OFFICES
Savoy was primarily a State, from the XIth to the XIXth century stretched from Bresse to Lake Maggiore and from Vaud to Nice; and that, through the efforts of a princely family originally Counts of Maurienne, then Counts of Savoy from the XIIIth century, before becoming Dukes of Savoy since 1416 and finally the Kings of Sardinia since 1718. This state disappeared in 1860, following a popular vote at the Italian unit: Nice and Savoy were retroceded to France, while the Piedmont, Liguria and the Aosta Valley were part of the new Kingdom of Italy with the Duke of Savoy being the sovereign king. Savoy was divided into provinces: Savoie Propre (valley of Aix-les-Bains, Chambery, Montmélian and bugiste foreland), Tarentaise (high Isère valley), Maurienne (Arc valley), Chablais (at north), Geneva (between Annecy and Geneva) and the Faucigny (Arve valley between Geneva and Mont Blanc).
CHABLAIS
Chablais is a former province of the Duchy of Savoy having Thonon-Les-Bains as historical capital. In XIth, Chablais designated the entire territory extending on both banks of the Rhone, between Evian and Vevey and called "top" or "head of the Lake". This term was used for the first time by an officer of Louis the Pious in 814. The latin name Caput lacus (caput iaci or caput lago), became the vernacular Capo 'lai (lai = lake in francoprovençal). By phonetic evolution, "p" becomes another lip "b", from which Cab'lai, and then Chab'lai.
FAUCIGNY
Faucigny or Foussigni (Fociniacum, Fussiniacensis tractus), countries of former Focunates or Focuates, is bounded on the north by the Chablais, on the west by the Genevois, on the south by Savoie and Tarentaise, on the east by the Valais. On this side, it is separated from the Aosta Valley by the high Alps, the ancients called Graïennes Alps. It is claimed that the province took its name from a town of Faucigny, missing for many centuries, and on the ruins of which have been built another small town called Anse. Today, the name can only be applied to fragments of the ancient castle of Faucigny, once inhabited by the lords of the province.
GENEVOIS
The Genevois is an historical province of the old Duchy of Savoy corresponding to the former County Geneva. Its historical and economic capital is Geneva, but history made that the political capital was transferred to the town of Annecy. The province was bordered by the Province of Carouge northwest, the Province of Faucigny northeast and Savoie Propre southeast and southwest.
PAYS DU MONT BLANC
The Pays du Mont Blanc is located in eastern Haute-Savoie, bordering Valais in Switzerland and the Aosta Valley in Italy. This mountain area is marked by its natural geographic boundaries: Grand Massif in the north of the Mont Blanc chain in the East, Beaufortain south, the Arly Gorge in the southwest and middle Arve valley northwest. The Pays du Mont Blanc is marked by a strong tourist activity, a mountain farming and cutting industry and precision mechanics in the Arve Valley.
VAL D'ARLY – TARENTAISE
Tarentaise, former province of Savoy, is the high Isère valley from its source to the gates of Albertville and the tributary valleys perpendicular. The main valley is a glacial valley, steep-sided and very narrow in places, bordered to the north by the massive Beaufortain and Mont Blanc, and south by the Vanoise. The name of Tarentaise in the province comes from the ancient Latin name of its political center, Moutiers Darentasia, seat of a bishop since Vth century. The use of the name for the province dates back to the XIth century.