Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

and largest city of the

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...

department in the

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of

Lake Annecy Lake Annecy (, ) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy's outflow river.Jean-Daniel Stanley and Thomas F. Jorstad, ''Direct Sediment Dispersal from Moun ...

, south of

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, Switzerland. Nicknamed the "Pearl of the French Alps" in Raoul Blanchard's monograph describing its location between lake and mountains, the town controls the northern entrance to the lake gorge. Due to a lack of available building land between the lake and the protected Semnoz mountain, its population has remained stable, around 50,000 inhabitants, since 1950. However, the 2017 merger with several ex-communes extended the population of the city to 128,199 inhabitants and that of the

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

to 177,622, placing Annecy seventh in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Switching from the counts of Geneva's dwelling in the 13th century, to the counts of Savoy's in the 14th century, the city became

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

's capital in 1434 during the Genevois-Nemours prerogative until 1659. Its role increased in 1536, during the

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

in Geneva, while the bishop took refuge in Annecy. Saint

Francis de Sales Francis de Sales, Congregation of the Oratory, C.O., Order of Minims, O.M. (; ; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Savoyard state, Savoyard Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Geneva and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He became n ...

gave Annecy its advanced Catholic citadel role known as

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

. The annexation of Savoy merged the city to France in 1860. Sometimes called "Venice of the Alps", this idyllic and touristic representation comes from the three canals and the Thiou river, which passes through the old city. The city experienced an industrial development in the 19th century with silk manufacturing. Some of its industrial legacy remains today with the headquarters of NTN-SNR bearings, Salomon, Entremont and Dassault Aviation. From the end of the 20th century, Annecy developed tourism around its lake summer facilities, winter resorts proximity and cultural attraction with its castle renovation and fine art museum opening in 1956 and the Animated Film Festival since 1963, hosted in Bonlieu's cultural centre. The municipal environmental policy managed to keep 40.3% of green spaces, and the city was awarded the "Golden Flower" in 2015, given to the nine most-flowered French cities.

History

Early history

Le vieil Annecy ("Old Annecy"; not to be confused with Annecy-le-Vieux, formerly a neighboring town but now merged into Annecy), was a settlement from the time of the Romans. Annecy was the court of the counts of Geneva or Genevois from the 10th century. It passed to the counts of Savoy in 1401. In 1444, it became the regional capital of the provinces of Genevois, Faucigny and Beaufortain.

Counter-Reformation

With the advance of

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

, Annecy became a centre for the

, the old Bishopric of Geneva being transferred to it in 1535. Francis of Sales was born in Sales, France in 1567 and served as bishop of

Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

from 1602 to 1622; his relics are preserved in the cathedral. During the French Revolution, the Savoy region was conquered by France. Annecy became attached to the department of

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...

, whose capital was

Chambéry Chambéry (, , ; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the southeastern ...

.Almanach Impérial an bissextil MDCCCXII
p. 437-438, accessed in Gallica 23 May 2017 The Catholic diocese was suppressed in 1801.

1815–present

After the Bourbon Restoration in 1815, Annecy was returned to the

King of Sardinia Sardinia is traditionally known to have been initially ruled by the Nuragic civilization, which was followed by Greek colonization, conquest by the Carthagians, Carthaginians, and occupied by the Ancient Rome, Romans for around a thousand years, ...

and the Catholic diocese restored in 1822. The Hôtel de Ville (city hall) was completed in 1851. When Savoy was annexed to France in 1860 with the Treaty of Turin, it became the capital of the new department of

. Annecy was the site of the second round of

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a legal agreement between many countries, whose overall purpose was to promote international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs or quotas. According to its p ...

(GATT) talks in 1949. In 2012, a multiple murder occurred in the Annecy area. Annecy Panorama

The new municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger with the former communes of Annecy-le-Vieux, Cran-Gevrier, Meythet, Pringy and Seynod.

Administration

Annecy is part of four cantons ( Annecy-1, Annecy-2, Annecy-3 and Annecy-4); it is the prefecture of

. Since 2017, Annecy has consisted of six delegate cities: Annecy; Annecy-le-Vieux; Cran-Gevrier; Meythet; Pringy; and Seynod.

Local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

consists of a

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

with 202 members. The number of members in each commune delegate depends upon its population. The Mayor is Jean-Luc Rigaut ( UDI) since 2007. The intercommunality of Annecy, Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Annecy, includes 34 municipalities.

Geography

The Fier forms part of the commune's northwestern border. The surrounding mountains are Mont Veyrier, Mont Semnoz, La Tournette and Parmelan.

Climate

Annecy has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: Cfb) despite its relatively far inland position. Influenced by its elevation, summers are rather moderate on average, although they can be highly variable with extreme heat spikes. Winters see occasional freezing temperatures, but temperatures most often stay in the single-digits during the daytime with frequent cold rain. Air frosts are normal during the night and snowfall is not uncommon.

Culture

Annecy has hosted the Annecy International Animated Film Festival since 1960 and the Rencontres Internationales d'Annecy Cinéma & Architecture since 1999 and it was one of the oldest festivals in France.

Sport

On 23 July 2009, Annecy played host to Stage 18 of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

, as the start/finish point for an individual time trial around

. It was also the start town for stage 10 of the 2018 Tour de France on 17 July 2018. Annecy launched a bid to host the

2018 Winter Olympics The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...

but lost to Pyeongchang. If they had been chosen, Annecy would have been the fourth French city to host the Winter Olympic Games, after

Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (; ; (no longer in use)), more commonly known simply as Chamonix (), is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department in the regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It was the site of the f ...

( 1924),

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

(

1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...

), and

Albertville Albertville (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is best k ...

(

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...

former team Évian Thonon Gaillard F.C. played their home matches in Annecy. The club was founded in 2007, they grew up to reach Ligue 1, and stayed for four years in the division, thanks to their emblematic trainer Pascal Dupraz. The Annecy basin is one of the world's leading locations for the sport of

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...

, an activity of some economic importance to the region. The area regularly hosts major competitions, most recently a leg of the Paragliding World Cup in 2012. Due to its proximity with the lake and the mountains, Annecy is also popular for watersports (sailing, rowing, wakeboarding, water skiing) and wintersports (alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing). Le Semnoz, a relatively small ski resort is 35 minutes away from Annecy. Other bigger ski resorts, La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand, are only 40 minutes away. Annecy is also very popular among trail runners and many races are organized year round, such as the World Trail Running Championships in 2015.

Main sights

* The Palais de l'Isle is a 12th-century castle on an island in the river Thiou in Annecy's administrative headquarters. It mostly served as a prison and courthouse until the French Revolution. It again was a prison during World War II. The Palais de l'Isle was classified as a Historical Monument in 1900, and today houses a local history museum. * The Château d'Annecy (Annecy Castle) was the home of the Counts of Geneva and the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours, an offshoot * The 15th century Église Saint-Maurice

Education

* Université Savoie Mont Blanc * Polytech'Savoie

Population

Research organisations

* LAPP Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique des Particules specialized in Physics * LISTIC The Computer Science, Systems, Information and Knowledge Processing Laboratory * Mecatronics department of CETIM * Different R&D activities in the Université de Savoie and its École Polytechnique d'Ingenieurs: Polytech'Savoie.

Economy

In the 19th century, the primary manufactures were

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

and cotton goods,

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

, cutlery,

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...

, and

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

. The area also carried on linen bleaching and iron mining. By the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it was connected by rail to

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; ; ), known locally and simply as Aix, is a Communes of France, commune in the southeastern French Departments of France, department of Savoie.felt hats, and

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...

, as well as a "celebrated"

bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

foundry at Annecy-le-Vieux. Companies located in and around Annecy include: * Salomon Group *

adixen Vacuum Products Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG is a German manufacturer of vacuum pumps. It is headquartered in Aßlar in Germany with 70% of the total production catering to the export market. In July 1996 the company was listed on the NYSE and in April 1998 on ...

* Sopra Group * Ubisoft Annecy

Transport

The Gare d'Annecy railway station offers connections with Lyon, Geneva, Paris, Grenoble and several regional destinations. Annecy – Haute-Savoie – Mont Blanc Airport currently used for private air transport only.

Twin towns – sister cities

Annecy is twinned with: *

Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...

, Germany *

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Liptovský Mikuláš Liptovský Mikuláš (; until 1952 ''Liptovský Svätý Mikuláš'', ; ) is a town in northern Slovakia, on the Váh River, about from Bratislava. It lies in the Liptov region, in Podtatranská kotlina, Liptov Basin near the Low Tatra and Tat ...

, Slovakia * Sainte-Thérèse, Canada *

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; or , archaically ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione, River Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and e ...

, Italy

Associations

Together with other Alpine towns Annecy engages in the Alpine Town of the Year Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention to achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. Annecy was also Alpine Town of the Year 2012.

Notable people

* Bernard Accoyer (born 1945), politician, President of the National Assembly 2007 to 2012 and Mayor of Annecy-le-Vieux. * Bernard Bosson (1948–2017), politician, Govt. minister & Mayor of Annecy * Jules Bouyer (born 2002), diver * Eustace Chapuys (–1556), Imperial ambassador to the English Court of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

(1567–1622), bishop of Geneva / Annecy and Catholic Saint. * André Dussollier (born 1946), actor * Emmanuel Leducq-Barôme (born 1971), conductor, works in Russia * Bernard Miège (born 1941), a media theorist and academic administrator. * Guillaume Perret (born 1980), jazz musician and composer * Emmanuel Tarpin (born 1992), contemporary jewelry designer * Cécile Vogt-Mugnier (1875–1962), brain researcher

Sport

* Louis Lachenal (1921–1955), alpinist, one of the first two mountaineers to climb a summit of more than 8,000 meters. * Bernard Collomb (1930–2011), racing driver * Vincent Vittoz (born 1975), cross-country skier * Johan Clarey (born 1981), alpine skier, silver medallist at the

2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), were an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing, China, and surrounding areas wit ...

* Thomas Fanara (born 1981), alpine skier, competed in three Winter Olympics * David Poisson (born 1982), alpine skier, competed in two Winter Olympics * Steve Missillier (born 1984), alpine skier, silver medallist at the

2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...

* Jonathan Midol (born 1988), freestyle skier, bronze medallist at the

* Christophe Lemaitre (born 1990), sprinter, bronze medallist at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

* Côme Ledogar (born 1991), racing driver * Axelle Mollaret (born 1992), physiotherapist, skyrunner and ski mountaineer * Hugo Lapalus (born 1998), cross-country skier, team bronze medallist at the

* Sacha Fenestraz (born 1999), French-Argentine racing driver * Loana Lecomte (born 1999), cross-country mountain bike cyclist * Sébastien Baud (born 2000), racing driver

Associated with the city

* Jane Frances de Chantal (1572–1641), Holy of the Catholic Church, founded in Annecy the Order of Salesian Sisters * Jean Coppier, of the Coppier family, notary in Annecy in 1396.Gustave Chaix d'Est-Ange * Claude Favre de Vaugelas (1585–1650), man of letters, philologist and grammarian. *

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...

(1712–1778), writer and philosopher, spent some time in Annecy. *

Claude Louis Berthollet Claude Louis Berthollet (, 9 December 1748 – 6 November 1822) was a Savoyard-French chemist who became vice president of the French Senate in 1804. He is known for his scientific contributions to the theory of chemical equilibria via the ...

(1748–1822), physician and chemist, began medical studies locally in 1760. *

Eugène Sue Marie-Joseph "Eugène" Sue (; 26 January 18043 August 1857) was a French novelist. He was one of several authors who popularized the genre of the serial novel in France with his very popular and widely imitated '' The Mysteries of Paris'', whi ...

(1804–1857), writer, spent his last years in exile in Annecy and died there.

Gallery

Annecy 1.jpg, Annecy, the "Venice of the Alps" Annecy 2.jpg, ''Palais de l'Isle jail'' Annecy 3.jpg, Houses along the Thiou river Annecy 4.jpg, Restaurants along the Thiou river Annecy 5.jpg, Thiou river Annecy 6.jpg, Thiou river Jail in annecy.jpg, ''Palais de l'Isle jail'' by night Annecy Château 7.JPG, Annecy Château Sights in Annecy (2719914688).jpg, View of the Canal Annecy-lac1.jpg,

from the south dock of Annecy Church of St Francis, Annecy.jpg, Church of St. Francis Imperial Hotel, Annecy, France.jpg, Imperial Hotel

Notes

References

* *

External links

Annecy town website
{{Authority control Prefectures in France Communes of Haute-Savoie Cities in France Ski areas and resorts in France

History

Early history

Counter-Reformation

1815–present

Administration

Geography

Climate

Culture

Sport

Main sights

Education

Population

Research organisations

Economy

Transport

Twin towns – sister cities

Associations

Notable people

Sport

Associated with the city

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

External links