Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne

The Maurienne is the southernmost of the great transverse valleys of Savoy. Carved by glaciers and then by the Arc River, it offers easy passage between France and Italy.
At the heart of the valley lies a wide expanse whose slopes offer the full range of Alpine landscapes, with the iconic Aiguilles d'Arves peaks as a backdrop. It is here that Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne developed, ever since, in the 6th century, Saint Thecla brought back the relics of Saint John the Baptist: three fingers of the hand that baptized Christ. To receive them properly, the King of Burgundy, Gontran, made the town the seat of a bishopric. Religious monuments were then built, of which perhaps the overall plan remains, including a double cathedral facing the episcopal palace, as well as fragments of Carolingian-era sculptures.
In the upheavals of the year 1000, the monuments were destroyed. Reconstruction was therefore necessary, made possible by the restoration of order under Humbert of the White Hands, first Count of Maurienne and founder of the House of Savoy.
The Maurienne Valley played a significant role in the rise of our princes: its strategic location made it the "gatekeeper of the Alps." Humbert often resided there and, upon his death, was buried in front of the cathedral, as were several of his descendants. Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne thus became the first necropolis of the Savoy dynasty. This is why, in 1771, King Charles Emmanuel commissioned the construction of the cathedral porch, beneath which, in 1826, the tomb that can be seen today was erected.