Ollomont

Introduction

A mountain municipality, essentially still rural, located in the valley of the same name just north of the municipality of Valpelline. It is a valley enclosed by an imposing circle of mountains, over which dominates the Grand Combin (4314 m) already on Swiss territory.

Description

His relative notoriety was linked to the transit of wayfarers and goods over the Fenêtre Durand pass, which seems to have been heavily frequented since ancient times. It certainly was in the Middle Ages: indeed, along the way, in a splendid basin at about 1600 m, stood the village of By, which was then inhabited all year round. Towards 1550, the Savoys, sovereigns of the Aosta Valley and Valais, lost control of the Swiss side, with disastrous consequences on the commercial traffic through the Ollomont area: By became only a particularly scenic mountain pasture and the village was abandoned.

A new 'flare-up' of relative importance occurred with the exploitation of copper mines from at least the 17th century, and then dragged on with mixed fortunes until 1945, when the seam was declared exhausted. Today, part of the old mine is used as a warehouse for storing fontinas, an original idea yes, but also a very useful one given the predominantly agricultural nature of the town's economy.