Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The abbey Our Lady of Tamié was founded in 1133 by monks from Bonnevaux Abbey, sent by Archbishop Peter of Tarentaise. Located in the valley of Tamié, it benefits from land donations from the local lords and the Count of Geneva, including pastures and farmland. From 1171, Pope Alexander III placed his goods under pontifical protection, confirming its regional importance. The first decades were marked by material difficulties, mentioned in the biography of St Peter by Geoffroy d'Hautecombe (1184), which already mentions the making of cheese.

Over the centuries, the abbey suffered fires, epidemics and looting, while the regime of commende (appointment of abbots by external authorities) weakened its management. Abbés like Pierre de Beaufort (1537–1581) dilapidated his resources, leading to major degradations. A reform was initiated in 1677 by Abbé Jean-Antoine de la Forest, inspired by the Trappe, relaunching monastic life and economic activities: cheese making (with the help of Swiss cheesemakers), logging, and steelmaking via a blast furnace fed by local forests. These activities supported the population until the abbey was abolished in 1792 during the Revolution.

After decades of abandonment, the abbey was restored in 1861 by Trappists of the Abbey of Grace-God. The monks revive wheat production, saving the community financially. In the 20th century, the abbey became a place of spiritual (hotels, retreats) and economic (fromagerie generating €1.5 million/year in 2023). During the Second World War, it served as a refuge for resistors. Today, the 27 monks perpetuate the Benedictine rule, combining prayer, work (transformation of 4 tons of milk/day) and hospitality, while ecologically valuing the milk into biogas.

The abbey is also linked to historical figures such as the monks of Tibhirine (two of whom came from Tamié) and to the foundation of the Little Singer at the Wood Cross (1907), although the monks did not participate directly. Its bell tower, rebuilt after the Revolution, and its mills (including a transformed into a reception centre) testify to its adaptation to the times. The AOP Tamié cheese, made according to a gruyère recipe imported in 1677, remains its emblem.

Architecturally, the abbey mixes medieval remains and 19th century reconstructions, as the steeple without arrow restored by Sardinian engineer Ernesto Melano (1827). His heraldic weapons (d-azur to silver chevron) recall his connection with the Chevron family, the site's donor. The library, partially destroyed in 1793, and the lost archives limit the knowledge of certain periods, but papal bubbles and cadastres (like the one of 1730) document its extensive land heritage, from Savoyard alps to Bugey lands.

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