Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy (Lac d’Annecy), 35 kilometres south of Geneva. Annecy and Savoy-Mont Blanc are the French candidate to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
During the French Revolution the Savoy region was conquered by France. Annecy became attached to the département of Mont Blanc, of which the capital was Chambéry. After the Bourbon Restoration in 1815, it was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia (heir of the Duchy of Savoy). When Savoy was sold to France in 1860, it became the capital of the new département of Haute-Savoie. Francis of Sales was born at the nearby castle of Sales in 1567. He was bishop of Annecy from 1602 to 1622. Annecy was the site of the second round of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) talks in 1949.
The Palais de l’Isle, also called the “old prison”Italic text, was built from the twelfth century. Taking up most of the island in a canal, it is the symbol of the town and is among the most photographed monuments in all of France.
The Château d’Annecy (Annecy Castle) was the home of the Counts of Geneva and the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours, an offshoot of the House of Savoie (12th–16th century). Today, the restored castle houses the Art and History Conservatory of Annecy and the Regional Office of the Alpine Lakes.
The Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, built in the early 16th century as a Franciscan friary, was the cathedral of Francis de Sales and is home to a number of artworks and baroque pieces from the nineteenth century.
The rue Sainte-Claire and its romantic arches date from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The rue royale, with its numerous shops, gardens and the fountain of Saint Jean is the heart of the commercial and political activities of the town.
The money workshop of the Genevois now houses the Musée de l’Histoire d’Annecy.
The church of Saint-Maurice, originally constructed as a church of the Dominican order, has a flamboyant gothic style of the 15th century, and houses some very memorial interesting paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries.
The European Gardens, made just after the annexing of Savoie in 1863, where one can admire the very rich and diverse vegetation.
The Pont des Amours (Lovers’ Bridge), a beautiful example of the iron architecture typical of the 20th century.
The Impérial Palace, inaugurated in 1913, with its public gardens, its beach and its casino.
The Basilique de la Visitation, built in the 20th century, home of the tomb of François de Sales and Jeanne de Chantal, offers a magnificent view of the town and the agglomeration.
