The largest alpine pasture in France, which is called Senépy and is at an altitude of 1769m, is within the boundaries of the commune. It hosts a herd of around 1000 cattle.[4] Mayres-Savel is separated from Saint-Arey by a large ravine. At the border with Saint-Arey, but within the borders of the commune of Mayres-Savel is an unusual rock formation called 'La Demoiselle' (which is French for 'The Maiden'). 'Demoiselle coiffée' is a French word for the rock formation called a hoodoo in English.[5]
History
The Chateau de Savel, at the centre of the eponymous seigneurie ( or fiefdom), was described as a fortified house by Raymond del Sers in a census from 1399 who said "quod dictum castrum non nomiauitur castrum I sed domum fortem" which approximately translates to "as for the castle, it is not called a castle but a fortified house." The Lord of the castle at the time was Lantelme Eynard.[6] The ruins of the Chateau are still within the bounds of Mayre-Savel.[7]
The old bridge across the Drac, the mountain tributary which marked out the limit of the fiefdom, was knocked down in 1720 to isolate the village and protect its inhabitants from the plague.[4]
The commune of Savel was submerged when the Monteynard Dam was built in 1962. To preserve the memory of Savel, its name was incorporated in that of the neighbouring commune of Mayres along with the remaining land from former Savel which was still above water.[4]
^Sirot, Élisabeth (2007). Noble et forte maison - L'habitat seigneurial dans les campagnes médiévales du milieu du XIIe au début du XVIe. Éditions Picard. p. 33. ISBN9782708407701.
^Tasset, Eric (2005). Châteaux forts de l'Isère : Grenoble et le Nord de son arrondissement. Grenoble: éditions de Belledonne. p. 684. ISBN2911148665.
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