18 MONKS o r POMMIERS.
above the valley or basin in which the lake
of Geneva is situated.
About seven miles from Geneva, and
immediately under the highest part of the
Saleve, called the Piton, we passed the
ancient monastery of Pommiers, founded
in 1179. The surrounding grounds are
beautiful, hut the situation is extremely
solitary. The monks of Pommiers were
the first cultivators of this once savage
country, which was one vast forest, extending
along the foot of the Saleve to the extremity
of Mount Sion, a mountain range
that branches off from it nearly at right angles,
and connects the Saleve with the
Vuaches and the chain of the Jura on the
other side of the valley. The monks also
formed the present road from Annecy to
Geneva, which before passed on the other
side of the great and little Saleve, by a very
steep and dangerous ascent from Cru-
seilles, and then descended by Morney and
Etrembieres. The encouragement which
the monks of Pommiers gave to agriculture
and some of the useful arts, and the generous
hospitality they exercised to travellers,
procured for them the respect and protection
of their powerful neighbours. Even
MONASTERY OF POMMIERS. 19
the Bernese, after the reformation, when
they conquered this part of Savoy, and destroyed
all tlie other religions houses, were
so convinced of the utility of this establishment,
that they suffered it to remain,
after exacting from the monks some contributions
and the oaths of fidelity and allegiance.
The monastery was broken up,
and the bell and clock removed to Carouge,
in the year 1793. The buildings and domain
have since been purchased by an individual
who resides there, and who has
spoilt the old chapel by attempting to whitewash
and beautify it. A visit to Pommiers
forms a favourite excursion of the Genevese.
Behind the monastery there is a
deep ravine, along which is a zig-zag path
that conducts to the PitoHj the highest part
of the Saleve, from whence the prospect is
uncommonly grand and extensive.
Soon after passing Pommiers we came
to the village of Chable, first founded by
the monks of Pommiers, where our passports
were examined at the Donane, as
we were now in the territory of the king
of Sardinia. The Genevese and Savoyards
are in general very strictly examined here,
but on declaring the object of our journey,
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