Mount Thabor and the Magi

Yes, this is France and not Galilee! Mount Thabor stands at the foot of Gaspard, Melchior and Balthazar, reaching a height of 3,178 metres where a chapel stands at the top.

At the crossroads between Maurienne, Vallée Etroite (“narrow valley”) and Névache, Mount Thabor nevertheless stands alone in a “high mountain” valley made more welcoming by the Sainte-Marguerite lakes.

Vallée Etroite, a French and Italian valley

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the rectification of the Franco-Italian border was confirmed by the peace treaty of 10th February 1947. As further north on the Mont-Cenis plateau, and further south at the Chaberton summit, the border was pushed from the Col de l’Echelle to the Rois Mages chain, to include the upper part of the Vallée Etroite.

In this magical place that our Italian neighbours call “Valle Stretta” you can cross from France into Italy without even realizing it!