Sciez

Sciez

Coat of arms
Sciez

Coordinates: 46°19′59″N 6°22′29″E / 46.3331°N 6.3747°E / 46.3331; 6.3747Coordinates: 46°19′59″N 6°22′29″E / 46.3331°N 6.3747°E / 46.3331; 6.3747
Country France
Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department Haute-Savoie
Arrondissement Arrondissement of Thonon-les-Bains
Canton Canton of Thonon-les-Bains-Ouest
Intercommunality Communauté de communes du Bas-Chablais
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Jean-Luc Bidal
Area1 20.47 km2 (7.90 sq mi)
Population (2004)2 4,782
 • Density 230/km2 (610/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 74263 / 74140
Elevation 372–725 m (1,220–2,379 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Sciez is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.

Geography

Situation

Localization

The commune is located on the border of the Apline chain and of the Lac Léman. The commune is in the département of Haute-Savoie in the region called Rhône-Alpes. Sciez is in the Chablais, between Evian[1] and Geneva,[2] near Douvaine,[3] the medieval town of Yvoire and Thonon-les-bains.[4] Sciez is also not far from the ski slopes Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz, Morzine, Chatel, Les Gets, Abondance) but also close from Chamonix and Mont Blanc.

Climate

The climate is influenced by the nearby mountains, but the lake creates a micro-climate, which allows Sciez to enjoy relatively mild winters with temperatures averaging 0 (minimum) to 5 (maximum) Celsius, in December–January. It occasionally snows in the winter, but not always by the lake. Snow is easily accessible in the nearby mountains. Summers are temperate with an average of 13 (minimum) to 25 (maximum) Celsius, in July–August, and certain inhabitants manage to grow palm trees in their gardens.

Communication channels and transports

Sciez is located on the old Route Nationale 5 (RN5), now Départementale 1005 (D1005). This road while crossing the commune changes name and is called: Avenue de Genève, Avenue de Sciez et Avenue de Bonnatrait. Sciez is near the small train station of Perrignier. Regular buses serve Sciez on the Genève-Douvaine-Thonon-Evian axis. Regular buses serve Genève, Thonon and Evian.[5] Sciez harbour connects with a few other harbours around the Lac Léman with boats from the Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman.

Urbanism

Urban Morphology

The commune is composed of a main town and of several hamlets and localities which are :

Heraldic

Administration

Period Identity Party Capacity

October 1944 March 1971

Alexandre Néplaz PCF
March 1971 March 1983 Jean Dunand
March 1983 February 1985 François Bally
February 1985 March 1989 Jean Vannier
March 1989 September 2003 Bernard Néplaz PCF Conseiller général du Canton de Thonon-les-Bains-Ouest (1998-2004)
September 2003 Ongoing Jean-Luc Bidal UMP
All data not yet known

History

Prehistory:

Late Neolithic : Around -2400, a branch of the Saône-Rhône civilization, from Western Switzerland (Cordée Civilization) slowly locates on the banks of the Léman lake (Excenevex, Chens, Sciez). They exported their productions (copper beads, axes-hammers) all the way to the South of Dauphine via Annecy, Fillinges, Haute-Savoie… [6]

Bronze Age (1000 before J.C.) : Searches in the cemeteries of Douvaine and Sciez in 1977 demonstrated of an strong implantation in the region.[7]

In the first century the Allobroges (Gaulois)[8] occupied the Chablais as has been shown by discoveries of silver coins in Sciez as well as other nearby communes.[9]

A more in depth and modern history of Sciez and of the Chablais is available in the book: Hier, Aujourd’hui, Demain. SCIEZ : histoire, nature et traditions.[10]

Economy

Sciez is a tourist town. The town hold the label holiday "Station verte" since 2005 and "Pavillon Bleu" since 2009. It also holds the Famille Plus and Geopark labels of the Chablais[11] since 2012.[12]

Sciez hosts numerous craftsmen,[13] several shops[14] and numerous associations.[15] viticulture is present since already several centuries in the commune. The vineyards of Marignan[16] are cultivated by three winegrowers,[17][18] and several amateurs produce white wine mainly. The typical cépage of the region is the Chasselas.

Places and monuments

Notes and references

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ http://www.ville-evian.fr/
    2. ↑ http://www.ville-geneve.ch/
    3. ↑ http://douvaine.fr/
    4. ↑ http://www.ville-thonon.fr/index.jsp
    5. ↑ http://www.frossard.eu/horaires.phtml?hashID=867b74eb7995cecfb73b5b90a8fb1073
    6. ↑ Histoire de la Savoie. 1988, 3eme impression, Editions Privat. p.31
    7. ↑ Histoire de la Savoie. 1988, 3eme impression, Editions Privat. p.50
    8. ↑ fr:Allobroges
    9. ↑ Histoire de la Savoie. 1988, 3eme impression, Editions Privat. p.50
    10. ↑ Bailly, Charrière, Duchene, Guyon, Hallemans, Jordan, Marandin, Neplaz. Hier, Aujourd’hui, Demain. SCIEZ : histoire, nature et traditions. Centre d'animation de Sciez. 1993.)
    11. ↑ http://www.siac-chablais.fr/creer-geoparc/presentation.html
    12. ↑ http://www.tourisme-sciez.com/presentation-sciez.php
    13. ↑ http://www.tourisme-sciez.com/artisans.php
    14. ↑ http://www.tourisme-sciez.com/commerces-sciez.php
    15. ↑ http://www.tourisme-sciez.com/associations.php
    16. ↑ http://www.passionvin.net/vin_marignan.php
    17. ↑ http://www.tourisme-sciez.com/sciez-vignobles.php
    18. ↑ fr:Château de la Tour de Marignan
    19. ↑ Chapier, Georges (2005), La Découvrance. Collection L'amateur Averti, ed., Châteaux Savoyards: Faucigny, Chablais, Tarentaise, Maurienne, Savoie propre, Genevois (in French), pp. 85–89, ISBN 978-2-8426-5326-2.
    20. ↑ Chapier, Georges (2005), La Découvrance. Collection L'amateur Averti, ed., Châteaux Savoyards: Faucigny, Chablais, Tarentaise, Maurienne, Savoie propre, Genevois (in French), p. 85, ISBN 978-2-8426-5326-2.
    21. ↑ http://www.tourisme-sciez.com/sciez-port-plaisance.php
    22. ↑ http://www.port-de-sciez.com/
    23. ↑ http://www.tourisme-sciez.com/plage-sciez.php
    24. ↑ http://www.guidou.info/1.html
    25. ↑ http://www.museeguidou.com/
    26. ↑ http://www.tourisme-sciez.com/notre-dame-de-chavannex.php

    External links

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