The Passage of the Knight Bayard through the Valley

In the spring of 1510, the upper Romanche valley saw one of the most famous figures of his time pass through. In March, the knight Bayard crossed the valley on his way to Italy, then on May 18, 1510, he came back up through the Chambon plain before reaching La Grave that same evening. This passage was not insignificant: it marked a break in local history. The old trade routes became military axes, crossed by large and often undisciplined troops, a serious threat to fragile villages such as Mizoën. For Bayard himself, this moment was decisive: it was the first time he commanded his own men, five hundred Dauphinois engaged in the Italian Wars.