Foundation The exact date of the foundation of Aillon Charterhouse remains uncertain. Various historical sources propose different dates. Charles-Joseph Morotius (
Dom Morozzo), author of
Theatrum Chronologicum Sacri Ordinis Cartusiensis (1681), and the authors of the
Gallia Christiana suggest the year 1143. An undated document titled Series et Origo Domorum Ordinis Cartusiensis, referring specifically to the Aillon house, states: "Domus Allionis, in Sabaudia, et diocesis gebennensis, erecta et dotata est anno millesimo centesimo septuagesimo tertio ab Humberto III." Additionally, the
Carta Capituli Cartusiensis, the charter of the Carthusian general chapter from 1208, notes in the margin that the foundation occurred "before 1178." The (1866) lists Aillon Charterhouse under the entry "Aillon" in its general alphabetical index as a Carthusian monastery in the Diocese of Geneva, stating it was "founded around 1183 by Count Humbert." follows Abbé ''Mémoires pour l'histoire ecclésiastique des diocèses de Genève, Tarentaise, Aoste et Maurienne et du décanat de Savoie'' (1759), More recent scholarship, including works by Canon Gros (1935), and Pierre Jacques Le Seigneur (2008), generally agrees on the year 1178 for the first charter (Charter 1). The medievalist (1995) cites two key dates: around 1178, when the monks received a domain as a pledge from a lord of Apremont, and 1189, when they acquired the land definitively. According to this document, he granted the abbey all his rights over the land of Aillon, the (
lacum meum de la Tuelli)—“since within the borders of the new house there are not many fish, I have given it my lake of La Thuile” He was likely . Canon Gros notes the mention of a
Guigo prior de Allione in 1158. The donation by Count Humbert III was confirmed by his successors, who also granted additional privileges to the monastery. In 1216, Count
Thomas I of Savoy confirmed the donations made by his father. During his reign, he granted the monastery six additional endowments Count
Amadeus IV of Savoy continued the endowments to Aillon Charterhouse, notably granting land in the plain of
Montmélian in 1236, including the estate of in
Cruet. In 1251, he confirmed the donations made by his predecessors, and in his will of 1252, he allocated one thousand sous to the monastery, as well as to the monasteries of
Arvières and
Hautecombe. In 1383, Count
Amadeus VI of Savoy bequeathed the to the
Carthusian order. The prior of Aillon assumed command of the fortress, a role that was contrary to the Carthusian rule, but which continued until 1583. The monastery owned approximately 3,000 hectares of land, primarily forest, about ten farms in the Lourdes valley, holdings in
Doucy, and vineyards in the
Combe de Savoie. The monks were primarily of local origin, though some came from other regions, according to Dom Charles Le Couteulx (1639–1709), a Carthusian historian. Historians Nicolas Carrier and Fabrice Mouthon, in a 2010 study on mountain communities, observe that the Carthusians took measures to preserve the isolation of their environment. They cite the example of Aillon, which reportedly secured the removal of the inhabitants of the village of Le Cimetière, then the parish center of Aillon, though the circumstances remain unclear. A fire in 1582 required extensive reconstruction, These metals were transported by mule over the and processed at various locations where the Carthusians had established
foundries and
trip-hammers. A foundry was established in the Bauges at a site known as Martinet dessus (present-day Aillon-le-Jeune) in the 17th or 18th century. a flour mill, and a sawmill in
Albigny, in the plain at the confluence of the
Isère and
Arc rivers. These installations are recorded on the Sardinian cadastral map of 1728. The populations of the Bauges region and Aillon Charterhouse were required to supply provisions to the French army, despite local opposition. while others sought asylum in Turin, then the capital of the
Kingdom of Sardinia. The monastery was occupied by approximately 400 French soldiers. In 1794, the remaining possessions were described as "very significant [but] amounted to only 11 lots for the properties located in the commune of Aillon." Following the Albitte Decree, the bell towers and buildings were dismantled. According to Abbé Morand, the high altar was transferred in 1806 to the in Aillon-le-Vieux. However, the 1984 volume
Histoire des communes savoyardes notes that it is no longer present. The entrance portal of the former monastery was reused in the construction of the new parish church of Aillon-le-Jeune,
Rehabilitation of the site Starting in 1853, the building was acquired by the Bérard brothers for use as a residence and agricultural facility. This led to the creation of the Association for the Safeguarding of the Charterhouse of Aillon, which aimed to preserve the structure. and inaugurated in 2008. == Description of the charterhouse and its possessions ==