La Roche-sur-Foron, Haute-Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

La Roche-sur-Foron (formerly known as The Rock) is a French commune located in the department of Haute-Savoie, in region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is part of the cross-border agglomeration of Greater Geneva. Urban center of the community of communes of the Rochois country, the commune had 11,339 inhabitants in 2017, which makes it the fourteenth city of Haute-Savoie for the number of inhabitants.

Second historical city of Haute-Savoie, its historical heritage has made it a city classified among the Most Beautiful Detours of France, some buildings of which are classified as Historical Monuments, in addition to being classified among the Most Beautiful Detours in France. La Roche-sur-Foron is located in the center of Haute-Savoie. At the back of the Evires pass and very close to the industrious and dynamic Arve valley, its position is strategic and constitutes one of its main economic and tourist assets; an asset which largely explains the development of the city over the centuries and still today. The city certainly owes it its trading and trading tradition as well as its dynamic fairs.

First electrified city in Europe, La Roche-Sur-Foron continues a dynamic and balanced economic development, while preserving its exceptional environment. It offers, summer and winter, an undeniable quality of life. Since 1885, La Roche-sur-Foron has had the first Annecy-La Roche, Annemasse-La Roche and Saint Gervais-La Roche railway lines, making its station a real regional hub. This is still true today. Thanks to its central geographical location, La Roche has been and still remains a city of commercial and international exchanges, with many annual, economic and cultural events. We can evoke the International Fair of Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc and the SIMODEC (International Salon of Machine-Tool of Bar turning), which take place in a modern Exhibition Center.

With more than 150 shops in the city center, numerous events throughout the year, 160 cultural and sports associations, schools for all levels, social and administrative services, and a preserved past, La Roche-sur-Foron will know how seduce. La Roche-sur-Foron participates each year in the National Competition of Cities and Villages of Flowers and has managed, for 10 years, to obtain and defend the 3 Flowers. The 4th Flower is in the sights for the next two years. Indeed, the Municipality meets the criteria to present this 4th flower because its actions in favor of the environment are sustainable: differentiated management of green spaces, reasoned use of pesticides and organic fertilizers, late mowing, protection of wetlands, recovery rainwater, protection of biodiversity (communal apiary), diversification of plantations, etc.

History
La Roche-Sur-Foron is a town in Haute-Savoie with a remarkable historical heritage and overflowing with events. One of the great historical facts of the city dates from the year 1885 when La Roche-sur-Foron became the first city in Europe to have electric public lighting. Twenty public candelabras and six hundred Edison bulbs light up the houses of the small merchant city which is already bigger than its shadow.

For the anecdote, on December 16, 1885, La Roche-sur-Foron surprised the whole of France and thanks to the enthusiastic pen of Pierre Giffard, special correspondent of Le Figaro who wrote: “It is neither Paris, nor London, nor Berlin, or Moscow, or anything like that. It is a very small Savoyard city (…) ten leagues from Mont-Blanc; it is not even a canton capital answering to the name of La Roche. Do you know La Roche? La Roche-Sur-Foron in Haute-Savoie? No. Well, this city, which I would like to call the City of Light, has just decreed, the first in Europe, to have electric lighting in its streets, squares, monuments and houses. ”

Prehistoric and Roman times
The site of La Roche seems to host, according to the deduction of contemporary historians, very early, probably from the prehistoric period, a fortified habitat. It is taken by the Burgundians at the x th century, because of its strategic assets: the mountainside plateau, leaning against the neck of Evires and easy to defend, opens a wide view over the Arve valley and Lake Geneva basin. Their presence is attested in the area since the v th  -  vii th centuries. However, the first mention of the occupation of the site date back at the beginning of the xii th century.

The Counts of Geneva
Like nine other castrated “Geneva”, the castle of La Roche, is mentioned in the early xii th century, during the year 1120 Later, in 1033, Count Gérold of Geneva, driven from his capital by Emperor Conrad II le Salique (following the war of succession to the throne of Burgundy) settled in this fortified town and made it his capital.. Gérold, founder of the Counts of Geneva, modernized the fortifications. Later, at the end of the xii th century, a first enclosure defended by three castles is high. La Roche remained the capital of the county of Geneva until 1219, when the count gave up Geneva and settled in Annecy. But after the fire in Annecy (1320), Amédée III of Genevafixed his residence at La Roche (1320-1322), while the city and its castle were rebuilt. The Rock having overflowed from its first enclosure, Amédée III ordered the construction of a second. On this occasion, La Roche received its city status and franchises and freedoms in 1335.

The House of Savoy
The Geneva family died out in 1394, but it was not until 1401 that the Genevois was sold to the count of Savoy Amédée VIII (first duke of Savoy in 1416). In memory of that time she was one of the main homes of princes of Geneva, and distrust the new Marquis of Graneri (Marquis de La Roche) Roche door, since the xvii th century, like the province of Geneva, the coat of arms of this prestigious lineage. The August 4, 1507, the common ovens accidentally catch fire: the city is completely ravaged by flames. The inhabitants take more than sixty years to rebuild their city, having lost most of their property in this terrible fire. One of these houses, only rebuilt in 1571, displays a vintage stone above its entrance porch, the Latin inscription of which recalls this disaster.

However, no crisis ensues thanks to the intensity of the economic life of the city. Indeed, from the xii th century / xiii th century, the markets of La Roche are very busy. This is due to the franchises that the Count of Geneva granted to the Rochois after his installation within our walls. These franchises, exempting residents from taxes and levies, attract traders, craftsmen, industrialists and fairgrounds from the region. These contribute to the economic influence of the Rochoise city since its markets are among the most important in the Duchy of Savoy, while it is the largest fairground in the Duchy. The grain measurements (1558) and the market halls (1831) still attest to this prosperous commercial past, the tradition of which La Roche is proud to continue today.

In 1536, six years after the revolt of the inhabitants – manipulated by some of the first Protestant Lutherans – against the clergy, the parish church was set up as a collegiate church by Pope Paul III. In La Roche, a stronghold and a commercial city, the role of “counterweight” to the reform of Jean Calvin is also devolved.in Geneva. From then on, La Roche affirmed its vocation as a religious center and a bastion of the Catholic reform with the establishment of the collegiate chapter (1536-1793), followed by a Capuchin convent (1617-1975), a monastery Bernardines (1626-1793) and Jesuits (1628-1712) at the head of the college. Today, La Roche-sur-Foron is home to the convent of the Reverend Sisters of Charity, a provincial house established in our city since 1842.

In addition, La Roche fulfills an educational function thanks to the creation of a college in 1561, in a noble house in the town located between the Château de l’Échelleand that of the prince. Education was provided by the canons of the chapter then by the Jesuits between 1628 and 1712 and again by the canons until 1792. By 1570, this establishment already had 300 students, for a population of 1000 inhabitants. Raised to the rank of Royal School (1729) then Royal College (1816) during the Sardinian Restoration, it has been established since 1860 in the former Bernardine monastery (1670).

On the occasion of the France Annexation of Savoy, it effectively merged with the minor seminary, created in 1807 within the walls of this former monastery. Several former students of the College of La Roche have passed into posterity, in particular:Pius IX; Saint François de Sales (1567-1622), prince-bishop of Geneva, Father of the French language and Doctor of the Church; or, closer to us, Benoît Chamoux (1961-1995), 1 st Himalayan French to have climbed thirteen of the fourteen “8000 meters”, the highest peaks of the world. As for Guillaume Fichet (1433-1480), rector of the Sorbonne and initiator of printing in France, he studied around 1450 in the first school of La Roche (founded between 1410 and 1440).

But xvi th century also marks a sharp decline for the House of Savoy. Wars and plague epidemics do not spare the Duchy, even less our city… La Roche was twice whipped by the plague from Geneva (1542 and 1587). During the two passages of this scourge, the few surviving Rochois find refuge not far from the city, in a valley whose air is purified by the trees. They uncover a source that turns out to be miraculous. The Marian shrine of La Bénite Fontaine was born. Saint François de Sales made it official a few years later,June 1619. A place of prayer dear to the hearts of Savoyards, La Bénite Fontaine experienced a new impetus from 1937 thanks to its rector, the very popular Canon Chavanne (1898-1946). Several large pilgrimages attract large crowds of pilgrims each year.

War is the second scourge of this century. The29 March 1590, during the conflict between the Duke of Savoy and the Republic of Geneva, the Genevans, allies of the Bernese and Henri IV, invade La Roche in the middle of the night. The city is devoid of soldiers; our enemies take advantage of it to loot, burn and massacre. They go up to the Plain-château (the first enclosure) to dismantle the fortress of the prince of which only the imposing watchtower (1258-68) remains anchored on its rock: the famous tower of the counts of Geneva.. La Roche, stronghold and garrison town, represented a threat to Geneva: the attacks on the city of Calvin were notably prepared from La Roche. Conversely, “the help of the Genevans was easy to foresee, especially since our city was threatened by it at every moment”. After this sack, a troop of 7000 soldiers came to reside in La Roche, causing more disorder than our Protestant enemies…

This war between Geneva and Savoy, started by Duke Charles-Emmanuel in 1589, ended in the crushing defeat of the Savoyard troops during the Battle of Escalade, on the night of 21 to 22 December 1602. The Savoyards try to take Geneva by surprise, scaling the ramparts to open the doors from inside. The ducal army is ready to invade the city, but a sentry gives the alarm: the Savoyard rout begins… This is the last attempt to capture the Geneva city by the House of Savoy. Geneva definitively acquired its independence. Some of the ladders used to climb the ramparts had been stored at La Roche: from there the name of the castle of L’Échelle comes. Nevertheless, the inhabitants do not accept that their city, barony directly under the authority of the Duke of Savoy, is raised in marquisate to depend only on the marquis de Graneri (1682). It is a little of their pride that evaporates with this noble rank, however higher. Long trials begin between this marquis and his new subjects.

Spanish occupation and annexation French
The Spanish occupation (1742 to 1748) caused the destruction of part of the enclosures and the leveling of the ditches. But from the xviii th century, the first steps in the industry take place on the banks of Foron, the ramparts: mills and tanneries advantage of the torrent to prepare for the entrance to our village in the contemporary era. However, theSeptember 22, 1792 The invasion of the revolutionary French troops put an end of Sardinian monarchy until the fall of Napoleon 1st (1815); the Duchy of Savoy became the 84 th French department under the name Mont Blanc department; the department of Léman is formed from the annexation of Geneva (1798) with scraps of this dismembered Savoy.

The xix th century
The revolutionary period is missed, when the xix th century, strikes the hour of another revolution, this industrial. The Rochois work for the modern economic development of their city. The Sardinian Restoration of 1815 also brought about an architectural expression very characteristic of the political will of its monarchs, the imposing neoclassical style. La Roche took advantage of this momentum with in particular the construction of the Grenette in 1832, the town hall, from 1841 to 1843, the Place des Portiques (now Place de la République), whose project was voted in 1845. Here comes the advent of town planning and economic expansion. Public lighting was put in place from 1834.

In 1860, during the debates on the future of the Duchy of Savoy, the population was sensitive to the idea of a union of the northern part of the Duchy with Switzerland. A petition is circulating in this part of the country (Chablais, Faucigny, Nord du Genevois) and brings together more than 13,600 signatures, including 89 in the village. The duchy is reunited following a plebiscite organized on 22 andApril 23, 1860where 99.8% of Savoyards answer “yes” to the question “Does Savoy want to be reunited with France? “.

Isn’t it La Roche-sur-Foron which becomes one of the very first cities lit by electricity, in 1885, thanks to the avant-garde of the mayor, Mr. Plantard ? The forward march towards progress made the front of the newspaper Le Figaro ‘sDecember 16, 1885. In his article entitled “A city of light in the Alps”, the journalist Pierre Giffard describes in detail, over several pages, this great first. He writes in particular: “And this city, which I would like to call the City of Light, is neither Paris, nor London, nor Berlin, nor Moscow, nor anything similar. It is a very small Savoyard city nestled in the snow ten leagues from Mont Blanc; it is not even a district capital, it is a vulgar (sic!) county town responding to the name of La Roche ”.

The railway is also one of the sources of the development of this large trading town. If the station was built in 1879, the first train was at the platform onJuly 10, 1883(Annemasse in La Roche-sur-Foron). The next year (June 5, 1884), the Annecy-La Roche line is open. The study of this line and its works of art had been carried out by Sadi Carnot (1837-1894), polytechnician, engineer of Ponts et Chaussées and future President of the French Republic, while he was stationed in Annecy. To go down to La Roche from the Evires pass, he had to plan a detour of 8 km to compensate for the importance of the difference in height: it was then the largest railway loop in the world (in Europe, currently).

This line, under the leadership of Louis Armand, a native of Cruseilles, who later became president of SNCF, is used to test and develop a system of electrified in ACat high voltage and standard frequency of 50 Hz (May 10, 1951). Previously, In 1st June 1890 the line from La Roche-sur-Foron to Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet is inaugurated. It is since that time that the city has been known as the “hub of Haute-Savoie”, because of the essential swing bridge at the station: the connection between the Annecy and Saint-Gervais lines requires reversal of steam locomotives on trains.

This nickname is also justified by the geographically central position of La-Roche-sur-Foron in the department, on routes leading to the borders of Switzerland and Italy, as well as by its tradition of first-rate fairs and exhibitions – legacy of the franchises granted by the Count of Geneva: the International Fair Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc created in 1924 by its then Mayor Jean Nevière, Mayor from 1919 to 1939 then in 1945 (more than 100,000 visitors – annual), SIMODEC (created in 1955 – 1 st European trade fair for the bar turning industry), the Salon du Mieux-Vivre, etc. As for the oldest of them, it is a cattle fair: the Saint-Denis Fair, whose origins merge with the written codification of franchises, in 1335. Conscious of its heritage from the past (2 nd historic city in Haute-Savoie), La Roche-sur-Foron notably combines economic development with the preservation and restoration of its monuments. The animation of this historical heritage, in an exemplary living environment, is a precious witness.

Nowaday
Throughout its history and thanks to its habitat protection and restoration programs, La Roche-sur-Foron has preserved nearly 60% of its heritage over the centuries, which has earned it today one of the the most important historical urban heritage of the whole of Haute-Savoie. The Medieval City of La Roche-sur-Foron is today considered to be the second historic city of Haute-Savoie. Thanks to an important heritage very well restored and a flowering which makes it one of the most “Beaux Détours de France”, La Roche has been able to highlight its historic buildings, small cobbled streets and old-world decor. Add to this a long tradition of “small shops”, all located in the heart of the old town, and you will obtain a rich and lively Medieval City.

La Roche-sur-Foron is now one of the “Most Beautiful Detours in France”, a national network which brings together 100 towns of 2,000 to 20,000 inhabitants with a real tourist attraction and which are therefore worth a detour. Created in 1998 by the former Minister of Tourism, Jean-Jacques Descamps, this network publishes a 160-page Michelin-stamped guide each year, distributed to the network’s Tourist Offices. Printed in 180,000 copies, it is the second national tourist guide by distribution. Each municipality follows specific specifications and is evaluated every 3 years by agents from the Michelin guide in order to monitor the city’s tourist services and offer. More than a label, the “Plus Beaux Détours” brand must be considered as a controlled appellation which strives to guarantee visitors that the detour is worth it.

Tourism
The attractiveness of the territory, for more than 100 years, whether in terms of history, built and natural heritage, trade and agriculture, has contributed to the development of diversified tourism in the town, and thereby to the local economy. Today, many providers make a living from business tourism, cultural, green or leisure tourism. Tourism has today become a significant resource for a large number of traditional businesses in the city center. Aware of this tourist potential, the town has been committed for more than a century to developing and enhancing its unique heritage in Haute-Savoie.

La Roche was the capital of the County of Geneva during the 11th and 13th centuries. From the Middle Ages, there are small schools run by priests: so there would have been, among the most illustrious students, Guillaume Fichet, rector of the Sorbonne and at the origin of printing in France, but also Saint Pierre Favre and Saint François de Sales, bishop of Geneva and patron of journalists. Moreover and as surprising as it may seem, in 1885, La Roche sur Foron was the first city in Europe to acquire electric public lighting, before Paris, London, Moscow.

You will admire the Maison Boniface de la Grange, the church with its curious onion bell tower and its Franzetti organ classified as a historic monument, the 16th century houses, side by side and misaligned, with their colorful facades, as well as the Town Hall and the Grenette of the XIXth century and neoclassical style.

Only 1 km from the city center, the Bénite Fontaine is a very pleasant place of pilgrimage and tranquility for walking or taking the time to recharge your batteries. Visit its neo-Gothic style chapel and, in the hollow of the valley where a stream flows quietly, its oratory and its source, known as “blessed”…

You can then walk through the picturesque district of Plain-Château with the Castles of Saix and of the Ladder,the Merchant’s Bench or grain measurements of 1558, the alleys and the gates of the 13th century. You will end in apotheosis with the Tour des Comtes de Genève. Curiously perched on a boulder of erratic rock, this 13th century tower is the last vestige of the fortress of the Counts of Geneva. 137 steps provide access to its summit, with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Arve Valley, which stretches from the Swiss Jura to the French Alps (open every day in July and August).

Old town
La Roche-sur-Foron is the second historic city of Haute-Savoie. Its origins date back to the 5th century. Its strategic location on the mountainside predisposed La Roche-sur-Foron to be a fortified town easy to defend, opening up an unobstructed view of the Arve Valley and the Lake Geneva Basin. The first enclosure surrounded the current Plain-Château district, protected by three gates and three castles. The Burgundian necropolis located on the site of La Balme, dating from the 5th century, confirms an ancient human presence.

The name of La Roche originates from the seigneurial family of Louis and Anselme de La Roche. It comes from the Latin “Rupes” which means rock, on which was built the keep of the old fortress of the Tales of Geneva. Like the many erratic blocks transported during the melting of the glacier which, until 10,000 years ago, covered the Arve valley. The Count of Genevois, driven from Geneva, established his main residence in Annecy and La Roche-sur-Foron until 1219.

From the 12th century, the city’s very active commercial role encouraged the extension of the village outside the Plain-Château. This extension will begin with the Church of Saint Jean-Baptiste (with its bulbous bell tower and its organ classified as a historical monument), then will follow Perrine and Silence streets with their colorful and misaligned houses from the 16th and 18th centuries, still visible today. In 1335, written franchises allowed a real commercial and economic boom. They bring the city to be, in the XVIth century, the biggest fairground of the Duchy of Savoy.

An educational function is added to the commercial role of the City with the creation of schools, then colleges, through which several major figures pass: Around 1452, Guillaume Fichet, a native of Petit Bornand, attended college and later became rector of the Sorbonne. A late diplomat of Louis XI, he introduced printing to France and had the first French typography workshop installed in 1469. In 1573, François de Sales, born in Thorens-les-Glières, continued his studies at La Roche-sur-Foron. He will become bishop of Geneva, doctor of the Church and patron saint of journalists.

The current configuration of the city center includes the 1st enclosure with the initial Plan-Château district, the 2nd enclosure with the church, Perrine and Silence streets, and finally the period of the Sardinian restoration of 1815 and its monuments. neoclassical like the town hall, the Grenette, the Arcades of the Place de la République.

Landmark
The Plain-Château district is a perfect example. It is the oldest in La Roche-sur-Foron (1st wall of the 11th century) and was built on a natural promontory, thus making it easier to prevent attacks from assailants. It was then surrounded by ramparts of which there is still a wall and an original enclosure gate, as well as 2 reconstructed gates. There are also magnificent noble houses from the XVIth and XVIIth centuries such as the Maison des Chevaliers de l’Annonciade, with its white limestone fittings which are reminiscent of the style dear to Charlotte d’Orléans or even measures to stone grains from 1558, very rare in our region. Playing their protective role at the time, the Château de Saix (private property) and the Château de l’Echelle (now a municipal cultural space), as well as the Tour des Comtes de Genève (1228), the last vestige of the Count’s castle, are located at the ends of the neighborhood. From the top of this tower, perched on a huge boulder of erratic “rock”.

Rue des Fours banaux connects the Plain-Château to the second enclosure, of which the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church was the first construction in the 13th century. On either side of the choir, the church has two beautiful chapels in the 16th century Gothic style, as well as original non-figurative stained glass windows restored in the 1980s. In addition, its Italo-Sardinian organ dating from 1861, produced by Giovanni Franzetti, is listed as a historic monument, its onion bell tower is a 19th century addition. Reminders of the time when La Roche-sur-Foron played, on equal terms with Annecy or Geneva, many mansions from the 16th and 17th centuries, with beautiful mullioned windows, still line the rue de Silence and the rue Perrine (Boniface de la Grange house, at n ° 79, with its window lintels engraved with Latin inscriptions).

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The charm and the tourist interest of the City derive from the fact that the configuration of the town center has changed little during these 1000 years. The last significant structural evolution dates from the 19th century, with neoclassical monuments such as the Town Hall, the Grenette and the Place de la République with its characteristic arcades that can be found in Turin or in the department at Cluses and Sallanches (another city “Plus Beau Détour de France”).

Finally, part of the industrial heritage, the famous Water Reservoir which allowed La Roche-sur-Foron, in 1885, to be the 1st city in Europe with public electric lighting. Built in stone, it was used, between 1885 and 1904, as a water reservoir during the day by diverting the course of the Foron, so as to produce at nightfall the electricity necessary for public lighting. It was restored in 2011 and is conveniently located along the promenade of the public park of the Château de l’Echelle.

And 1.2 km from the city center, is the Bénite Fontaine, a famous pilgrimage site for several centuries. In the hollow of a valley, its source with healing properties is said to have saved lives during the plague epidemics in the 16th century. In the 17th century, his reputation spread and Saint-François de Sales, then prince-bishop of Geneva, asked the priest of La Roche-sur-Foron to erect near the source a chapel dedicated to Sainte-Marie, under the term of the Visitation. This will be done thanks to the alms of the pilgrims.

Then in front of the increasingly important influx of pilgrims, a new neo-Gothic style chapel will be erected in the 19th century on the plateau and consecrated in 1863. The installation of the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross leading to the source will follow. and at the oratory.

Historical heritage
The town has five monuments listed in the inventory of historical monuments and one place listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage. In addition, it has seven objects listed in the inventory of historical monuments and none listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage.

The town center of La Roche-sur-Foron, as well as the Plain-Château district (medieval city) are thus protected as Historical Monuments. The presence of a restored and maintained medieval town has enabled the town to join the “ Les Plus Beaux Détours de France ” network.

The castle of La Roche-sur-Foron consisted of:
the tower of the counts of Geneva, perched on the enormous rock which gave its name to the city, Historic monument logo Inscribed MH (1944, Partially)
the Plain-Château, name given to the space located within the walls of the château and comprising all the buildings therein;
the doors belonging to the first enclosure: Falquet (rue des Fours), Saint-Martin (rue du Plain-Château), Hale, under the castle, protected by the castle of Saix, the oldest fortified building on site and Dompmartin, to North-east;
the Château de l’Échelle and its park listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage;
fortified houses;
the lower town or fortified town, accessible by five doors – Ruaz (rue de Silence); the Perrine; Vuard (demolished) and Pont-Renaud (missing) – and 8 guard towers including Bignin, Plantard and de la Faverge;
the stone Way of the Cross from the old cemetery Farlon (xv th century).
mansion, 1, rue des Fours Historic monument logo Listed MH (1944, Partially)

Contemporary period heritage
Former royal college, 1816;
the wheat market, known as Grenette, in 1832;
creation of the Town Hall square in 1832 ;
rue des Portiques (now rue de la République), circa 1830;
Town Hall (1841-1843);
the Pont Neuf, built in 1872, widened in 1961, restored in 2016-2017.

Religious monuments
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste collegiate church (Gothic and neo-Gothic), parish church, Historic monument logo Inscribed MH (1975) and its organ.
The (neo-Gothic) chapel of La Bénite Fontaine, Marian sanctuary, place of pilgrimage located in the hollow of a valley where a spring flows.
The chapel (neo-Romanesque) of the convent of the Sisters of Charity.
The chapel (baroque) of the former Bernardines convent (current Sainte-Marie private college), protected elements Historic monument logo Inscribed MH (1984, Partially).
The stone road cross from the old cemetery of Farlon Historic monument logo Classified MH (1906).

Surrounding villages
At the gateway to the Arve Valley, the Pays Rochois is made up of the municipalities of Amancy, Arenthon, Cornier, Eteaux, La Chapelle-Rambaud, La Roche-sur-Foron, Saint-Laurent, St-Pierre-en-Faucigny and Saint-Sixt and has a privileged geographical location. The Communauté de Communes du Pays Rochois brings together these localities, in order to allow balanced economic development and uniform management of various public services such as household waste collection, recycling centers, transport and school catering, etc. The nine communes of the Pays Rochois have a traditional charm and offer quality public services as well as a large number of sports and leisure activities. Many monuments, buildings and sites enrich the cultural and tourist heritage of this territory, with the capital of Canton, the city of La Roche-sur-Foron and its Medieval City.

Cultural space
The town has many spaces dedicated to culture.

Cinema Le Parc La Roche Sur Foron
Associative room classified Art and Essay managed by the Maison des Jeunes et de la Culture Social Center and run by volunteers. Offers more than 150 films per year: debates and meetings with directors, film analyzes, a mountain film festival (Vertical Vertige), one short film per week, a Youth Z’Ô Parc cycle (films for young audiences), a Récré Ô Ciné cycle with workshops for toddlers and school sessions.

Music School
The Municipal Music School offers the teaching of 13 musical disciplines, carries out group training work and performs public concerts.

House of Youth and Culture Social Center
House of Youth and Culture Social Center La Roche sur Foron & Pays Rochois

Castle of L’echelle
This municipal building is a cultural center hosting temporary exhibitions and various events. It is an exhibition space for artists, regularly occupied by vernissages and exhibitions of painters, visual artists, musicians etc.

The Tower of the Counts of Geneva
The last vestige of the fortress of the Counts of Geneva, this 13th century round watchtower is perched on an enormous boulder of erratic rock and dominates the banks of the river “Le Foron”, which probably explains the name of the city, ” La Roche-sur-Foron ”. With the bulbous bell tower of the church, the tower is today one of the strong symbols of La Roche-sur-Foron because, located in the heart of the medieval city, it is visible and recognizable from afar.

The looting of its beautiful freestone by demolishers (or builders…) in the 19th century almost made it disappear. It was rebuilt in its current form by the Capuchin monks, then installed in the scholasticate just next to the Tower. In the 1980s, the Tower was restored and a breakthrough was carved into the block of rock so that the building could be opened to public visits.

Its summit is now reached after crossing the “caves of teachers and Capuchins”, then visiting the archers room. The Belvédère then offers a superb panorama of Lake Geneva, the Swiss Jura, the nearby mountains and the medieval city. Two new panoramic tables were added to the summit in 2012, thus allowing the names of the mountains and valleys around La Roche-sur-Foron to be known, thanks to an impressive 360 ° view.

Media Library
Discover the La Roche-sur-Foron media library, a space dedicated to culture

Crafts and Industry
La Roche-sur-Foron has managed to preserve the tradition of a trade and a craftsmanship of quality, proximity, and great diversity. Many traders are installed in the city center, which gives a dynamic and attractive image of the municipality, both for the population of the canton and for visitors. Commercial events are organized by the Tourist Office to reinforce the dynamism and conviviality that traditional trades can exude in historic town centers. In addition, La Roche-sur-Foron has an Exhibition Centermodern 7 ha which allows it to organize each year events with a departmental, regional, national or even international vocation: International Fair, SIMODEC (International Fair of Machine-Tool and DEColletage), Horse Fair Equid’Espace, Better -Vivre Expo, Naturellia… All of these fairs and exhibitions welcome around two hundred thousand visitors each year.

Trade and crafts in La Roche-sur-Foron are: 150 traders and artisans to welcome you, easy traffic and access, 1,800 free parking spaces, a large market in the city center every Thursday morning, the farmers market (from mid-May to the end of October, Fridays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.). Throughout the year, many commercial events are organized by traders and the Tourist Office: the clearance sale and garage sales (May), Mother’s Day (May), the Back-to-School Promotion (end of August), the Agricultural Fair of Saint-Denis (October), as well as other occasional events. Due to its geographical location, La Roche-sur-Foron is a bit like a town in the mountains. She is close tovarious “cultural”, “gastronomic”, “leisure” or “sports” activities, to be discovered such as the weekly market, which takes place all year round on Thursday mornings, offers a wide range of food products. Some local producers of cheese and cold meats are present. This market is diverse and particularly important during the summer period. The Municipality is committed to the renewal of these markets, which attract many people each year.

Cultural events and festivities
The Haute-Savoie Fair
SIMODEC
The Horse Show, end of September. 2006 figures: 16,700 visitors, 100 exhibitors, 500 horses, 400 riders.
La Roche Rondes et Lumières
La Roche Bluegrass Festival
Zik’en city festival
Theater Festival “Éclat de Scènes”
International Festival of History of the Pays de Savoie (FIHPS)

Green spaces
To decorate the streets, buildings and areas for walks, an annual theme is adopted and around 30,000 plants are produced in municipal greenhouses. In 2014, the town obtained the “three flowers” level in the competition for towns and villages in bloom.

The town of La Roche-sur-Foron is classified 3 flowers in the departmental competition “Landscape, flowers and living environment”. In 2016, it obtained a special prize for its living environment and its heritage. The municipality’s green spaces are maintained according to the principle of differentiated management which is itself a principle of sustainable development. It is a question of taking into account the specificity of each site to apply an appropriate management to it, by rationalizing the interventions, by respecting the environment while maintaining a quality aesthetic. The green spaces are therefore maintained in an ecological way, without the use of phytosanitary products. A pioneer in the field of environmental preservation, the pesticide-free green spaces service since 2002 has signed the “zero pesticides for our towns and villages” charter.

The Park of the Castle of the Scale
Accessible from the historic Plain-château district, the park opens onto a panorama of the Arve valley and its mountains. A real rest area, you will find, on the 7 hectares that make it up, a playground for children, flower-filled and tree-lined spaces, a nature discovery walk around the century-old meadow and access to the sports course which will allow you to discover the surroundings of Foron in a pleasant forest setting. In a high quality natural setting, 19 ha of meadows and forest, a few minutes from the city center, are at your disposal.

The Bénite-Fontaine Site
Located a little away from the city but accessible by road and through the woods by the sports course, this natural complex is organized around a basilica, a famous spring and a stream. Away from traffic and noise, it is a haven of tranquility. Each year, for August 15, a Marian ceremony welcomes many pilgrims.

Andrevetan Park
Located on the outskirts of the city, closed by a gate and sheltered under large plane trees, it allows children to play in a shaded and secure setting. Equipped with a cycle route with direction of traffic and signs, children of all ages can familiarize themselves with the rules of the road or have fun on one of the games accessible from 5 to 14 years old.

The Afforêts Park
This is the largest playground in the town with games planned for all age groups, whether reckless or reserved. It is open to everyone and allows children to exercise and use their overflowing imagination.

Activities
The Municipality of La Roche-sur-Foron has many tourist facilities that provide access to various activities that are as fun as they are cultural: during their visit to the Tower of the Counts of Geneva, visitors can take advantage of a quiet moment with the family to play old and traditional wooden games: bowling, shuffleboard, giant mikado, rings, noughts and crosses…;

the Medieval Walk is a new marked and fun route inaugurated in 2012 and unique in Haute-Savoie. It is ideal for discovering the medieval city and its history. It is made up of around fifteen historic panels scattered along a walking route in the city center, marked out by unicorns screwed onto the facades. Each panel is in French and English, with a mixture of texts, drawings, old postcards and photos of details, which allows reading on several levels, according to the wishes of the visitors. Finally for families, an exciting puzzle game: “The challenges of the unicorn”, is on each panel and takes children to think or look around to answer the puzzles;

to 1 km from the center of La Roche-sur-Foron, towards Saint-Sixt, is a famous source for a long time: the Benite Fontainenear an equally famous chapel. A way of the cross leads to the hollow of a valley where the source and its oratory are located. In the neo-Gothic-style chapel, visitors can observe the statue of Our Lady of the Visitation represented pregnant. Many pilgrimages take place regularly in this shady valley, suitable for meditation. The most important takes place on August 15 and brings together several thousand people. It is also a calm and pleasant place to walk for all visitors. Groups or individuals can be welcomed by a priest who is available to visitors. A bookshop-store is open every day;

the workshops of the National School of Milk and Meat Industries (ENILV) welcome the curious for free or guided tours. The discovery of the production of traditional Savoyard cheeses is a delight for adults and children alike;

The Foron nautical area, with its 5 pools, is a structure very popular with tourists who can take advantage of the outdoor nautical equipment, from May to October;

the “Le Parc” cinema and the media library under construction (opening January 2014), both located in the old Plain-Château district, are also available to holidaymakers. The cinema is equipped in 3D and offers films and a short film every week, from Friday to Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays being reserved for theatrical or musical programming;

the Orange resort, located 10 minutes from the center of La Roche-sur-Foron, welcomes families for various leisure and sports activities, summer and winter;

the Châtelet and Navilly mills located a few kilometers from La Roche-sur-Foron, offer guided tours for groups all year round and for individuals on request. The owners run their mill to make walnut oil for one and organic flour for the other. The installations have been reconstructed with great fidelity.

The weekly market, which takes place all year round on Thursday mornings, offers a wide range of food products. Some local producers of cheese and cold meats are present. This market is diverse and particularly important during the summer period.

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