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Origin and history

The bridge over the Dead Water is located in Doussard, in the department of Haute-Savoie (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). It crossed the eponymous river and is on the old road connecting Annecy, then under the authority of the County of Geneva, to Faverges, dependent on the Duchy of Savoie. This route passed through the port of Le Vivier, where the ruins of Beauvivier's fort house still remain, witness to its strategic importance.

The bridge was subject to a toll charge levied by the lord of Verthier, vassal of the lords of Duingt. This toll applied both to the passage of the bridge and to the use of the neighbouring port, illustrating the economic control exercised by the local lords on the lines of communication. The building, a communal property since its inscription in historical monuments in 1974, remains a vestige of medieval exchanges between Savoyard territories.

Architecturally, the bridge is associated with a rural and seigneurial context typical of medieval Savoy. Tolls, such as those in Verthier, often financed infrastructure maintenance or strengthened local power. Beauvivier's fort house, close to the port, suggests a defensive and commercial organization around this crossing point, reflecting the political dynamics between Geneva and Savoy at that time.

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