A Small History of the Litte and Great St Bernard Passes, their Hospices and Bernadiner Dogs
30 August 2024
Napoleon’s (1769-1821) famous march over the Great St Bernard (2469 metres) in 1800 went in a different direction from that of emperor Claudius (10 BC-54 AD) in 43 AD.
Claudius marched south to north toward Britannia, and Napoleon marched north to south towards Habsburg Italy and its allies.
In both cases, Martigny (Forum Claudii Vallensium, in Roman times, or Octodurus in the Celtic version) and Aosta (Augusta Praetoria, founded in 25 BC) were important places in this region.
Edouard Castres (1838-1902), 1800, Napoleon crossed the St. Bernard Pass on his way to Italy. Musée militaire de Morges. Foto: TES
Napoleon on the Great St Bernard
Claudius made his way to Britannia from Martigny, making the road across the Great St Bernard (Summus Poeninus or Alpis Poenina) passable. Napoleon, his generals and his army bivouacked at Martigny and completed the march to Aosta.
Little St Bernard (Graius mons or Alpis Graia, 2188m), the smaller brother of Great St Bernard, was also known to the Romans and of great strategic and economic importance.
Summus Poeninus derives from the Celtic god Poeninus (Penninus). Graia (probably derived from Graecae, based on a Greek legend) was the Roman name for Little St Bernard.
However, the Romans did not name the highest peaks of the Alpine chain—Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, or Mont Blanc!
The Alps Graias and Poeninas around 150 BC. Picture: Marco Zanoli,Wikipedia
The Great St Bernard Pass connects present-day Valais with the Aosta Valley in Italy. The road over the Little Saint Bernard Pass links the Aosta Valley with Tarentaise (with the Isère Valley), Beaufortain, and Haut-Faucigny (with the Chamonix Valley) in France.
The Roman interpretation of this ‘twin gateway’ to the Graias and Poeninas Alps (germinae Alpium fores, Graias atque Poeninas) is also reflected in the two administrative units in Roman times: the Alpes Graiae and the Vallis Poenina (from which the canton of Valais (Valais) takes its name). In Roman times, other passes were already in use in this region. These will not be discussed.
The various administrative changes during the Roman period are also not discussed. At least by the end of the Roman period (5th century), this region was the provincia Alpium Graiarum et Poeninarum. The Aosta Valley was assigned to Italian provinces.
During the Roman conquests, Celtic tribes lived in the area. The Salassians lived in the Aosta Valley (conquered in 25 BC). The Ceutrons inhabited the Alpes Graiae. The four tribes, Nantuates, Veragren, Sedunes, and Uberes, inhabited the Vallis Poenina. The Romans conquered these areas around 15-10 BC.
The Celtic population was Romanised within a few generations, and apart from (civil) wars, the Pax Romana brought stability and prosperity to the region for centuries. Today, the cities of Martigny and Aosta are the main witnesses.
The Great St. Bernard Lake
The Romans were (also) highly skilled road builders and made the passes over the Little and Great St Bernard Pass passable for trade, armies and passenger traffic.
Roman roads and numerous archaeological finds, including the remains of temples and other public buildings, inns, and numerous inscriptions and stones, still mark these routes.
The route from Aosta to Tarentaise across the Little St Bernard was completed around 20 AD, and the road from Aosta to Martigny in 43 AD.
The old Roman roads (also known from the Peutinger map) still largely define the main traffic routes. From the Great St Bernard towards Lake Geneva (lac Lémanus (Roman), lac Léman (French)), the route ran via Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Notre-Dame de Lorette, Allèves, Liddes, Orsières, Martigny (Octodurus), Massongex (Tarnaiae), Villeneuve (Pennelocus), Vevey (Viviscus), Lyon (Noviodunum) and Geneva (Genava).
The connection to the east led along the Rhone (Rhodanus) to the Grimsel Pass, Furka Pass and Simplon Pass. To the west (Tarentaise), from Martigny, the passes of Balme and Forclaz were also the main access routes.
The Litte St Bernard Pass 1940-1945
The border nowadays
The route from Aosta led into the Tarentaise via the Little St Bernard Pass to Bourg-Saint-Maurice (Bergintrum), Aime (Axima), Moûtiers (Darantasia) towards Albertville.
Aime
In Roman times, Aosta, Martigny, Aime and Moûtiers were the most important towns. Aosta and Martigny are important Roman archaeological sites. Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Aime and Moûtiers have to make do with a few inscriptions and archaeological finds.
After the Roman era, it took centuries for the passes, roads, and buildings to be maintained again. Monks mainly built, maintained, and managed guesthouses (hospices) for travellers or generals (Napoleon) who built or improved roads.
The first hospice on the Great St Bernard dates from the 11th century and was founded by St Bernard of Aosta (c.1020-c.1080). He was also the initiator of the hospice on Little St Bernard.
The hospice on the Little St Bernard
For centuries, these two centres, at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, were centres of scientific research, religion, refuge, and salvation for travellers. The Great St Bernard is also the highest point on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route.
However, the Saint Bernard dogs are the most famous and world-renowned inhabitants of the Great St Bernard. These rescuers and friends of humans can only be seen in the complex on the pass in the summer these days. The museum at the pass tells their story.
Although they are no longer used to rescue people, they still have a social and therapeutic function. The Barry Foundation in Martigny runs a breeding programme and presents these dogs and their history to the public.
(Source: A. Puéjean, Les Alpes Graies et Poenines à l’époque romaine, Tarentaise, Beaufortain, Haut-Faucigny et Valais, Nîmes, 2015; J.-P. Voutaz, P. Rouyer, Découvrir le Grand-Saint-Bernard, Les Editions du le Grand-Saint-Bernard, 2013)
