Heritage guide: Faverges and the Roman city of Casuaria

Casuaria, a Roman city on the road through the Alps

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Faverges went by the name of Casuaria. Mentioned as far back as Antiquity in the Antonine Itinerary, this Gallo-Roman settlement — a "vicus" established on the site of the present-day hamlet of Viuz — was one of the important stops on the great Roman road across the Alps. Picture the wagon teams and merchants who paused here: the road linked the Italian plain and Aosta to Geneva and the Rhône valley, crossing the Alps over the Little St Bernard Pass. Even its name preserves the memory of a past of craftsmen, since "Faverges" derives from the Latin fabrica, "the forge".

The villa du Thovey and its Roman baths

Set apart from the ancient town, the Thovey site has preserved the remains of a vast Roman residence that also served as a staging post, a "mansio". Around a rectangular courtyard bordered by a colonnaded portico lay genuine baths: a changing room, a cold room, a hot room, and a furnace that spread its heat beneath the floor. Occupied from the 1st to the 3rd century, the establishment went up in flames around 270, during the incursions of the Alemanni, those Germanic peoples who came from the North. Excavated in the late 20th century and then listed as a Historic Monument, the site has yielded an exceptional collection of artefacts: among them, a large bronze cauldron was unearthed, now on display at the Viuz museum.

The treasure of Casuaria

What if the real treasure of Faverges actually existed? It is no legend: 2,306 Roman silver coins — denarii and antoniniani — really did lie here, hidden inside a bronze vase. Around 259–260, their owner buried them in the heart of one of the city's houses, no doubt to keep them from the invading Alemanni. He never came back for them. For seventeen centuries the hoard lay forgotten, until it was rediscovered in 1971. The most recent coin, struck under the emperor Volusianus, makes it possible to date the burial precisely. The collection is now kept at the Musée archéologique de Viuz-Faverges.

The Viuz museum and its Romanesque church

Just a few steps away, the Musée archéologique de Viuz-Faverges unfolds nearly 2,500 years of local history, from the Neolithic to the 18th century: here you will find the coin hoard and its bronze cauldron, but also Celtic ornaments, pottery and everyday tools. The museum stands beside the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Viuz, a fine Romanesque building from the second half of the 12th century, listed as a Historic Monument. Go down into its crypt: it holds the superimposed remains of a Roman building and of early churches. Good news for families — children are admitted to the museum free of charge on presentation of the Tresorus quest badge.

The castle and its panoramic keep

Perched above the town, the castle of Faverges was, from the Middle Ages onward, a stronghold guarding the border between Savoy and the county of Geneva. Its lords are first mentioned in 1112, but it was not until around 1250 that its proud keep rose up: a round tower 32 metres high, typical of 13th-century Savoyard architecture. Successively the property of the House of Savoy and then of industrialists, the castle has belonged to the municipality since 1980, and its keep is listed as a Historic Monument. Climb its roughly 145 steps to the panoramic gallery: up there, the 360° view takes in the valley and the peaks of the Bauges massif.

Seythenex, the waterfall and the cave

Since 2016, Faverges has formed a new municipality with its neighbour Seythenex, under the name of Faverges-Seythenex. There you will find one of the most spectacular natural sites in the valley: the cave and waterfall of Seythenex. Fed by the Saint-Ruph torrent, the waterfall plunges forty-five metres in a roar of water, while the cave — the only developed cave in Haute-Savoie open to the public — can be visited underground, in the cool air. Listed as a geosite of the UNESCO Bauges Massif Geopark, the place also delights families with its zip lines and its discovery trail. From the Roman city to the depths of the mountain, Faverges is best discovered like a quest.

What to do in Faverges with the family

Faverges is an excellent base camp for exploring the south of Lake Annecy with the family. For discovery, you can fit into a single day the Viuz museum, the castle's panoramic keep with its roughly 145 steps, then the cave and waterfall of Seythenex, whose zip lines soar over the void from April to September. Lovers of the great outdoors can head for the trails of the Bauges massif, listed as a UNESCO Global Geopark, perfect for a first hike with the children. And just a fifteen-minute drive away, the beaches and cycle paths at the far end of Lake Annecy promise swimming and bike rides as soon as the fine weather arrives.

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