Science and society
Des chevaliers dans la montagne wins award at Rencontres Montagnes et Sciences
What physical, material and moral difficulties did King François1er and his thousands of soldiers and horses face when they crossed the Alps in 1515, the prelude to the famous battle of Marignan? That’s what historian Stéphane Gal (Larhra) wanted to find out by reconstructing the constraints of this crossing, thanks to the combined contributions of history, biomechanics, computer science and physiology.
On July 6 and 7, 2019, a troop of 50 people, including knights and men in armor, crossed the Col de Mary (2641 m) in the Alpes de Haute-Provence.
The scientific expedition, part of the Marchalp project, has given rise to two documentaries. One of them, Des Chevaliers dans la montagne, co-produced by Labex ITTEM, was awarded the Prix Jeunesse for scientific adventure films at the Rencontres Montagnes et Sciences 2019.
The results of this experiment will be published in 2021. The project has also spawned a partnership between Grenoble Alpes University and the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, with the creation of the Conflicts, Innovation, Mountains research chair.