A distinctive feature of Val-d'Arc and Porte de Maurienne is the way they open up onto the Arc valley at the confluence of the Combe de Savoie. The spur of Aiton, at the foot of the Grand Arc mountain, marks the entrance to the Porte de Maurienne. The history of the House of Savoy began in a castle on Roc de Charbonnières, as early as 1000 AD, with Count Humbert I, the White-Handed. This rock, high above Aiguebelle, protected access to the Maurienne valley, and batteries were later set up on the Hurtières slopes. Mining of copper and iron made the Hurtières mountains famous from the Middle Ages through to the 1930s. The hamlet of La Minière, once populated by miners' families, feels like stepping back in time! The museum exhibition serves as a reminder of this past. Porte de Maurienne, a former industrial stronghold, is an area where quality of life relies on the development of numerous services and sporting and cultural associations. This quality of life is appreciated by an ever-growing population.