MOUTIERS
Stage town for the 3rd time
Municipality of Savoie (73)
Population: 3,500 (Moutiérains)
Specialities: crozets au gratin, beaufort cheese, Savoy wines, fondue.
Personalities: Michel Vion, Alexis Pinturault, Joël Chenal, Frédéric Covili, Julien Lizeroux, Laura Gauché (Alpine skiing).
Sport: alpine skiing, ES Tarentaise.
Events : 1992 Albertville Olympic Games.
Economy: skiing, tourism. Commerce, construction, university hospital.
Festivals: Street Art Festival, Alimenterre Festival. Painting and sculpture festival.
Labels : village étape,
Websites / FB / Twitter: www.moutiers.org / www.coeurdetarentaise-tourisme.com / https://www.coeurdetarentaise.fr/
MOUTIERS AND CYCLING
Moûtiers was officially the starting town for stages of the Tour de France in 1973 and 1994. The first visit of the peloton took it to Les Orres, where Luis Ocana consolidated his Yellow Jersey. In 1994, Latvian rider Piotr Ugrumov won the stage with a 2:40 lead over Miguel Indurain and Richard Virenque. In 2019, the penultimate stage of the edition won by Egan Bernal started well from Albertville, but avoided the Cormet de Roselend, blocked by a mudslide, to attack the final climb to Val Thorens directly from Moûtiers. Vincenzo Nibali clinched this shortened stage for the last of his six stage wins in the Grande Boucle. Moûtiers also hosted the start of a stage of the 2017 Critérium du Dauphiné, won in Saint-Gervais by Adam Yates.
SIGHTS
St. Peter's Cathedral
Construction: 11th, 15th, 17th and 19th centuries.
Style: Romanesque, Gothic and neo-classical.
History: Christianity was organised in Tarentaise at the beginning of the 5th century. The first cathedral probably dates from this period, of which history has left no trace. On the same site, several buildings followed one another until the 11th century. Master masons from Lombardy were then called in. These craftsmen from the north of Italy made a name for themselves from the shores of the Mediterranean to England and Germany.
Characteristics: cathedral of the former Tarentaise diocese, it has undergone numerous transformations over the centuries. The result is a composite architecture that bears witness to successive reconstructions. The architecture includes an 11th century Romanesque choir, 15th century Gothic facades and neo-classical naves. Among the many artistic works are two remarkable life-size polychrome sculpted groups, including a 16th-century Tombstone.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 1906.
Bishopric of Tarentaise
Construction: 14th and 17th centuries.
History: founded around the 5th century, the diocese of Tarentaise was erected as an archbishopric between 794 and 811. During the 10th and 14th centuries, the power of the archbishops was challenged and the counts of Savoy imposed their power over the valley. The see remained vacant between 1793 and 1801, when it was abolished by Pope Pius VII. Re-established in 1825, the diocese was definitively united with that of Chambéry and that of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in 1966.
Characteristics: the palace dates mainly from the 17th century. It symbolises both the spiritual and temporal power of the Tarentaise archbishops. It houses a Royal Salon which can be visited in the summer during the painting and sculpture salon. This flat was intended to receive distinguished guests. It became "royal" when the House of Savoy received the Kingdom of Sardinia, since the princes of Savoy were the usual guests. During the third French invasion, Louis XIII and Richelieu stayed in this flat.
Current use: a real castle, it was bought by the town in 1972 and now houses the Marius Hudry Cultural Centre with exhibition spaces, two museums and the presbytery.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 1980.
Street art
Since 2018, street art has been colouring the streets of Moûtiers. No less than fifty giant frecoes, stencils, graffiti or collages can be discovered in the streets of the town. The listed buildings blend elegantly with the colourful frescoes. https://www.coeurdetarentaise-tourisme.com/lart/street-art/
Dairy Cooperative
The secrets of Beaufort, the Prince of Gruyères, are revealed. This AOP (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) cheese is made from the milk of Tarines and Abondance cows. It is produced in the high mountains of Savoy, then preserved in the maturing cellars. https://www.coeurdetarentaise-tourisme.com/?s=cooperative+laiti%C3%A8re
Museum of Popular Traditions
A privileged place to discover life in the Tarentaise region in the past through reconstructions of scenes from the past. Eight rooms have been designed to show agricultural activities, vineyards, various traditional crafts, religious art, particularly baroque, childhood (early childhood, schooling in the past and the history of games) and the clothing of the time. It is also a place of memory of the Second World War in the Tarentaise. In total, this free visit presents a thousand objects to go back in time. https://www.coeurdetarentaise-tourisme.com/fiches/musee-des-traditions-populaires/
Artistic trail in Hautecour (10km)
This easy trail is full of surprises, with contemporary artworks offered to the eye in an unusual setting. The trail is scattered with 70 original artistic creations made in situ, using natural materials as much as possible. Throughout the walk, you will enjoy beautiful views between typical hamlets, forests and lakes. https://www.coeurdetarentaise-tourisme.com/blog/decouverte/lart-en-plein-air
TO EAT
Savoy cake
It was in Chambéry that the Savoy cake was first prepared during a banquet offered by Count Amadeus VI of Savoy to Emperor Charles IV, who was visiting the county. Although the story is disputed, the recipe is said to be the work of the count's master chef, Jean de Belleville, who was originally from the Tarentaise region. If this is the case, then the Savoy cake can claim the valley as its land of origin (another theory states that the cake originated in Yenne, near Chambéry). The Savoy cake is a very light cake obtained by the delicate incorporation of whipped cream, which gives it a soft texture, accompanied by a zest of citrus fruit to enhance the taste.
