Medieval Mountains: The Forgotten Centuries

The medieval period saw the establishment of permanent settlement patterns that would persist for centuries. By the 11th century, the Priory of Chamonix had been founded, bringing Benedictine monks to the valley. These religious pioneers didn't seek sublime mountain experiences—they sought souls to save and lands to cultivate.

The monks found a scattered population of perhaps 300 people, living in small hamlets, practicing transhumance—the seasonal movement of livestock to high pastures. Life was hard, circumscribed by altitude and season. Families survived on rye and barley grown on laboriously terraced fields, milk and cheese from hardy cattle, and whatever the forests provided.

"Medieval Chamonix wasn't isolated—it was connected, but on its own terms," explains historian Dr. Marie-Claude Bassetti. "Salt came from the Mediterranean, iron from local forges, ideas and news from traveling merchants and pilgrims. But the connections followed mountain logic, not lowland convenience."

The valley's residents developed sophisticated strategies for survival. Community regulations governed everything from grazing rights to avalanche protection. The "consortages"—collective management systems for alpine pastures—represented early forms of environmental regulation, ensuring sustainable use of limited resources. Women played crucial roles in these systems, often managing household economies and maintaining vital social networks that could mean survival during harsh winters.