The Abbey of Entremont, also known as Entremont-en-Genevois and dedicated to Saint Mary (Sancta Maria inter montes), is a former abbey of Canons Regular founded in 1154. It is situated in the commune of Glières-Val-de-Borne, within the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France.
Geography The Abbey of Entremont is located on the left bank of the , along departmental road D12, between Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny and Saint-Jean-de-Sixt. It is situated near the historical border between the territories of Faucigny and the County of Geneva, with the Borne torrent serving as a natural boundary. The abbey's domain extended into the valleys of the Bornant.
History
Foundation of the Abbey Around 1115, canons from the , located in the province of Chablais, established a priory in the already-inhabited valley of Entremont. Burcard, who became prior of the monastery, is believed to have been a member of the Counts of Geneva family. The monks received a land donation extending from the strait of Antérieux to the Pas de l’Échelle, corresponding to the parish of Entremont, from a local seigneurial family, possibly the Pontverre. This donation was later confirmed by Count Amadeus I of Geneva, the regional suzerain, in the presence of Peter II of Tarentaise, .
Girold, the first abbot of the Abbey of Entremont, implemented a strict monastic life based on the Rule of Saint Augustine. The constitutions of the Abbey of Abondance, composed around 1130 by the Blessed , first abbot of Sixt, served as a model. This form of religious life attracted support from the Counts of Geneva and local nobility. The abbey acquired extensive holdings, including forests, water sources, and mountain pastures in areas such as La Forclaz, Mayse, Lessy, and Les Auges, as well as lands in Cenise (Le Petit-Bornand), La Roche-sur-Foron, Grand-Bornand, Pers, Amancy, Groisy, Saint-Laurent, and Thônes. It also owned mills in Cran (near Annecy) and vineyards in Arve-en-Faucigny, Saint-Sigismond, and L’Hôpital-sous-Conflans (now part of Albertville). To protect these assets, the abbey relied on vassals who became influential in the region. Six churches—Amancy, Menthonnex-sous-Clermont, Mésigny, Pers, Poisy, and Rumilly-sous-Cornillon—were under the abbey's jurisdiction and owed it various dues and rents. Despite its possessions, the abbey was subject to financial obligations, including subsidies and taxes payable to the Count of Savoy, the bishop, and the Apostolic Chamber.
Following substantial donations, the priory of Entremont sought and obtained autonomy from the Abbey of Abondance, with the approval of Burcard, then Abbot of Abondance. The Abbey of Entremont was officially established by charter on 12 February 1154, with twelve canons in residence. The abbot of Entremont was accorded precedence in rank after the abbots of Abondance and Sixt. In 1160, a papal bull issued by Pope Alexander III placed the abbey and its dependencies under papal protection.
Abbot Girold gained significant recognition and, in 1161, was called to witness the signing of a "charter of charity" between the abbeys of Sixt and Abondance, under the influence of Peter II of Tarentaise, Archbishop of Tarentaise and former abbot of Tamié Abbey. In 1180, Girold was appointed abbot of Abondance, his original monastery. His successor, Jacques (1184–1188), was also held in high regard and contributed to the resolution of a dispute between William I of Geneva and . Between 1175 and 1250, the canons of Entremont established a hospital intended to serve both clergy and laypeople. Founded "to the praise of God," its purpose was to care for the destitute, poor, and sick. The hospital welcomed not only local inhabitants but also travelers. Treatment methods were primarily based on prayer and the use of medicinal plants, either collected in the surrounding mountains or cultivated in the abbey's gardens.
In 1225, Count William II of Geneva granted the Abbey of Entremont the status of a seigneury, conferring upon the abbot the title of Lord of Entremont. At that time, the abbey's domain encompassed approximately 1,835 hectares. It held the patronage of the parishes of Amancy, Pers, Poisy, Menthonnex-sous-Clermont, Mésigny, and Saint-Pierre-de-Cornillon. Additional possessions included land near La Roche-sur-Foron, Grand-Bornand, and Boëge, as well as mills in Cran and vineyards in Saint-Sigismond and . From its foundation, the abbey church also served as a parish church. This dual function is confirmed by a pastoral visitation in 1445, which stated: “Et propter hec (visitador) visitationi abbatie supersedit, et solum de pressenti ad visitionem ecclesie parrochialis que in ipso monasterio extradur [...]” (“And for this reason [the visitor] omitted the visitation of the abbey and attended only the parish church, which was located in the monastery”).Haute-Savoie Departmental Archives, IG 98.
Influence on the Borne Valley From its foundation, the Abbey of Entremont engaged in land clearing and deforestation to expand its holdings, with the support of allies and vassals. The lords of Clets contributed by granting land to the congregation. These efforts aimed to secure the abbey's material sustenance and reinforce its religious and social influence, including the spiritual benefit of its lay benefactors.
The abbey played a significant role in the development of local settlement and subsistence agriculture. Its organized land management contrasted with the less systematic clearing efforts of the local population. The monastic community was responsible for developing areas such as Bois-Berchet and the southern slope of the , including Nant-Robert, Les Poches, La Vandanche, and Les Plans. In the valley floors, they cultivated Lormay and Les Troncs, while in the Chinaillon Valley, development occurred around Les Faux, Combe des Mouilles, and the hamlet of Chinaillon. Further upslope, in the area of Maroly, the abbey's territory bordered that of the .
Under the feudal system, distinctions were made between rights over servile lands, though both ecclesiastical institutions and secular lords often exercised overlapping claims over individuals, sometimes extending beyond their fiefs. This situation resulted in complex territorial arrangements. For example, the Bouchet Valley (present-day Le Grand-Bornand) was simultaneously under the authority of various feudal lords, the Count of Geneva, the , and the Abbey of Entremont. Around 1160, the abbey's scribes referred to the "land of Bornan" as encompassing the entire Borne Valley without subdivision. By approximately 1260, distinctions had emerged: the lower section, known as "Petit Bornand," extended from the Evaux pass to the entrance of the Étroits pass, while the upper section was designated "Grand Bornand." A 1266 inventory records a donation of 15 sols to a priest named Pierre, identified as being from "Maggior Bornando."
Land extend Over thirty notarial acts issued under the authority of the abbots of Entremont between 1220 and 1450 attest to the abbey's presence in the upper Borne Valley. One such act, dated 1266, involved the canons of Entremont and a resident of La Mulaterie (in present-day Le Grand-Bornand), with Hubert of Clets, local lord, serving as a witness. The abbey held property and vassals in the area of Nant Robert. The principal access route to the Bouchet and Chinaillon valleys passed through the Borne Valley via the La Forclaz pass. In 1347, the abbot of Entremont and the , in the presence of the procurator of La Forclaz, signed an agreement defining territorial boundaries and confirming that local inhabitants were subject to the abbey's taxation and judicial authority. The overlapping jurisdictions of the abbey and the lords of Clets led to frequent disputes. In 1386, Albert of Clets formally recognized the abbey's full jurisdiction. This authority had previously been granted to the Clets family by the Count of Geneva on 15 April 1334.
Demographic upheaval Around 1361, the Black Death reached the Borne Valley, followed by another epidemic in 1418 that resulted in approximately 240 deaths. According to Canon François Pochat-Baron (1860–1951), author of a Histoire des paroisses de la vallée de Thônes, the epidemic returned in 1571. In 1380, the territory of Maggior Bornando recorded 40 hearths, corresponding to roughly 240 inhabitants. By 1411, this number had risen to 80 hearths; in 1442, a year for which tax records exist, 104 hearths (approximately 624 people) were recorded; in 1481, 140 hearths (about 820 people); and in 1561, the salt tax accounted for 1,392 inhabitants in Grand-Bornand. To maintain feudal revenues, repopulation efforts were undertaken. The Count of Geneva instructed his vassals either to bring serfs from other holdings or to attract free settlers by offering land and homesteads.
Submission to Saint-Ruph of Valence In 1279, , and Canon of Vienne, reported significant irregularities at the Abbey of Entremont, including a decline in adherence to the Rule of Saint Augustine and inadequate maintenance of the buildings. On 8 November of that year, he removed the abbey from the jurisdiction of the Abbot of Abondance and placed it under the authority of the . From that point forward, the Abbot of Saint-Ruf held the right to elect the Abbot of Entremont, subject to approval by the Bishop of Geneva. Many abbots during the 14th and 15th centuries were drawn from the local nobility, including members of the de Verboux family.
In 1281, Anselme became the first abbot of Entremont from the Congregation of Saint-Ruph. He introduced twelve canons reputed for their discipline, contributing to the restoration of monastic order. His successors focused on the abbey's material consolidation. Abbot Aymar (1292–1302) worked to secure the abbey's rights and revenues through the enforcement of feudal obligations, acquisition of annuities and rents, and the negotiation of territorial exchanges. One such exchange transferred the lordship of Petit-Bornand to the abbey in return for relinquishing that of Pers to Count Amadeus II of Geneva. In 1292, Amadeus confirmed the abbey's titles, properties, and rights, and made additional donations in 1303. These grants were reaffirmed in a charter dated July 7, 1340, signed by Hugues of Geneva, confirming the abbey's lordships, rights, and jurisdictions.
Challenging times During this period, monetary circulation was limited, and transactions were commonly conducted through the exchange of goods or land rather than currency. Broader political and religious developments included the suppression of the Knights Templar and the confiscation of their assets by Philip IV of France, ongoing conflicts among feudal lords, and the relocation of the papacy to Avignon. At the Abbey of Entremont, five abbots held office in succession, each with varying degrees of authority. In response to renewed internal disorder and a decline in discipline, Falcon de Montchenu, Prior of Poisy, was granted full powers and legal authority on 12 May 1330 by the Abbot of Saint-Ruph to oversee all affairs under Entremont's jurisdiction.