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In Savoie and Haute-Savoie, traditional chalets mingle with resorts designed by cutting-edge architects, the Alpine horn and traditional folk music rub shoulders with the electronic music of the trendiest destinations.
The territory of Savoie and Mont Blanc, which corresponds to the former Duchy of Savoie, is a mélange of influences from all over the Alps. Indeed, the region has always been a place of passage, since its major passes were one of the trade routes between Italy and France. That being said, its location at a cultural crossroads has not prevented it from developing its own identity, marked in particular by a fervent spirit of independence. Even today, the Savoyards continue to cling to the symbols of their identity, such as the flag, which is based on the design of the coat of arms of the Dukes of Savoy: a white cross on a red background; the "National Holiday", celebrated on 19 February, the date on which the county of Savoy was declared a duchy (1416); and finally, the Savoyard anthem, Le Chant des Allobroges, which refers to the ancient Celtic peoples who settled in the lands of Savoy at the beginning of the 3rd century BC. C.) The text, also called La Liberté, features an allegory of Liberty who, driven out of France, takes refuge in the mountains of Savoy where she finds the support of the Allobroges. It refers to the asylum that certain outlaw figures, including Eugène Sue, Alexandre Dumas and Victor Schoelcher, came to seek in the Duchy of Savoy after Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte's coup d'état on 2 December 1851.
Traditional Savoyard music displays strong Swiss, Piedmontese and French influences. It is centred around the alphorn (a long bent horn at least 3m long, originally used for long-distance mountain communication), the accordion and polyphonic singing. Travellers may be lucky enough to hear them in fine weather at village festivals, when men and women are dressed in traditional costumes. In total, there are about 20 Savoyard folk costumes. They vary according to the valley or village, but generally consist of a shawl, skirt, apron and bonnet for the women (e.g. the "frontière" in Tarentaise), all decorated with jewellery, lace etc. The men wear a large shirt, a waistcoat, trousers and a hat. These costumes appeared from the 17th century onwards and in some places continued to be worn until the 20th century.
