The Séré De Rivières system

Often considered a natural rampart, the Alps are however not impassable. Through the presence of the Petit-Saint-Bernard, Bonhomme and Iseran passes, the Haute-Tarentaise valley has brought together important places of passage since prehistory. Since Antiquity, the Petit-Saint-Bernard pass has been a link between local Alpine populations. During the Roman conquest, Emperor Augustus completed the construction of the Roman road. Troops, sovereigns, pilgrims, merchants, bankers and peddlers cross paths on the roads. At the end of the Middle Ages, the County of Savoie controlled five crucial passes, including the Petit and Grand Saint-Bernard.

The prices and visiting days are available on My week at Les Arcs or at the Tourist Offices.

The Quartier des Alpins in Bourg-Saint-Maurice hosted the Diables Bleus of the 7^th Battalion of Alpine Hunters (BCA) until 2012. This memorial site offers an opportunity to discover the Haute Tarentaise valley and the defensive structures built to protect and control communication routes to Italy. It provides a chance to explore the local military history, including its organization, the construction of fortifications, the battles, and the men who gave their lives for our freedom and peace.

« “I am General R. A. Séré de Rivières. I was director of fortifications from 1873 to 1880. After 1871, the date of France's defeat against Prussia and its German allies, I invented a defense system that bears my name. »
Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières (1815-1895)

THE SÉRÉ DE RIVIÈRES SYSTEM

Thus, above the town, a defensive system was built from 1890 to 1894 with:

• The Vulmix interdiction fort (1065 m).
• The Truc protection fort (1550 m).
• The Platte surveillance blockhouse (2000 m).
• The Redoute Ruinée on the ridge overlooking the hospice at the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass (2400 m).

In 1913, this system was completed with 3 batteries placed on the ridge of the Malgovert forest.

Each fortified structure has a specific mission with designated armament and garrison:

• The Vulmix battery, equipped with 8 cannons, protects the road to the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass, the Montrigon bridge, and the railway bridge.
• The Truc fort defends both Vulmix with 2 cannons and potential enemy advances on the heights with 6 additional cannons.
• The Platte blockhouse monitors the valley. It serves as barracks and houses 4 cannons.
• The Redoute Ruinée fort oversees the strategic Petit Saint-Bernard Pass.

MILITARY VOCABULARY IN A FEW DEFINITIONS

Fort: A fortified structure designed to defend a location. It has a protective enclosure and barracks for its garrison.

Battery: Unlike a fort, a battery is a fortification that does not have barracks for its soldiers.

Blockhouse: A small fortified structure for the defense of a specific point.

Structure: Synonym for fort and battery.

Casemate: A small fortified structure or shelter protected from shellfire.

Outpost: A position located in front of the main line of defense.

Redoubt: A small isolated and enclosed fortification.

Special concrete: High-strength concrete (400 kg of cement per m³).

DID YOU KNOW: THE SAINT BERNARD DOGS

The "vaguemestres," military personnel responsible for postal services, are eagerly awaited by soldiers isolated in the fortifications. On the road to the fort of Truc, they are accompanied by Saint Bernard dogs, used for pulling sleds or for mountain rescues.