Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses

Italy

Introduction

A small town consisting of the two agglomerations of Saint-Rhémy and Bosses, united under a single administrative centre as early as 1878, located about ten kilometres from the Great St. Bernard Pass, in an area that alternates between forests and rich pastures, which now constitute a protected area.

Description

The town stands on the site of an ancient Roman mansio (Eudracinum), a resting station for those who crossed the Alps: in fact, the hill that later took its name from the famous saint from Aosta was already frequented in prehistoric times, as archaeological excavations conducted in the last century have shown. The Romans then contributed to its importance by building a real carriage road from Milan to today's Vienne, in the Dauphiné.
A temple to the Salasso god Pen (from whom the Pennine Alps derive their name) once stood on the hill, later replaced by the Roman Jupiter: in fact, until over the year one thousand, this pass was referred to by the Latin toponym of Mons Jovis. The archdeacon of Aosta, Bernard, in charge of administering the assets of the monastery of Bourg-Saint-Pierre, had the intuition to restore the ancient Roman temple-shelter at the top of the hill and, above all, to endow it with the land assets necessary for its sustenance. The result was an institution that is still today a destination for many tourists and pilgrims, thanks to the uninterrupted work of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine who run it: particularly interesting and valuable are the museum and library.
The history of this hamlet is therefore linked to the events of the hill above, from which pilgrims, merchants but also invading armies passed, the last of which dates back to 1800, when Napoleon Bonaparte forced his way through the snow, impressing the local population to such an extent that two centuries later their main folkloric event, the carnival, still takes place with the typical masks inspired by the uniforms of the Napoleonic army.
In times of peace, the economic importance of the pass was reflected in the monopoly that the inhabitants of Étroubles and Saint-Rhémy had on the transport of travellers and their merchandise across the Great St Bernard Pass, sanctioned by a charter of franchise dated 1273. Over the centuries, these alpine proto-guides have constituted the epic of the Marrons, guides, rescuers of wayfarers in difficulty and, when necessary, incorrigible smugglers.
Nowadays, all these activities no longer have any reason to exist, so there is a strong focus on tourism, both in summer, thanks to the imposing nature, and in winter, through the exploitation of the Crévacol area, where several ski lifts have been installed. A small centre made up of the two agglomerations of Saint-Rhémy and Bosses, united under a single administrative pole as early as 1878, located about ten kilometres from the Great St. Bernard Pass, in an area that alternates between forests and rich pastures, which now constitute a protected area. The village stands on the site of an ancient Roman mansio (Eudracinum), a resting station for those who crossed the Alps: in fact, the pass that later took its name from the famous Aosta Valley saint was already frequented in prehistoric times, as archaeological excavations conducted in the last century have shown. The Romans then contributed to its importance by building a proper carriage road from Milan to today's Vienne, in the Dauphiné. On the hill stood a temple to the Salasso god Pen (from whom the Pennine Alps derive their name), later replaced by the Roman Jupiter: in fact, until beyond the year one thousand, this pass was referred to by the Latin toponym of Mons Jovis. The archdeacon of Aosta, Bernard, in charge of administering the assets of the monastery of Bourg-Saint-Pierre, had the intuition to restore the ancient Roman temple-shelter at the top of the hill and, above all, to endow it with the land assets necessary for its sustenance. The result was an institution that is still today a destination for numerous tourists and pilgrims, thanks to the uninterrupted work of the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine who run it: particularly interesting and valuable are the museum and library. The history of this village is therefore linked to the events of the hill above, from which pilgrims, merchants but also invading armies travelled, the last of which dates back to 1800, when Napoleon Bonaparte forced his way through the snow, impressing the local population to such an extent that two centuries later their main folkloric event, the carnival, still takes place with the typical masks inspired by the uniforms of the Napoleonic army. In peacetime, the economic importance of the pass was reflected in the monopoly that the inhabitants of Étroubles and Saint-Rhémy had on the transport of travellers and their merchandise across the Great St Bernard Pass, sanctioned by a charter of franchise dated 1273. Over the centuries, these proto-alpine guides have constituted the epic of the Marrons, guides, rescuers of wayfarers in difficulty and, when necessary, incorrigible smugglers. Nowadays, all these activities no longer have any reason to exist, so a great deal of emphasis is placed on tourism, both in the summer, thanks to its impressive nature, and in the winter, through the exploitation of the Crévacol area, where several ski lifts have been installed.

Information

Scheda informativa del comune

Superficie: 65,28 kmq
Altitudine: 1632m
Maggior elevazione: 3237m (Gran Goillat)
Numero abitanti:334 (al 2023)
Nome in dialetto: Sèn Rémi eun Boursa
Nome abitanti: Saint-Rhémiars o Bossoleins
Santo Patrono: San Leonardo di Noblac, festeggiato il 6 novembre
Sito internet: www.comune.saintrhemyenbosses.ao.it
Webcam:
Comuni confinanti: Etroubles, Gignod, Saint-Oyen, Bourg-Saint-Pierre
Villaggi e frazioni: Cuchepache, Pont-Combaz, Pleiney, Saint-Rhémy, Prédumaz-Falcoz, Saint-Léonard, Vat, Suil, Ronc, Cerisey, Motte
Alpeggi:

Punti di interesse

Castello di Bosses
Ospizio del Gran San Bernardo

Introduction

Description

Information

Scheda informativa del comune

Punti di interesse

Itinerari