Haute-Combe. — The Cistercian abbey of H.-C., on the left bank of Lake Bourget (Savoia), was founded in 1125 by Amadeus III of Savoy and from that time served as the burial place for the counts and dukes of Savoy.
It was rebuilt in 1743; sold as national property in 1792, it was converted into a majolica factory; it was redeemed in 1824 by King Charles Felix, who restored the church and monastic buildings, work completed in 1843 by Queen Maria Christina. The façade of the church is in the ogival style; the interior is entirely occupied by tombs, cenotaphs, and more than 300 statues in Carrara marble, Seyssel stone, and gilded wood. The high altar is adorned with 15th-century paintings on wood; the frescoes of the cupola (Gonin and the Vacca brothers) depict episodes from the life of St. Bernard. Among the tombs, notable are those of Claudius of Estavayer, abbot of H.-C. and bishop of Belley (first half of the 16th century); of Louis I of Vad and his wife Jeanne of Montfort; of Amadeus III, V, and VI; and of Bl. Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury. The adjoining cloister is still partly from the 16th century and contains many remains of funerary monuments. To the right of the church is the royal residence. To the north, instead, Charles Felix had a chapel dedicated to St. Felix built.
The monastery passed in 1922 to the Benedictines of St. Mary Magdalene of Marseilles.