Opening up via the road

Event

Opening up via the road

Period
on January 1, 1856
Location
Unknown location
Source
Source : Wilhelm Giese, Mots et choses en Haut-Dauphiné

This narrative is based on the memory of our community. It may be enriched and corrected over time as new information emerges.
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Event narrative

In 1856, the two tunnels linking La Grave to Villar-d’Arène were completed. A few years later, in 1863, the Napoleon refuge at the pass was put into service. These achievements created jobs and opened up the territory, starting a new era. This marked the beginning of tourism, mountaineering, and later, anthropological research. In the 1930s, the German Wilhelm Giese wrote: "A striking characteristic of the inhabitants of the Haute-Romanche is their pronounced pride."
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