Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
in south-eastern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Talloires-Montmin. Due to its setting on
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 Sedim ...
Talloires has become a popular
resort town
A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...
not only since it has been rediscovered by a privileged society of artists and writers but also since the start of the 20th century when the place became a world-renowned location.
Geography
Talloires is located south of
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...
, Switzerland, on
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 Sedim ...
and south of the local " prefecture" Annecy, about 50 km from Switzerland and about 90 km from Italy. The town is situated in the French Alps, along a bay on the east side of the lake.
History
The area of Talloires has been settled since
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 pa ...
times. In
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 lett ...
times, Talloires was a stage on the consular road leading from
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
to
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...
; the town is however mentioned for the first time in the 9th century AD. In 1016 an abbey was founded here by King
Rudolph III of Burgundy
Rudolph III (french: Rodolphe, german: Rudolf; – 6 September 1032), called the Idle or the Pious, was the king of Burgundy from 993 until his death. He was the last ruler of an independent Kingdom of Burgundy, and the last male member of the Bu ...
and monks from Savigny Abbey and Lyon. The now standing structures of the Abbey were built in 1681. The famous chemist Claude Louis Berthollet was born in Talloires, then part of the Duchy of Savoy, in 1749.
Tourism
Talloires' mountainous landscapes and picturesque setting on Lake Annecy, medieval architecture, character, and summer and winter sports and activities, have created a small tourist industry in the village.
The summer activities in and around the Lake Annecy include sports (golf, water skiing, sailing, trekking in the surrounding Alps, tennis, canyoning, paragliding, horse back riding) and events (the annual Fête du Lac and Pyro Concerts).
The area has hosted stages of the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
several times, including a time trial stage around the lake. Talloires is close to ski resorts Megève, Espace Diamant, and La Clusaz.
The village of Talloires is away from Annecy, a city and major tourist destination. Annecy is three and a half hours from Paris on the
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 ...
high-speed trains. Geneva International Airport is 50 minutes away on the A43 highway.
The primary business of the town is tourism, although it is still a complete community in its own right, with a central church, post office, bank, library, and a small general store.
Conferences and education
Several international conferences have been conducted in Talloires, especially within the sustainable development and educational communities. The town was the birthplace of "The Talloires Declaration: University presidents for a Sustainable Future," an influential declaration on actions required by university leaders to reverse "environmental pollution and degradation, and the depletion of natural resources." Several conferences of the
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
A weatherhead, also called a weathercap, service head, service entrance cap, or gooseneck (slang) is a weatherproof service drop entry point where overhead power or telephone wires enter a building, or where wires transition between overhead a ...
at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
have been held in Talloires.
Talloires was also the site of a September 2005 conference on university civic engagement. This conference of 29 university presidents produced the Talloires Declaration on the Civic Roles and Social Responsibilities of Higher Education, which calls upon the university to "use the processes of education and research to respond to, serve and strengthen its communities for local and global citizenship." The declaration established the Talloires Network, an association of universities committed to advancing the principles of the declaration. As of July 2012, 247 universities have signed the declaration and have become members of the Talloires Network.
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...
maintains its European Center in the local 11th-century (former) Benedictine
priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...
. The priory serves as a conference center and campus for visiting college students.
Images
Image:Talloires , view of Lake Annecy, Kodacolor by Scott Williams.jpg, View of Lake Annecy from Talloires
Image:TuftsEuropeanCenter.JPG, The
Tufts
Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learnin ...