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History of Annecy

Annecy is possibly the most ancient human settlements of the Northern Alps. In fact, recent archaeological digs carried out by the Department of Underwater and Submarine Archaeological Research based at Annecy suggest the coastal village near Annecy-le-Vieux to be dated at 3,100 years B.C.

The medieval town began to develop on both banks of the Thiou under the protection of fortifications, which were later to become the castle. Annecy-le-Neuf, confirmed in a text as dating from 1107, was thus born.

Today, the city retains a rich heritage and many beautiful monuments including the Logis Nemours, Saint Peter's Cathedral, Maison Lambert and the Notre-Dame de Liesse church tower.

The Basilica of the Visitation

The construction of this monastery, which is to be found on the edge of the Forest of Crêt, began in 1909 and was completed around 1930.

The Basilica was only officially consecrated in 1949 by Cardinal Tedeschini. Its order was founded at Annecy by Saint Francis of Sales and Saint Joan of Chantal in 1610.

Annecy Castle

The historical symbol of Annecy, the castle took four centuries to build (from the 12th to the 16th century). The Counts of Geneva chose to reside there from the 13th century.

The city acquired the castle in 1953 and restored it with the help of "Historic Monuments", thus allowing a museum to be set up there. Since 1993, the Logis Perrière Tower houses the Regional Alpine Lakes Observatory.

The Church of "Notre Dame de Liesse"

It was built between 1846 and 1851. Its execution was entrusted to the engineer François Justin, who belonged to the Savoyard administration, as a pledge that he could be trusted to guarantee the respect of neo-classical rules. Nevertheless, it was required that he keep the church tower, as well as a part of the Southern wall with its interesting, Gothic style window, a precious souvenir of the primitive sanctuary.

Saint Peter's Cathedral

Built by Jacques Rossel at the beginning of the 16th century, its main role was to serve as a chapel to the Franciscan convent. Later, it was transformed into a temple of the goddess "Reason" during the Revolution, but became a cathedral once more in 1822 under the pressure of the people of Annecy.

The Lambert House

This house was the home of Saint Francis of Sales from 1602 to 1610. Situated at 15, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, it owes its name to Pierre de Lambert who was the principal patron of Saint Peter's Cathedral.