The Albanais is a small

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...

ard region situated between

Lake Annecy Lake Annecy (french: Lac d'Annecy, ) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy's outflow river.Jean-Daniel Stanley and Thomas F. Jorstad, ''Direct Sedimen ...

and

Lac du Bourget Lac du Bourget (; English Lake Bourget), also locally known as Lac Gris (; en, Grey Lake) or Lac d'Aix (), is a lake at the southernmost end of the Jura Mountains in the department of Savoie, France. It is the deepest lake located entirely with ...

, at the entrance to the Parc naturel régional du Massif des Bauges. Located in the

French departments In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety-s ...

Savoie Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population of ...

and

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè d'Amont'' or ''Hiôta-Savouè''; en, Upper Savoy) or '; it, Alta Savoia. is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its prefecture is ...

, its principal city is

Rumilly Rumilly may refer to several communes in France: * Rumilly, Haute-Savoie * Rumilly, Pas-de-Calais * Rumilly-en-Cambrésis, Nord * Rumilly-lès-Vaudes Rumilly-lès-Vaudes (, literally ''Rumilly near Vaudes'') is a commune in the Aube depar ...

. The name ''Albanais'' comes from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''Albinnum'', which is derived from the names of the tribes ''Albii'' (or ''Albani'') whose presence is attested to in the

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

y of places such as

Geography

The region extends from north to south and from east to west, widening above

Annecy Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...

. Its

terrain Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin word ...

is a rolling

peneplain 390px, Sketch of a hypothetical peneplain formation after an orogeny. In geomorphology and geology, a peneplain is a low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion. This is the definition in the broadest of terms, albeit with frequency the usage ...

, broadside at a pad of

calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...

mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

to the east (the

Semnoz Semnoz () is a mountain of Haute-Savoie, France. It lies in the Bauges range. It has an altitude of above sea level. The mountain is crossed by the D41/D110 road near to the Crêt de Chatillon at an altitude of . Tour de France The penultimate st ...

, Mont Bange,

Mont Revard Mont Revard (, ) is a mountain in the Bauges Massif near Aix-les-Bains in Savoie, France. The mountain is crossed by the D913 road between the villages of Saint-Jean-d'Arvey and Pugny-Chatenod near Aix-les-Bains. The ski resort of Le Revard i ...

) and to the west ( Princes Mountains, Gros Foug, Clergeon,

Cessens and La Biolle Mountains Cessens is a former commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Entrelacs.prealps The Alpine foothills, or Prealps (german: Voralpen; french: Préalpes; it, Prealpi; ), may refer generally to any foothills at the base of the Alps in Europe. They are the transition zone between the High Alps and the Swiss Plateau and the Bavar ...

and the

Jura Mountains The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Frenc ...

The region is bordered to the south by Lac du Bourget and extends to the north in the former Savoy province of Genevois. The median

altitude Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...

varies from within the plain. Its easterly border at its most abrupt reaches more than at Semnoz, the final peak of the

Bauges Mountains The Bauges Mountains ( French: ''Massif des Bauges'') is a mountain range in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Eastern France, stretching from the city of Annecy, Haute-Savoie to the city of Chambéry, Savoie, which is part of the French Prealps. Major ...

. The western border rises gently to slightly less than , which overhangs the Chautagne valley almost at (the left bank of the Rhone, north of Lac du Bourget). In clear weather, the

Chartreuse Mountains The Chartreuse Mountains (french: massif de la Chartreuse ) are a mountain range in southeastern France, stretching from the city of Grenoble in the south to the Lac du Bourget in the north. They are part of the French Prealps, which continue a ...

above

Chambéry Chambéry (, , ; Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the prefecture of the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. The population of the commune of Chambéry was 58,917 as of 2019, while the population of the Chambér ...

are visible to the south; the Mandallaz and

Salève The Salève (), or Mont Salève, is a mountain of the French Prealps located in the department of Haute-Savoie in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is also called the "Balcony of Geneva" (French: ''Balcon de Genève''). Geography Geographically, the S ...

are visible to the north, beyond which Gex and

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

are visible. Various slopes of lesser elevation, the

Bornes Massif The Bornes Massif (French: ''Massif des Bornes'') is a mountainous massif in the north French Prealps in the ''département'' of Haute-Savoie. It has 20 peaks higher than 2000 m and is a popular destination for winter sports. The Massif is the ...

(

La Tournette The Tournette (2,351 m or 7,713 ft) is a mountain in the Bornes Massif in Haute-Savoie, France. It is the highest of the mountains surrounding Lake Annecy and has a prominence of 1,514 (4,967 ft), qualifying it as an Ultra. Tourism It is possible ...

Dents de Lanfon The Dents de Lanfon ( French: Teeth of Lanfon) is a mountain in south-eastern France rising to 1824 m. Situated above Talloires on the east bank of Lac d'Annecy in Haute-Savoie. It is framed by mount Veyrier (1,291 m) to the north, and b ...

, Parmelan), the

Aravis Range The Aravis (french: Chaîne des Aravis) is a mountain range in Savoie and Haute-Savoie, eastern France. It is part of the French Prealps, a lower chain of mountain ranges west of the main chain of the Alps. Its highest summit is the Pointe Percé ...

Faucigny Faucigny ( it, Fossigni) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-centr ...

, and the Voirons up to

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and i ...

outside Rumilly (located behind Bornes) are visible to the northeast. The principal rivers are the

Fier Fier (; sq-definite, Fieri) is the seventh most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Fier County and Fier Municipality. It is situated on the bank of Gjanica River in the Myzeqe Plain between the Seman in the north, the Vjos ...

, which travels through the Bornes whose source is at Lake Annecy, and the

Chéran The Chéran () is a long river in the Savoie and Haute-Savoie'' départements'', eastern France. Its source is at Verrens-Arvey, in the ''massif des Bauges''. It flows generally northwest. It is a left tributary of the Fier into which it flows at ...

, sourced from the

Bauges The Bauges Mountains ( French: ''Massif des Bauges'') is a mountain range in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Eastern France, stretching from the city of Annecy, Haute-Savoie to the city of Chambéry, Savoie, which is part of the French Prealps. Major p ...

. The Fier leaves the Albanais to the west via a

water gap A water gap is a gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today. Such gaps that no longer carry water currents are called wind gaps. Water gaps and wind gaps often offer a prac ...

at Val-de-Fier, at an opening between the Princes Mountains and Gros Foug, from there she enters the Rhone downstream from Seyssel. The outlet of Chéran in the Albanais at

Allèves Allèves (; frp, Alève) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The village is located above the right bank of the Chéran, which forms the commune's southern border. S ...

, Semnoz and Mont Bange. The Sierroz, a short

intermittent Intermittency is a behavior of dynamical systems: regular alternation of phases of apparently periodic and chaotic dynamics. Intermittent or intermittency may also refer to: *Intermittent river or stream, the one that ceases to flow every year or ...

mountain stream, also runs into Lac du Bourget. These turbulent rivers carved out of the Albanais

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

narrow gorges deep.

History

The remains of human presence dating to the

neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

were discovered in the commune of

Gruffy Gruffy (; frp, Grôfi) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Chéran forms the commune's south-western border. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department ...

. In early

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

times, a

citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

was built in Rumilly. Under the reign of

Charlemange Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Em ...

, the ''Sapaudia'' (in actuality

) was divided into seven districts, one of which was Rumilly and the ''pagus albanensis'', corresponding to an area slightly larger than the current day Albanais. In January 867 Lothaire de Lorraine, a king of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

, legally donated land to his wife, the queen Thiedberge, which included the Albanais communes of ''Ariacum'' (

Héry-sur-Alby Héry-sur-Alby (; literally ''Héry on Alby''; frp, Éri) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Chéran forms the commune's eastern border. Gallery File:Panoram ...

), ''Belmontem'' ( Balmont), and ''Virilgum'' (a Vergloz hamlet). In November of 879, the land donation of king

Boso of Provence Boso (french: Boson; c. 841 – 11 January 887) was a Franks, Frankish nobleman of the Bosonids, Bosonid family who was related to the Carolingians, Carolingian dynasty and who rose to become King of Burgundy, King of Lower Burgundy and King o ...

to the

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conce ...

Tournus Tournus () is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Geography Tournus is located on the right bank of the Saône, 20 km. northeast of Mâcon on the Paris-Lyon railway. Pop ...

involved the Albanais communes of ''curtem Caldatis'' (a hamlet of Chaux), ''curtem que Verilico'' (a hamlet of Vergloz), ''curtem Tudesio'' ( Thusy), and ''villam Ariaco indominicatam'' (Héry-sur-Alby). These holdings were donated along with

serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...

s of both sex and the churches which they depended on. The Albanais from then on joined the history of Savoy: in 1630 as well as from 1690 to 1697, the Savoyard States were invaded by the troops of

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...

and in 1792, the lands of Savoy were freed for the first time from the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

and was occupied by French Revolutionary forces up until 1814. After briefly being part of the

Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...

, a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

ratifying the Treaty of Turin validated the annexation of Savoy to France in 1860, after which Savoy was split into the two departments of

and

Administration

The Albanais historically covered an area slightly larger than its current day limits. There are currently 37

communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...

in the following three

cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...

: *

Canton of Rumilly The canton of Rumilly is an administrative division of the Haute-Savoie department, southeastern France. Its borders were modified at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Rumilly. It consists of th ...

(Haute-Savoie) – 22,789 inhabitants (1999), : ** Communes of

Bloye Bloye () is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department The following is a list of the 279 Communes of France, communes of the French Departme ...

, Boussy,

Crempigny-Bonneguête Crempigny-Bonneguête (; frp, Krinpnyi-Bonaguéta) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department The following is a list of the 279 ...

Étercy Étercy () is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-easternFier Fier (; sq-definite, Fieri) is the seventh most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Fier County and Fier Munic ...

Hauteville-sur-Fier Hauteville-sur-Fier (, literally ''Hauteville on Fier''; frp, Ôtavèla) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Fier forms part of the commune's south-western bord ...

Lornay Lornay (; frp, Lourné) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Fier forms the commune's eastern border. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department The fo ...

, Marcellaz-Albanais,

Marigny-Saint-Marcel Marigny-Saint-Marcel (; frp, Maregni) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Chéran forms the commune's north-eastern border. See also *Communes of the Haute-Sav ...

, Massingy, Moye,

(capital),

Sales Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. The seller, or the provider of the goods or services, completes a sale in r ...

, Saint-Eusèbe, Thusy, Val-de-Fier, Vallières, Vaulx, Versonnex * Canton of Alby-sur-Chéran (Haute-Savoie) – 9,957 inhabitants (1999), : ** Communes of

Alby-sur-Chéran Alby-sur-Chéran (, literally ''Alby on Chéran''; frp, Arbi) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Chéran flows northwestward through the north-eastern part of th ...

(capital),

, Chainaz-les-Frasses, Chapeiry,

Cusy Cusy (; frp, Côsi) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Chéran forms the commune's north-eastern border. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department Th ...

Mûres Mûres (; frp, Mre) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Chéran forms the commune's western border. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department The follo ...

, Saint-Félix, Saint-Sylvestre,

Viuz-la-Chiésaz Viuz-la-Chiésaz (; frp, Viu) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department The following is a list of the 279 Communes of France, c ...

* Canton of Albens (Savoie) – 6,512 inhabitants (1999), : ** Communes of

Albens Albens (; frp, Arbin) is a former commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Entrelacs.La Biolle La Biolle (; frp, La Byôla) is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Savoie department The following is a list of the 273 communes of the Savoie department o ...

Cessens Cessens is a former commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Entrelacs.Épersy Épersy (; frp, Éparzi) is a former commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Entrelacs.Mognard Mognard (; frp, Monyâ) is a former commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Entrelacs. The total population of Mognard is 430 as of 2 ...

Saint-Germain-la-Chambotte Saint-Germain-la-Chambotte (; frp, San-Zharmin) is a former commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Entrelacs.Saint-Girod Saint-Girod (; frp, San-Zhrou) is a former commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Entrelacs.Saint-Ours One could also include in the Albanais part of the Canton of Seynod (the communes

Chavanod Chavanod (; frp, Chavanôd) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It is part of the urban area of Annecy.Montagny-les-Lanches Montagny-les-Lanches (; frp, Montanyi-lé-Lanshe) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department The following is a list of the 279 com ...

Quintal The quintal or centner is a historical unit of mass in many countries which is usually defined as 100 base units, such as pounds or kilograms. It is a traditional unit of weight in France, Portugal, and Spain and their former colonies. It is com ...

Cran-Gevrier Cran-Grevier is a former commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune Annecy. Geography Cran-Gevrier is in the west of Annecy. Part of th ...

Seynod Seynod is a former commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune Annecy.Canton of Grésy-sur-Aix (the communes

Grésy-sur-Aix Grésy-sur-Aix (, literally ''Grésy on Aix-les-Bains, Aix''; frp, Graizi) is a Communes of France, commune in the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in south-eastern France. It is awa ...

Saint-Offenge-Dessus Saint-Offenge-Dessus is a former Communes of France, commune in the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2015, Saint-Offenge-Dessus and Saint-Offenge-Dessous m ...

Saint-Offenge-Dessous Saint-Offenge-Dessous is a former commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2015, Saint-Offenge-Dessous and Saint-Offenge-Dessus merged becoming one commune called Saint-Offenge. See also *C ...

, Montcel), respectively included in the

urban agglomeration An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...

s of Annecy and

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; frp, Èx-los-Bens; la, Aquae Gratianae), locally simply Aix, is a commune in the southeastern French department of Savoie.

Economy

The Albanais is majorly rural but the

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

economy benefits from a diffuse

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly t ...

that differently affects all communes. New residents and the younger generations generally work in the urban and peri-urban zones of Rumilly, Aix-les-Bains, Annecy, or further out in

and

. Regardless, agriculture retains importance, especially the breeding of

dairy cow Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species ''Bos taurus''. Historically, little distinction was mad ...

s. The making of

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...

and ''

tomme Tomme (), occasionally spelled Tome, is a type of cheese and is a generic name given to a class of cheese produced mainly in the French Alps and in Switzerland.Joel Robuchon et al., ''Larousse Gastronomique'' (New York, New York: Clarkson Pot ...

'' from milk was done via communal labor until recently. These factories have largely closed in the last two decades of the twentieth century. Two modern ''tomme'' manufacturers were built near Gruffy and Sales, but the milk production of the region largely exceeds their capacity. The Albanais has longtime been a home to two important industrial milk producers: ''Lait Mont-Blanc'' in Rumilly, which produced

condensed milk Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed (roughly 60% of it). It is most often found with sugar added, in the form of ''sweetened condensed milk'' (SCM), to the extent that the terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condens ...

until it was purchased by

Nestlé Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...

and began producing

cereal A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...

s; and the cheesemaker ''Picon'' in Saint-Félix, which produced crème de gruyère and was purchased by

Bel BEL can be an abbreviation for: * The ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code for Belgium * ''BEL'' or bell character in the C0 control code set * Belarusian language, in the ISO 639-2 and SIL country code lists * Bharat Electronics Limited, an Indian stat ...

in 1968, finally closing in 2001. An important cheese production center still exists in Vallières.

The Albanais played an important part in the tobacco culture in France for nearly a century. Multiples rare tobacco dryers remained in production until they were abandoned in 1960, and thus a former tobacco manufacturer in Rumilly whose building was in part sacrificed for a

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

program. Tobacco crops ceded their place in the countryside to

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

destined for

fodder Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food g ...

. There were previously

granaries A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals ...

, whose mills were still functioning up until the 1950s. Either demolished or transformed into housing; they can still be seen in their location at the bottoms of valleys.

Wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

was unable to be milled from the small machines run on

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

power. There were also

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

s, oil mills, and small

power stations A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many pow ...

(in fact, Alby was one of the first communes in France to have electricity).

Timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

, mostly

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...

and

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...

, is harvested slightly throughout the region, particularly in the dominial forests of the bordering mountainous regions. Several villages also have sawmills and workshops that are used to construct

woodworking joints Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining pieces of wood, engineered lumber, or synthetic substitutes (such as laminate), to produce more complex items. Some woodworking joints employ mechanical fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, ...

. The cultivation of

hazel nuts The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according t ...

has essential disappeared, with the exception of on the slopes of Clergeon, as well as

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

s. Some vestiges of oil mills are remembered through the

toponymy Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

of place names.

Orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...

s (

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...

prune A prune is a dried plum, most commonly from the European plum (''Prunus domestica''). Not all plum species or varieties can be dried into prunes. A prune is the firm-fleshed fruit (plum) of ''Prunus domestica'' varieties that have a high solu ...

s, etc.) have largely disappeared with the exception of the basin of Rumilly, where pears are cultivated on a relatively large scale.

for a longtime specialized in

shoemaking Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...

. A small museum retraces the history of the former factory on the ''Place du Trophée''. In Rumilly there is an important industrial zone (

Tefal Tefal S.A.S. (a portmanteau of TEFlon and ALuminium.) is a French cookware and small appliance manufacturer, owned by Groupe SEB (a global manufacturer of cookware) since 1968. The company is known for creating the non-stick cookware categor ...

, Nestlé, and formerly Lait Mont-Blanc and Salomon which closed in 2008), as well as in Alby-sur-Chéran (

Galderma Galderma S.A. is a Swiss pharmaceutical company specializing in dermatological treatments and skin care products. Formerly a subsidiary of L'Oréal and Nestlé, it has been held by a consortium of private institutional investors since 2019. Gal ...

). Two new intercommunal economic activity zones (ZAEs, ''zone d'activités économiques'') are under construction, one in the sector of Martenez and another in Surchères. These industrial and commercial zones extend into the communes of Seynod, Chavanod, and Cran-Gevrier, which border Annecy and Grésy-sur-Aix, near Aix-les-Bains. In the last few years, numerous logistical services were installed and developed in the region, that have either benefited or suffered from the presence of the autoroute. However, these service industries generally pay less and require less

skilled trades A tradesman, tradeswoman, or tradesperson is a skilled worker that specializes in a particular trade (occupation or field of work). Tradesmen usually have work experience, on-the-job training, and often formal vocational education in contrast to ...

than the industries that have historically operated in Rumilly and the surrounding areas. La Poste has recently implanted its new industrial

mail sorter Mail sorting refers to the methods by which postal systems determine how and where to route mail for delivery. Once accomplished by hand, mail sorting is now largely automated through the aid of specialized machines. The first widely adopted ma ...

for the departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, in the industrial zone of Balvay in Rumilly at an investment cost of €31 million. The sorting center has seven machines each capable of sorting 35,000 letters per hour. As a result, the regional

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

s no longer sort their mail and are able to restructure their larger buildings for other purposes. Part of the main post office in Annecy was transformed into residential housing in 2008-2009.

Transportation

The

A41 autoroute The A41 autoroute, also known as ''l'autoroute alpine'', is a French motorway. The road passes through the French Alps connecting the city of Grenoble with the A40 near Geneva. It is made of two sections separated by the N201 and A43 autoroute at ...

, built in the 1970s, crosses the Albanais with exits at Albens/Aix-Nord (14), Alby-Rumilly (15), and Annecy-Sud (16). A new exit is under construction at Chaux, between the existing exits 15 and 16. The other ''routes de grande circulation'' in the region are the D1201 between Aix-les-Bains and Annecy, which was a ''

route nationale A ''route nationale'', or simply ''nationale'', is a class of trunk road in France. They are important roads of national significance which cross broad portions of the French territory, in contrast to departmental or communal roads which serve m ...

'' ( N201) until its declassification in 2008. Other '' routes départementales'' include the D910 between Rumilly and Albens, the D16 (also called the ''route des Creuses'') connecting Annecy to Rumilly, the D14, which follows the narrow passage of the Fier to reach the Chautagne, and the D911, which passes through the Chéran valley to enter the Bauges. The territory is also well served by the Aix-les-Bains-Annecy railway. The Gare de Rumilly is the principal station of the territory and is served by

TGV The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...

trains. Two secondary train stations are also in operation, the Gare de Grésy-sur-Aix and Gare d'Albens. Train stations at

Lovagny Lovagny () is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography The Fier forms most of the commune's southern border. See also *Communes of the Haute-Savoie department The followi ...

and

were closed in the 1990s with the abandonment of the bus. Two motor coach companies connect Aix-les-Bains and Annecy via Alby-sur-Chéran and Saint-Félix. The closest

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

s, other than the diminutive Annecy - Haute-Savoie - Mont Blanc Airport and the

Chambéry Airport Chambéry Airport or Chambéry-Savoie Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport de Chambéry - Savoie-Mont-Blanc) , also known as Chambéry Aix-les-Bains Airport, is a small international airport near Chambéry, a ''commune'' in Savoy, France. Comm ...

, which specializes in low-cost international and business flights, are the

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...

s Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport and

Geneva International Airport Geneva Airport ,, german: Flughafen Genf, it, Aeroporto di Ginevra, rm, Eroport de Genevra formerly and still unofficially known as Cointrin Airport, is the international airport of Geneva, the second most populous city in Switzerland. It i ...

Places and monuments

Castles

Château de Montrottier A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions. Nowaday ...

(14th century) in

* Château de Pieuillet in Marcellaz-Albanais * Château de Pierrecharve in

, located atop a rock of

molasse __NOTOC__ The term "molasse" () refers to sandstones, shales and conglomerates that form as terrestrial or shallow marine deposits in front of rising mountain chains. The molasse deposits accumulate in a foreland basin, especially on top of flys ...

and dating at least to the 12th century * Château de Songy, former remains of the Seigneurs de Songy in Saint-Sylvestre

Museums

* Musée de l'Albanais à Rumilly – created by the local history society ''les Amis du Vieux Rumilly et de l'Albanais'' (Friends of old Rumilly and the Albanais), was closed in August 2008 for reconstruction, will be in reopened in 2010 at a size of , an increase from its former * Musée d'histoire naturelle de Gruffy – a natural history museum which integrates an

apiary An apiary (also known as a bee yard) is a location where beehives of honey bees are kept. Apiaries come in many sizes and can be rural or urban depending on the honey production operation. Furthermore, an apiary may refer to a hobbyist's hives or ...

and an interpretive path * Musée de la cordonnerie à Alby-sur-Chéran – a shoemaking museum which showcases the tools and machines used over the centuries * A former grain mill in Mûres complete with hydraulic machines and a baker's oven

Religious monuments

* Chapelle Saint-Maurice à Alby-sur-Chéran – chœur roman,

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

es of 1925 represent the saints of Savoy and the

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

of Alby nobility * Notre-Dame de l'Aumône (Rumilly) – dating to the 13th century, contains vestiges of a former

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...

* Église Notre-Dame du Plainpalais at Alby-sur-Chéran – created by the architect Novarina in 1954, the church was inspired by

Byzantine architecture Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine era is usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great moved the Roman capital to Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until th ...

and has a cylindrical bell tower tall, which is pierced by 108 attic windows and resembles certain aspects of castles * Église de Rumilly – a

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

n-style church in the neo-classic style, was built in 1837 and has a bell tower dating to the twelfth century.

Trompe-l'œil ''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into ...

paintings in the church include those by Laurent Baud, stained glass constructed by the Lyon master Pagnon, as well as an

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

Joseph Merklin Joseph Merklin (17 February 1819 – 10 July 1905) was a Baden-born organ builder who later became a French citizen. By the time of his retirement in 1898, he was a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur and had built, restored, or repaired over 400 ...

* Église du Thusy – dating to the 16th century, the church has a

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

unique to Sardinian style which was restored in 1825, the bell tower with an entrance dates to 1663

Parks and gardens

* Jardins secrets de Vaulx – Private garden, which from east to west has more than of

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

s, and ''ouvrages en bois''; the garden is divided into multiple thematic indoor and outdoor sections

Bridges

* Pont de l'Abîme – a

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...

built at the end of the 19th century above a portion enclosed by the Chéran valley, at the outlet (water gap) near Allèves, between the communes of Cusy and Gruffy. * Pont Coppet – a stone bridge spanning the Fièr between the communes of Sales and Vallières. Built at the beginning of the 17th century on the former road between Chambéry and Geneva, it is one of the oldest bridges in the department.

Nature

* Marais des Mièges – covers an area of {{convert, 21, ha, acre and is classified by the

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

and ZNIEFF. * Étangs de Crosagny – an established avian breeding ground, this pond was important as a center for

fish farming upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or ...

in the 14th century and is managed by the AEMC (the ''Association des Étangs et du Moulin de Crosagny'', founded in 1992), and the intercommunal

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

of the Étangs de Crosagny. A functioning mill operated on the pond up until 1960, which for a long time provided the raw materials used in

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

s. After the activity disappeared the pond, ceasing to be mowed, was filled in with an encroaching forest. The AEMC helps with the rehabilitation of the pond; volunteers have used boats to clear vegetation out of the pond, constructed an

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

, and developed a flora and fauna interpretive program which is attracting an increasing number of visitors. Since July 2004, the pond has become a tourist destination participating in a European program entitled ''Life Nature et Territoires en région Rhône Alpes'', which subsidizes the cost of labor and maintenance.

Cultural and sporting events

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...

is held in Rumilly, the eleventh of which took place in June 2010 with 400 participants *A two-day

renaissance fair A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire or Renaissance festival is an outdoor gathering open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which purportedly recreates a historical setting for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent the ...

takes place annually in Alby-sur-Chéran (eleventh annual took place in August 2010)

Persons from the Albanais

* Father Michel Montmasson (1640–1688) – Catholic clerk and a Lazarist missionary * Philibert Simond (1755–1794) – vicaire of Rumilly, deputy of

Bas-Rhin Bas-Rhin (; Alsatian: ''Unterelsàss'', ' or '; traditional german: links=no, Niederrhein; en, Lower Rhine) is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its low ...

to the

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...

, was guillotined in Paris on April 14, 1794 * Auguste de Juge (1797–1863) – judge and Savoyard poet * Félix-Philibert Dupanloup (1802–1849) – born in Saint-Félix in 1802 and made a

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Sébastien Madani –

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

champion with 25 professional fights (23 victories, 1 tie, 1 defeat), the Mediterranean champion of the

World Boxing Council The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation ...

References

* ''Le guide de l'Albanais'', a collection of the "Guides du patrimoine naturel de la région Rhône-Alpes", n°25, edited by the ''Conservatoire régional des espaces naturels''. 48 pages, 6 €, à l'Office du tourisme de l'Albanais. * ''Bulletin annuel des Amis du Vieux Rumilly et de l'Albanais'', n°25, 2007.

External links

* Amis du Vieux Rumilly et de l'Albanais
Mémoire des Pays du Chéran
is an organization that deals with the collection of testimonies of the region's inhabitants to assist in the understand of centuries past for future generations. Since 1998, more than a thousand

video cassettes A videocassette recorder (VCR) or video recorder is an electromechanical device that records analog audio and analog video from broadcast television or other source on a removable, magnetic tape videocassette, and can play back the recording. ...

of testimonies regarding the

Résistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

, the Maquis du Semnoz, the

Maquis des Glières The Maquis des Glières was a Free French Resistance group, which fought against the 1940–1944 German occupation of France in World War II. The name is also given to the military conflict that opposed Resistance fighters to German, Vichy and ...

, and the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

have been collected
Association des Étangs et du Moulin de Crosagny
(AEMC), created in 1992 to undertake the rehabilitation of the Étangs de Crossagny Geography of Haute-Savoie Geography of Savoie Arpitania