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Tignes (Municipality, Savoie, France)

by Nicolas Deprez, logotype from the municipal website

Presentation of Tignes
Description of the flag of Tignes

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Presentation of Tignes

Tignes (2,000 inhabitants, Tignards) is a ski resort located in the upper valley of Isere (Tarentaise) in the Northern Alps.

The ancient village of Tignes was located on the banks of the river Isère, at an elevation of 1,650 m a.s.l. It was one of those typical Savoyard villages isolated in the far end of a valley, until the building of the road of col de l'Iseran in 1936, linking the valleys of Tarentaise and Maurienne (valley of river Arc). The main if not only activity in the village was cattle breeding. In summer time, most inhabitants of the village went with cattle in the upper elevation pastures, a main event in the local life which was called emmontagnée. From May until September (démontagnée), small groups living in complete autarcy had to organize and live in very precarious conditions.
Accordingly, Tignes, as well as the other Alpine mountains, suffered from emigration. Most emigrants worked in Paris as packers for the auction rooms Rey and Drouot, a profession which is still a Savoyard monopole. Most of these emigrants came back to the villages for the summer season.

Tignes is described as follows in the Guide Michelin Les Alpes de la Savoie et du Dauphiné, 2nd edition (1928-1929):

Dans une jolie situation, Tignes groupe ses antiques maisons grises autour de son clocher aux teintes de rouille. (In a nice location, Tignes groups its old grey houses around it