Nécropole de Morette
Monument
Nécropole de Morette, located in La Balme-de-Thuy (Département 74), is a modern edifice built in the 19th-20th centuries. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Modern (19th-20th century)
- Location
- La Balme-de-Thuy, Département 74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- Mérimée Reference
- PA74000027
At the gateway to the Plateau des Glières, the Morette National Necropolis pays solemn tribute to the fighters of the Savoy Resistance, in an Alpine setting of powerful emotion.
History
Deep in the Fier valley, where the winding road between Annecy and Thônes skims the foothills of the Glières plateau, the Morette site stands out as one of the most poignant places of remembrance in Haute-Savoie. Three kilometres downstream from Thônes, at the crossroads of the communes of La Balme-de-Thuy and Thônes, this memorial complex combines graves, museum and memorial to weave a complete story of the Savoyard resistance to the Nazi occupiers. What sets Morette apart from simple military necropolises is its ability to bring together the living and the dead. The orderly headstones of the Glières national necropolis stand next to the departmental Resistance museum, where personal objects, period documents and eyewitness accounts recreate the clandestine atmosphere of the Haute-Savoie maquis. The departmental memorial to the deportation completes this triptych by extending the reflection to the tragedy of civilians uprooted from their homes. To visit Morette is to accept the gravity of the place. The tombs lined up evoke names, ages and fates mown down a few kilometres away, on the snow-beaten high plateaux. The visitor wanders through a silence punctuated only by the murmur of the Fier, gradually becoming aware of the scale of the sacrifice made in the name of freedom. The natural setting reinforces this experience. The Alpine peaks overlooking the valley are the same ones that the maquisards of Les Glières climbed to reach their positions. Whatever the season, the panorama offers a striking contrast between the unspoilt beauty of the Savoyard landscape and the memory of the violence that took place there. Naturally, the tour continues with a climb to the Glières plateau, a major site of the Resistance, where Émile Gilioli's monumental bronze statue stands.
Architecture
The Morette site has been designed as a tri-segmented memorial complex, intended to guide visitors from one area to the next in a journey that is both chronological and emotional. The Glières national necropolis is organised according to the classic codes of French military cemeteries: regular rows of grey stone headstones, manicured lawns, a sober central cross or monument to the dead, all with respect for the dignity and equality of the graves. The location at the bottom of the valley, at the foot of the wooded slopes, creates a form of natural theatre that enhances the feeling of contemplation. The architecture of the Musée départemental de la Résistance is sober and functional, typical of public cultural facilities built in the second half of the 20th century in rural Alpine areas. The emphasis is on blending into the landscape, with discreet volumes that do not seek to compete with the symbolic power of the surrounding natural site. The materials used - concrete, wood and local stone - create a dialogue with Savoyard rurality. The departmental memorial to the deportation is the most solemn part of the complex, with an architectural setting that plays on perspectives, the play of light and engraved inscriptions to encourage meditation. The entire site benefits from coherent memorial signage, designed to accompany both independent visits and guided tours for school groups.
Related Figures
Tom Morel — lieutenant, fondateur et premier commandant du maquis des Glières, tué le 10 mars 1944Maurice Anjot — capitaine, successeur de Tom Morel à la tête du maquis, tué le 26 mars 1944Théodose Morel dit 'Tom Morel' — figure tutélaire de la résistance haut-savoyardeÉmile Gilioli — sculpteur auteur du mémorial monumental installé sur le plateau des GlièresRomans-Petit — chef des Francs-Tireurs et Partisans de l'Ain et de la Haute-Savoie, soutien du maquis des GlièresAndré Malraux — homme de lettres et ministre, qui prononça un discours célèbre sur le plateau des Glières lors du transfert des cendres de Jean Moulin
Map
Coordinates not available for this monument.
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Nécropole de Morette located?
Nécropole de Morette is located in La Balme-de-Thuy, Département 74 department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
When was Nécropole de Morette built?
Nécropole de Morette dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Nécropole de Morette open to visitors?
Nécropole de Morette is currently closed to visitors.