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| The
Saint Bernard Pass |
The origin of the Saint Bernard Dog is
inextricably bound to the mountain pass and the monastery which bear the
same name. The Great Saint Bernard Pass, which provides a route between
Switzerland and Italy, has a rich history.
In 57 B.C., during the Gallic wars, Caesar attempted to conquer the
alpine tribes and assure safe passage over the Alps. However, it was not
until 7 to 6 B.C. that the Roman legions, under Augustus, conquered the
alpine region and secured the pass. The "Tropaeum Alpinum" in
La Turbie, stands as monument to past victories by Roman legions and
lists the Alpine tribes, whom they defeated.
The small path over the Summus Poeninus, as the Saint Bernard was then
called, was enlarged by the Emperor Claudius in the year 43. The
improved route could accommodate carriages and was given the rank of an
imperial road. Roman garrisons from Aosta and Martigny were responsible
for the safety of travelers. A small temple in honor of Jupiter (Jovis)
was build on top of the pass at an altitude of 2464 m. and a small
"mansio" was added to accommodate travelers. The pass was the
most important cross ing over the Alps and provided the shortest path to
the newly conquered province, Britannia. In honor of Jupiter the
mountain was renamed "Mons Jovis."
After the Teutonic incursion (starting around the year 500), the pass
lost it's importance and was used less and less during the following
centuries. Roads leading toward the pass became desolate. The pass
regained its importance during medieval times, but was plagued by
brigands and robbers who preyed on travelers.
Legend states that the Monastery was founded around the year 950, by the
Holy Saint Bernard of Menthon (canonized in 1124 and deacon in Aosta).
However, historical fact confirms a meeting between Bernard and the
emperor Henry IV in the year 1081, while both men were in Pavia.
According to Donnet, St. Bernard contracted a 'fever' shortly after the
meeting and died in Navarra on May 29, 1081. Thus, it is unlikely that
Bernard founded the Monastery 130 years before the date of his death. It
is believed that t he Monastery was actually founded in or around the
year 1050. The evil spirits that Bernard supposedly defeated, were most
probably the bands of robbers who frequented the pass.
Once founded, the Monastery required a reliable income in order to
fulfill it's duties. A complete list of all donations to the monastery
commenced in 1125. In 1177, a Papal Bull from Pope Alexander III placed
the Monastery under papal shelter. At that time, the Monastery's assets
enumerated around 80 estates from Sicily, France, Switzerland and
England.
The pass over Mont-Joux, as the pass was then called, regained its prior
importance for commercial travelers and pilgrims to Rome. During the
next four hundred years the Monastery grew to about it's current size.
It was in the sixteenth century that the pass and the Monastery were
given the name of the Saint Bernard.
The history of the Saint Bernard Dog, is predicated on access to the
Monastery. The pass was deserted for centuries, thus preventing the
routine shipment of animals to regions surrounding the pass. From the
Roman age to the time during which the Monastery was founded, there was
not a steady influx of dogs. The interruption of the shipment of dogs to
the area is important to understanding the origin of the Saint Bernard.
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