Description
As part of the 19th Savoyard Book Biennial, Laurent Fiorese invites you to attend his lecture entitled Germain Sommeiller's Achievement: The History of the Alpine Railway. Come and discover the remarkable railway adventure that left a lasting mark on the history of the Alps.
A remarkable and somewhat unbelievable story: that of Germain Sommeiller (1815–1871), a brilliant engineer and inventor born and buried in Saint-Jeoire-en-Faucigny. He was the driving force behind the construction of the Mont Cenis Tunnel, linking Bardonecchia in Italy to Modane in France. The project took thirteen years to complete and unfolded alongside two major historical transformations: the railway revolution and the geopolitical upheaval of the Annexation of Savoy. Sommeiller chose to remain a subject of the King of Sardinia after the Annexation and later served as a member of parliament. His technological innovations—including the invention of the compressed-air rock drill and improvements to the hydraulic ram—were instrumental in making possible the first great railway tunnel through the Alps. Commissioned by King Victor Emmanuel II, the works began within a single state but were completed as a link between two different countries.
Laurent Fiorese, a scriptwriter, illustrator and publisher, is well known for his series Savoyard Expressions and, more broadly, for his humorous comic books. In 2022, with his graphic novel on Marguerite Frichelet, often referred to as the "Joan of Arc of Savoy," he shifted towards creating historical narratives rooted in the region's heritage. What has not changed, however, is the extraordinary amount of documentary research behind each project. His gift lies in making complex history feel effortless and engaging. For his latest work on Germain Sommeiller, Laurent Fiorese devoted three and a half years to research. Today, each of his publications is accompanied by a series of public lectures, offering audiences the opportunity to explore the fascinating historical background behind his work.
