Memory
Life of old in Champagny-le-Haut
A century and a half ago, this valley was home to five hundred souls; barely thirty remain. Before it became a haven of quiet, Champagny-le-Haut was a hard, teeming peasant world. That world was recorded by Michel Ruffier-Lanche — Danielle's grandfather — in his memoirs, and filmed in 1958 in “Le Fruit commun”.
A valley full of life
Around 1860, nearly five hundred people lived and worked in Champagny-le-Haut. It was a hard peasant world, but teeming with life: large families, great herds, evenings spent in the stables, fairs and festivals through the seasons.
Michel Ruffier-Lanche — Danielle's grandfather — knew this inhabited valley. Above all, he kept the memory of its sounds:
« There were sounds in every village — of people, of cows, of dogs… »
— Michel Ruffier-Lanche
Explore
The common harvest
The communal high pasture, Camille “le Gaulois” and Beaufort carried down on men's backs.
→Through the seasons
Twelve months, twelve labours: winter in the stables, the haymaking, the fairs.
→The Vanoise National Park
The letter to General de Gaulle, the converted poacher, and the dandelion tale.
→History & curiosities
A pope, a rice pioneer, the valley's churches, an extraordinary bell — and the shift from farm to ski resort.
→Writings & songs
Michel's poems and the old song of Champagny, kept in French as he wrote them.
→The film
« Le Fruit commun »
The documentary filmed in 1958 in the valley, around Camille Ruffier “le Gaulois” and the communal high pasture.
Passing it on
« To hoard your memories jealously is to kill them slowly; they vanish with us. To share them is to give them a new life. »
— Michel Ruffier-Lanche
It is in that spirit that we renovated these former barns and family houses rather than let them fall. By staying here, you enter that valley, and a little of this story.