his childhood here.

 

Added to all these strengths is tourism, which is more a strength today than it ever was before. An obligatory route when going between France and Italy, located on the crossroads of major mountain passes and giving access to many stations round about, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is loyal to its slogan: one town, the mountain!

 

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne has preserved a rich heritage throughout its long and prestigious history 

Come and stroll around the streets looking for listed monuments that make Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne an essential part of the Pays d'Art et d'Histoire des Hautes Vallées de Savoie (Art and History areas of Savoy’s High Valleys.)