Abbaye de Hautecombe

Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille

Founded in 1139 by Cistercian monks on the shore of Lac du Bourget, this abbey became from the late 12th century the official necropolis of the House of Savoy: more than forty counts, dukes, princes and princesses were buried there between the 13th and 15th centuries, under ornately worked Gothic portico tombs shaped like canopy beds. Plundered and turned into an earthenware factory during the Revolution, it was saved and restored in a flamboyant neo-Gothic style by King Charles Felix of Sardinia in 1824. The royal tradition continued into a remarkably recent era: the last king of Italy, Umberto II, was buried there in 1983, followed by his wife Queen Marie-José in 2001. A prophecy attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux is said to have warned: "Hautecombe, you are too prosperous, the day of your fall will come."

Getting there : Paid entry, accessible by boat from Aix-les-Bains

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound