Sonnaz

Sonnaz is a town in the French department of Savoie in the Rhone -Alpes.

Geography

Sonnaz is located at 370 m above sea level. M., about 6 km north of the town of Chambery (air line). The village is located in the northwest of the Savoie département, in the foothills southeast of the Lac du Bourget, on a ridge between the valley floor of Chambéry and the hollow of Tillet, at the western foot of the Nivolet ( part of the massif of the Wallows ).

The area of ​​6.79 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Alpine foothills. The main part of the territory occupied by the heights of Sonnaz, a ridge that extends from north to Chambéry to Aix -les- Bains. To the east of this ridge is bounded by the 1 km wide, flat valley of Tillet, which used to form a swamp area. In a narrow tip, the municipality's area extends to the southeast and reaches the steep slope of the Bois du Fournet up. On a ledge below the Nivolet is 680 m above sea level. M. reached the highest elevation of Sonnaz.

To Sonnaz addition to the actual center also includes several hamlets settlements and farmsteads, including:

• Rages (320 m above sea level. M. ) on the eastern slope of the hill of Voglans
• Montagny (290 m above sea level. M. ) in the valley of Tillet

Neighboring communities of Sonnaz are Viviers -du -Lac in the north, Méry and Verel - Pragondran in the east, Saint -Alban- Leysse and Chambéry in the south and in the west Voglans.

History

The territory of Sonnaz was already inhabited during the Roman period, which could be detected on the basis of several remnants. In the Middle Ages the name Sonnas appear in the documents. Sonnaz belonged to the Benedictine priory Lémenc. It was for many years their own little rule.

Attractions

The parish church of Sonnaz was built in the 19th century. The Château de Sonnaz originally dates from the 11th century, but took its present shape in extensive renovations in the 19th century. The small cemetery is the grave of the young pop singer Grégory Lemarchal.

Population

With 1559 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Sonnaz one of the smaller communities of the department of Savoie. After the population was declining in the first half of the 20th century, a significant population increase has been recorded since the early 1970s again. Since then, the population has almost quadrupled. The settlement area of Sonnaz increasingly growing together with that of Chambéry.

Economy and infrastructure

Sonnaz until the 20th century, a predominantly coined by agriculture, especially wine growing village. In addition, there are now several companies of small and medium enterprises. Some industrial zones emerged in recent decades along the main road. Meanwhile, the village has been transformed into a residential community. Many workers are commuters who engage mainly in the area of Aix -les -Bains and Chambery their work.

The village has a good infrastructure. It lies on the main road D991 which leads from Chambery to Aix -les- Bains. Further road links exist with Voglans, Méry and Saint -Alban- Leysse. The nearest links to the A41 motorway, which runs through the municipality, is located at a distance of about 6 km.

• Municipality in the department of Savoie
• Place in Rhône -Alpes