Inhabited since the
melting of the great continental glaciers, the area was occupied
by Stone Age peoples some ten thousand years ago, as attested
by archeological evidence, as in the Balme de Thuy rock shelter. Later civilizations brought the
Copper, Bronze, and Iron Ages to the area before the Roman invasion
of the 1st Century B.C.E..
Savoie itself became part of France in 1860, when the people of Savoie were asked by referendum whether they wished their country to join France or Italy. Since the area was French-speaking, the Savoyards voted overwhelmingly to join France, leaving the King of Savoie without a country to rule. However, the King was invited at this time to become King of Italy, which had just unified into a single country. A king was seen as a unifying influence by the politicians of the day. And so, the Savoie dynasty ruled over Italy until the last days of World War II, when the last king abdicated from the throne of Italy. The name "Savoy" is frequently found in England and the United States, and is a reminder of the presence of Anne of Savoie in England, where she was the queen of Henry III. Her uncle, Peter of Savoie, built a palace and the Savoy Chapel that were later destroyed in Wat Tyler's rebellion (1381); the name was resurrected in London's Savoy Theatre, built by Richard d'Oyly Carte for the production of Gilbert & Sullivan operas. In the United States, the name Savoy has often been associated with theaters and dance halls, and has been immortalized in the jazz classic "Stompin' at the Savoy."
and personal
memories of the WW2 Maquis des Glières, etc..
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Savoie existed
as an autonomous country for nearly a thousand years, and continues
to shine as a distinct cultural beacon in the France of today.
Known as Sabaudia in Roman times, the area was again
invaded by warring peoples from the East, most notably the Alaman
tribes in the 3rd century C.E.. Traces of their incendiary raids
can still be found in archeological sites such as those at 
Regional Movements: MRS and Ligue Savoisienne
