Chambéry is a beautiful town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. Chambéry is a charming, peaceful place to visit with beautiful architecture, good food and wine, and friendly people. There are many vineyards in the area that visitors can enjoy, and on Saturdays, the city public market is abuzz with the freshest cheeses, meats, and local produce from the Alps. The area offers many recreational activities to choose from in all seasons, from skiing and snowshoeing, to sailing and rock climbing. The famous Tour de France bicycle race comes through the area in the summer. Chambéry also boasts the Savoie Technolac research park and the Universite de Savoie, and a mountain research center.
The history of Chambéry is closely linked to the House of Savoy and was the Savoyard capital from 1295 to 1563. France annexed the regions that formerly constituted the Duchy of Savoy west of the Alps in 1792; however, the former Duchy and Chambéry were returned to the rulers of the House of Savoy in Turin in 1815 following the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. Chambéry and lands of the former Duchy, as well as The County of Nice, were ceded to France by Piedmont in 1860, under the reign of Napoleon III.
Chambéry is the birthplace and historic capital of Savoie. Throughout history, it has been both Italian and French. To the north, it is bordered by Lac du Bourget, the largest natural lake in France. Chambéry has long been a “crossroads to the Alps” dating all the way back to the 11th century. For many years, it was ruled by the Duchy of Savoie before being annexed to the King of France. Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man (the French version of the Bill of Rights) while living in Chambéry.
The city is nicknamed the “City of the Dukes” because acquired by the House of Savoy in 1232, it became the political capital of the Counts of Savoy in 1295 when the castle was purchased and the official establishment of the Resident Council, then of the Duchy of Savoy from 1416 until its transfer to Turin in 1562. Chambéry however remains the historic capital of the States of Savoy. From 1792 to 1815 and since 1860, the city is part of France.
Marked by late industrialization, the city ‘s economy has long depended on the presence of administrations and the army. Its historic center was partially destroyed during the bombings of May 1944. Since its merger with two rural municipalities and the creation of new districts and industrial zones in the 1950s and 1960s, Chambéry has experienced strong demographic growth. The presence of the Savoie-Mont-Blanc University, established in 1979, also brought Chambéry a large university population.
History
The history of Chambéry is directly linked to its geographical location because the city is located at a natural crossroads on the major European economic axes. It also owes a lot to the House of Savoy, which made it the capital of its States. The historical analysis of the city must be part of that of the history of Savoy, if we want to better understand its evolution and its cultural environment. Here are the most significant periods and historical facts of the commune of Chambéry.
Prehistoric and Roman times
The heights of Saint-Saturnin, in Saint-Alban-Leysse, have been occupied as a stronghold since the Middle Neolithic (around 4000 BC) until the Gallic period. This oppidum is the ancestor of the agglomeration of Chambéry. In Roman times, the inhabitants settled on the hill of Lémenc, then called Lemencum. The old motto of the city was, in Latin, Custodibus istis which translated into French gives “By these guardians”.
The Gallo-Roman establishment was installed in a site not very conducive to urban development because in the middle of swamps between the arms of the Leysse and the Albanne, and was limited to a Roman relay station. The attack on the site was to come a few centuries later with the growing importance of the Mont-Cenis road. This axis was vital for cities booming economically such as Lyon and the cities of northern Italy (Turin). The city will really developed its strategic location on major economic thrusts of his time and especially with the installation of the counts and dukes of Savoy looking at the 13th century, a place that allows them to exert a powerful political influence across Europe.
Capital of the Savoy States
Chambéry really appears as a small city, Camberiaco, at the 11th century. A deed of donation dated 1057 attests to the existence of a burgus and a castellum. The 13th century is a critical period, when the Count Thomas I st Savoy buys theMarch 15, 1232, for 32,000 sous forts de Susa, to Viscount Berlion, and endow it with franchises. At the same time, a catastrophe gave importance to Chambéry in the ecclesiastical hierarchy. The collapse of Mount Granier on the capital of the deanery of Savoy (known as Savoy) of Apremont leads to the relocation of the seat of the deanery to Chambéry. The development of the city is then closely linked to the rise of the House of Savoy. A new enclosure was built from 1352, under the leadership of Count Amédée VI of Savoy, more commonly known as Count Vert.
The advent of Amédée VIII, first Duke of Savoy in 1416, made Chambéry the capital of a sovereign state, freed from the domination of the Holy Roman Empire. A new Chambéry nobility appears, linked to the prestigious institutions of the city, and forms a court around the ducal family. This nobility had remarkable mansions built around a central courtyard dominated by a high turret of stairs. In 1422, the suburb of Reclus was completely destroyed by fire. Measures are taken to better fight against these scourges: the city buys 80 tines And 200 buckets, and a hundred ladders, 50 of which “can support the weight of four men”. Watchmen are responsible for monitoring, at night, any fire starting from the top of the bell tower of the Saint-Léger church in Chambéry (destroyed in 1760 ), and giving the alert if necessary.
Many religious congregations are installed in the city, and 1452 to 1578, the Shroud, property of the dukes, is exposed in the Sainte-Chapelle. The city becomes a place of pilgrimage. After the French occupation of François I, the Duke Emanuele Filiberto however prefers Turin as the capital from 1563.
The city was taken by Henri IV, during the Franco-Savoyard war of 1600-1601, which ended with the Treaty of Lyon in 1601. With the Senate of Savoy and its Chamber of Accounts, the city nevertheless retains an administrative vocation now a large population of noble families. The Baroque period saw the construction of important mansions marked by Turin architecture. Jean-Jacques Rousseau lived in the city from 1731 to 1742. Savoy was invaded in 1792 by French revolutionary troops led by the Marquis Anne-Pierre de Montesquiou-Fézensac. This is the fifth French invasion after those troops of François I (and its successor, Henry II), Henri IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV.
From 1792 to 1815, during the attachment of Savoy to France, Chambéry was the capital of the department of Mont-Blanc. In 1848, the Chambériens expel manu militari the Voraces who had come from Lyon with the intention of causing the secession of Chambéry and Savoy. In the 19th century, two major periods of urban development stand out: first, between 1820 and 1830 is related to benefactors actions of General Boigne and is characterized by a policy of the city beautification (monumental street theater, alignment facades…); the second, between 1860 and 1890, opens with the definitive attachment of Savoy to France decided during the Treaty of Turin, the March 24, 1860 and confirmed by plebiscite on April 22,. Chambéry then became the capital of the Savoie department. The city is equipped with utilitarian buildings such as the current town hall or the covered market, but also many schools and high schools, as well as museums.
Contemporary period
During the first half of the 20th century, the city grew slowly. Its geographical location, its means of communication and its administrative role contribute to the development of new districts (Station, Verney, district of England). After the First World War, the economic crisis rages, but the city develops and gains ten thousand inhabitants between 1920 and 1939; also a plan of extension of the city baptized “plan of development, extension and embellishment” of the city begins in 1929, among others at the origin of the district of Mérande . The garden-cities of Bellevue and theBiollay, presenting the first social housing buildings, built by the owner of the cement factories and future mayor, Lucien Chiron. The headquarters of the 28 th Division alpine infantry lies in Chambéry in 1939.
The city was severely affected by the bombing of May 26, 1944 which targeted station. There are 120 dead (including Doctor Jean Desfrançois), more than 300 injured and 300 buildings were destroyed. More than a thousand families find themselves without housing. For twenty years, the city center is under construction. Large housing blocks replace the old bombed or burnt houses. Favre and Saint-Antoine streets are now lined with massive and austere buildings, sometimes adorned with bas-reliefs carved by Alfred Janniot. The 1950s, despite efforts to rebuild, however, remained very dull. The arrival of the large glass-textile company Saint-Gobain and the creation of a large industrial zone under the municipality of Pierre Dumas energized the city, even if industrialization remained modest in view of its situation. In 1961, it merged with two neighboring municipalities, Bissy and Chambéry-le-Vieux. New districts rose rapidly in the years 1965-1975, and in particular an area to be urbanized as a priority in Chambéry-le-Haut under the leadership of the architect Jean Dubuisson.
After the Trente Glorieuses, the economic crisis led to a pause in urban development. It’s time for cultural facilities that were lacking in Chambéry: a cultural center, a center of life in Chambéry-le-Haut, a congress center, a media library and a city of the arts (new regional conservatory of music). Today, Chambéry, city-center of an agglomeration community exceeding 120,000 inhabitants, pursues a development and equipment policy in conjunction with the twenty-three other communes of its agglomeration. In 2008, a large multidisciplinary hall was inaugurated and began to host shows and sporting events. The population is growing by around 1% per year (60,900 inhabitants in 2005).
In October 2010, during the social dispute over pensions, very violent clashes took place in Chambéry for a week near the Lycée Monge then in the historic center between young people and the police. The mobile gendarmerie called in reinforcements to deal with this violence had to repeatedly use tear gas canisters. The city center must be temporarily closed to traffic; the press evokes scenes of riot. On January 11, 2015, Chambéry was one of the many municipalities in France to organize a republican march in reaction to the attacks of January 7, 8 and 9. This event brings together around 20,000 people, or a third of the municipal population gathered over a 2 km route, which also had to be extended to 2.5 km. This is the most important mobilization known in Chambéry since the Liberation in August 1944.
Urban planning
The city of Chambéry developed in the hollow of a lock between the Bauges and Chartreuse massifs. The first settlements in Roman times were the heights on the hill of Lémenc, then called Lemencum, to the east at the foot of the Bauges. The history of the city has made it a capital for several centuries. The sovereigns of the States of Savoy wanted, under the feudal era, to install their capital in this valley.
Chambéry then grew outside its ramparts (completed in 1444 and since disappeared), along the Leysse and Albanne then on the hills (Nézin, Lémenc, Montjay). The Montmélian faubourg, the Reclus-Nézin faubourg and the Maché faubourg, formerly at the gates of the city, occupied mainly by inns and craftsmen, are now fully integrated into the city. The Leysse was covered for several hundred meters, first in the early 1900s, then from the 1950s to the 1970s, to create a major road artery, the avenue des Ducs-de-Savoie. Part of this blanket was then placed in 2013 over approximately 130 m to the right of the Faubourg Reclus.
At the heart of the old town are many alleys, veritable architectural mazes crossing entire blocks of old buildings, some opening onto interior courtyards sometimes decorated with shops. The paths are the result of habitat built into strips at the 14th century, where only the facades were taxed by law toisage.
The city is served by several major traffic axes, either medieval arteries, such as the Place Saint-Léger and the rue Croix-d’Or (which were a portion of the road from Lyon to Turin), suburbs Reclus (towards Aix- les-Bains) or Montmélian (towards Italy), or streets that surrounded the ramparts (avenue de Lyon, rue Jean-Pierre-Veyrat, boulevards de la Colonne and du Théâtre…) Automobile traffic led to the creation of the avenue des Ducs-de-Savoie and several places.
The architecture of the old center was partly disrupted after the Allied bombardment of May 26, 1944 which destroyed four hectares, including the Saint-Antoine district (now rue du Général-de-Gaulle and rue Favre). The reconstruction took place throughout the 1950s, under the mandate of Paul Chevallier, and the creation of the Biollay district made it possible to welcome new inhabitants.
On the initiative of the mayor Pierre Dumas, the city merged with two neighboring agricultural communes, Chambéry-le-Vieux in the north (1960) and Bissy in the west (1961); on the lands of the second were erected the economic zones that allowed the development of the town after the stagnation of the post-war period (when Grenoble and Annecy had considerably strengthened), and on the first the ZUP of Chambéry- le-Haut, (14,000 inhabitants at the end of the project, in 1989).
Under the leadership of the mayors Francis Ampe and Louis Besson, Chambéry acquired a large number of public establishments, particularly in the Hauts-de-Chambéry district, which was then under-equipped; despite its modest size, the city is among the first in France for its density of nurseries, libraries or access to culture. However, the city has long been in debt.
With urban expansion and population growth, Chambery extends constantly just over as neighboring municipalities. Little by little, we no longer speak of the city of Chambéry as such, but of the Chambéry basin encompassing, on the urban level, the municipalities of Barberaz, Bassens, Cognin, Jacob-Bellecombette, La Motte-Servolex, La Ravoire, Saint-Alban-Leysse and Sonnaz to name only the most important. This phenomenon also applies to Aix-les-Bainsnorth of Chambéry. The urban morphology of these two living areas tends to bring them together; in order to reconcile the urban and economic development of the Chambéry and Aix basins, the Métropole Savoie mixed union was set up, with the mission of following the territorial coherence scheme (SCOT) of the valley of Savoie, Chambéry and the lake du Bourget.
Historical and cultural tour
Historic center of Chambéry
The ancient city of Chambéry is characterized by a maze of alleys, courtyards of private hotels. Their architecture, of Piedmontese inspiration, is often embellished with decorations (trompe-l’oeil, ironwork, sculpture…).
Hôtel de Cordon – Center for the interpretation of architecture and heritage
The Chambéry Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Center takes place in a former 16th century mansion, the Hôtel de Cordon. On the 1st floor, it hosts an exhibition on the evolution and history of the city of Chambéry.
Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts of Chambéry presents a collection mainly made up of Italian paintings ranging from the end of the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. It also exhibits works allowing to understand the history of the arts in Savoy.
Castle of the Dukes of Savoy
Fortified castle, princely palace and emblem of the power of the counts and dukes of Savoy, the Château de Chambéry brings together a remarkable set of buildings built from the 13th century to the present day. Today it is the seat of the Prefecture and the Department.
Les Charmettes, House of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed in the Charmettes valley with Mme de Warrens from 1736 to 1742. Located on the outskirts of the city in a preserved natural site, the house is the place of training which deeply marked the personality of this great writer
Footsteps of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“Here begins the short happiness of my life”, such are the words used by Jean-Jacques Rousseau to describe his stay in Chambéry. To know the details, discover the neighborhoods he frequented and the landscapes he enjoyed contemplating.
Castle of the Dukes of Savoy – Exhibition The Castle, Savoy, ten centuries of history
In the heart of the medieval wing, in the former Chamber of Accounts, the exhibition tells you the eventful history of the castle of the Dukes of Savoy through manuscripts, historical maps, models and exceptional original objects of the House of Savoy.
Railway roundabout
Built between 1906 and 1910, this unique railway rotunda in France is covered with an articulated Eiffel-type metal frame. Accessible by guided tour only (reservation required).
The little train of Chambéry
Departing from Place Saint Léger, the little train will take you to discover the discreet and bewitching charm of the old town which has kept a unique architectural and medieval heritage.
Eurêka Gallery – Mountain Space
The Eurêka Gallery is the Center for Scientific Culture of Chambéry. Its fun and interactive exhibitions aim to introduce as many people as possible to the world of science.
Historical heritage
The city of Chambéry is classified city of art and history. The city and country of art and history label has been awarded since 1985 by the French Ministry of Culture to cities or countries engaging in a policy of animation and promotion of heritage and architecture. This promotion is the work of the public establishment Chambéry promotion and the tourist office. Since September 2010, the hotel cord (16th century), Saint-Real Street became the interpretation of Architecture and Heritage Center, a municipal building intended to raise awareness of Chambéry heritage. This is the starting point for tours under the guidance of Chambéry guide-lecturers.
Ancient monuments
The crypt Lémenc: the oldest ancient relic in Chambéry is the church of St. Peter Lémenc largely the 15th century, but which houses a crypt oldest. Its date and destination are very poorly known. A rotunda made up of six remarkable columns might have served as a monumental reliquary or baptistery. Archaeologists do not agree on its dating (9th and 11th century).
The nearby cemetery contains the remains of several chambériennes celebrities, such as M de Warrens the intimate friend of the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, or Benoît de Boigne.
Monuments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance
The castle of the Dukes of Savoy: It is the former residence of the counts and dukes of Savoy. Today it houses the prefecture and the departmental council. This is a collection of buildings from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. It consists of three towers built including the 14th and 15th centuries, medieval outbuildings and a large main building of the 18th and 19th centuries built on the site of the former apartments of the counts. Within its enclosure is the Sainte-Chapelle (1408-1430), which housed the Shroud from 1453 to 1578, before he was transferred to Turin, to follow the change of capital of the States of Savoy. Inside you can admire the remarkable stained glass 16th century, restored in 2002. The façade, built in the 17th century, is a masterpiece of Baroque architect Amedeo di Castellamonte Turin. In the bell tower (or Yolande tower), is installed the Grand carillon which rings with its 70 bells . Work of the Paccard foundry in Sevrier, it is the fourth largest carillon in the world and the first in Europe. A concert is held the first and third Saturdays of each month at 17 h 30.
The Cathedral Saint-François-de-Sales: Former Franciscan chapel built in the 15th century, it became cathedral in 1779 during the creation of the diocese of Chambéry and metropolis in 1817, when its transformation into archbishopric. It houses the largest collection of paintings in trompe l’oeil in Europe (1835) and an ivory diptych of the 12th century Byzantine inspiration.
The old town: it is made up of a large number of old hotels of the Savoyard nobility. At the end of the 15th century, the noble families began the demolition of the old shacks of wood and mud, and have built good houses stones that later took the name “hotel” where the householder receives its guests. The dwellings of the 15th and 16th centuries are numerous, although their facades have mostly been redesigned from the 18th century (Rue Basse du Château, Jewry Street, Golden Cross Street, etc.). Very steeped in medieval heritage, the first hotels were organized around a courtyard most often closed in which there was a turret out of work or half out of work, containing a spiral staircase. An arch in the form of a brace or a basket handle frequently surmounts the front door. The Italian Renaissance left its mark there: galleries or loggias connect the different buildings, there are many interior paths, arcades sometimes border the courtyard….
Baroque style monuments
At the advent of the Baroque period (17th and 18th centuries) many noble families such as the Costa de Beauregard or Castagnery Châteauneuf will undertake in the medieval fabric of the city, building mansions. The reference to Turin, and to Italian art in general, is well established. The intramural situation and the consequent surface area of these buildings make them akin to Italian palaces. Throughout the Italian peninsula, the great families have built, since the Renaissance, palaces in the heart of the cities, where the place is rare, from where a square plan on interior courtyard with the gardens reduced or even nonexistent. A monumental door opens onto a passage leading to the inner courtyard. This passage crosses the building right through, which allows the palace to benefit from a double access. The Costa-de-Beauregard or Morand hotels have this particularity, like the Carignan Palace in Turin, from Florentine models.
In the 18th century courtyard of the new hotels goes: hotels Chollet du Bourget, from Rocheor Montfalcon offer a single main building. The decor is intensified on the facades or on the stairs, with a predilection for French-style elements (Louis XV gates, Louis XVI garlands and ribbons). The senatorial tradition of Chambery, inherited from the middle of the 16th century prompted the noble families living in town winter and summer in the countryside. The castles or fortified houses in the surrounding area are modernized and brought up to date, and often transformed into profitable estates.
The castle Caramagne: This private estate is one of the finest surviving examples today. To the north of the city, near the new district of Chambéry-le-Haut and in an environment where the countryside tends to disappear a little more every day, the Caramagne estate gives an Italian feel to the surroundings of Chambéry. An imposing entrance, surrounded by semi-circular commons, opens onto a large avenue of plane trees. This leads to this house with a trompe-l’oeil decoration. Marble columns support the loggia in the style of Italian palaces. The tempera paintingspresent a perspective of false columns. At the ends of the loggia, two groups imitating the sculpture represent the abduction of Deianira by the centaur Nessus, on the left, and the abduction of Europe by Jupiter.
The origin of this old house is much older than the decoration suggests. The lawyer Bernadino Becchi, born in the small village of Caramagne (Piedmont), was the builder of the 16th century. Ownership then passed to the Bertrand family of Perugia, then Frédéric Bellegarde in 1783. The decoration of the living room (late 18th century) such as facades (early 19th century) would have been made at the time of this owner, by Piedmontese artists but whose names are unknown.
In 1812, a former soldier, Joseph Gillet, took possession of the house, but rented it in 1820 to the Marquise de La Pierre, an Englishwoman married to a Chambérien, and to one of her compatriots, Madame Birch. The poet Alphonse de Lamartine met her daughter in 1819. A year later, they unite. The large salon – adorned with stucco decorations – remains famous for the marriage contract signed on May 25, 1820.
In the Baroque style is also built the Church of Our Lady of Chambery, the 17th century, which is the former chapel of the Jesuits Chambery. The plans are due to Étienne Martellange, architect in particular of the Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis church in Paris.
19th century
Among the buildings and improvements made during the 19th century, found include: Rue de Boigne, lined with porticos in Turin mode, was drilled between 1824 and 1830 thanks to the generosity of General Boigne, urban planner back into his hometown. This artery, “cut through a saber-cut”, brought in the romantic Chambéry of the time a salutary ventilation of the urban space, in spite of the disappearance of historical buildings undoubtedly of the greatest interest, like the old hotels of Buttet, the Chavanne and Lescheraine. This new path very quickly became the social center of the city where the families of notables settled, but also luxury shops and tearooms. Stendhalwrote in 1837 in his Memoirs of a Tourist: “Such a convenient place soon becomes the meeting place for all who are bored and want to have fun on a rainy day; There are cafes, luxury boutiques, literary cabinets, where you will spend an hour or two when it’s a dark breeze and you are bored at home… It was raining today. I spent all my day under the porticoes of the beautiful rue de Chambéry. I was thinking of sweet Italy… ”
The elephant fountain: this fountain is the most famous monument of Chambéry; it was erected in 1838 by the Grenoble sculptor Pierre-Victor Sappey who commemorates the exploits in India of the Marathasby Count de Boigne (1751-1830). After the death of Benoît de Boigne in 1831, the city of Chambéry decided to erect a monument to perpetuate the memory and the benefits of the illustrious character. The city council chose the Grenoblois Pierre-Victor Sappey project, for its originality and low cost. This monument was inaugurated on December 10, 1838. The ensemble, 17.65 meters high, is a clever superposition of three monuments: a fountain, a column and a statue. The fountain presents in its plan the cross of Savoy. Four elephants united by the rump, hence the popular nickname “Four without an ass”, made of cast iron, throw water through the trunk into an octagonal-shaped basin. They each carry a combat tower surmounted by a bas-relief or an inscription. Above are a wide variety of trophies: “Persian, Mughal, Hindu weapons; various objects recalling the customs, the arts and the civilization of the peoples that General de Boigne fought or governed, make up the trophies ”. The large column is symbolized by a trunk of a palm tree, it carries at its top the statue of the general. He is represented with the costume of lieutenant general of HM the King of Sardinia.
The Charles-Dullin theater: this theater bears the name of the Savoyard actor Charles Dullin since 1949. It was built from 1820 thanks to a donation from the Count de Boigne. It was inaugurated in 1824. Burned down in 1864 (which led to the loss of part of the municipal archives, stored in the attic), it was rebuilt from 1864 to 1866 on the model of the previous theater. The room is a real Italian room, a bit in the spirit of the Milan Scala. The proscenium curtain painted by Louis Vacca represents the descent into the Underworld of Orpheus; the only survivor of the fire in 1864, he is listed in the inventory of historical monuments. A restoration, partly funded by donors following a public subscription, brought back a lot of luster in 2017 to this work of art, one of the last four of its type in Europe.
Chambery also has many statues, mostly installed at the end of 19th century during the “statues of war”, where, reinforcing public subscriptions and press campaign, politicians and notable Republicans or erected conservative monuments with strong symbolic significance:
the statue of Sasson (which means Fat woman in Savoyard) is a monument by sculptor Alexandre Falguière installed in 1892 to commemorate the first attachment of Savoy to France which took place at the time of the Revolution in 1792. It was confiscated and unbolted by the Germans during World War II, it was found beheaded in a train station in Germany and it found its place in the city after repairs in 1983;
the statue of the brothers Joseph and Xavier de Maistre, respectively philosopher and writer, by the sculptor Ernest Henri Dubois, installed in 1899 near the castle and which had an eventful history. Until the Second World War, the statue included a woman, an allegory of Savoy, at the foot of the two brothers offering an oak crown to the elder and a bouquet to the younger;
the statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1910 – Mars Vallett), in the public garden of the closed Savoiroux, which represents him on a country walk, standing on a rock, facing the city;
the monument to the Savoyards who died for the country (Monument to the dead of 1870) (1912, place Monge), a bronze work by Ernest Henri Dubois. It represents two women, one of which symbolizes Savoy and the other France, and commemorates the sacrifice of soldiers from the two mobile battalions of Savoy.
20th century
The SNCF rotunda: the rotunda of the filing of the station SNCF, inspired by the architecture of Gustave Eiffel and built between 1907 and 1910, was included in the inventory of historical monuments in 1984 and labeled ” Heritage 20th century »Since 2005. It is the largest metal rotunda in France. Completely restored, it is still in operation, and can store 72 locomotives on 36 radiating tracks. An architecture and heritage interpretation center is being developed, allowing more and more visitors to regularly discover this iron masterpiece. Visits are organized regularly throughout the year.
les Halles de Chambéry: this is an example of concrete architecture, designed by the architects Pierre and Raymond Bourdeix. The peculiarity of the structure is to present inside the covered market a slab supported by large span beams with reinforced concrete struts (Hennebique system), without any intermediate fulcrum. The covered market and the open-air market are held there twice a week. Les Halles was the subject of an architectural competition for the construction of a modern shopping center. The chosen project will enhance the existing structure, and its construction was completed in November 2011;
the old departmental archives: this building was designed by the architect Roger Pétriaux and built in 1936. It is labeled “Heritage 20th century”. This building was intended to house all of the departmental archives, hence its name. It has been transformed into offices for certain departmental council services.
Religious buildings
Catholic worship
Saint-François-de-Sales Cathedral, Place Métropole.
Notre-Dame Church, rue Saint-Antoine.
Saint-Pierre church, rue Burdin de Lémenc.
Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Church, place Paul Vachez in Chambéry-le-Vieux.
Church of the Sacred Heart, Faubourg Montmélian.
Saint-Pierre church, Saint-Pierre square in Maché.
Saint-Jean-Bosco Church, rue de l’Eglise.
Church of St. Clair and St. Francis of Assisi, rue du Pré de l’Âne.
Sainte-Chapelle at the Château de Chambéry.
Carmel of Chambéry.
Chapels
Chapel of the Red Cross, rue du Genevois in Chambéry-le-Haut.
Funeral chapel of the de Boigne family, rue Burdin in the old cemetery of Lémenc.
Chapelle du Carmel, boulevard de Lémenc.
Saint-Benoît chapel of the retirement home, rue du Laurier.
Vaugelas chapel of the school, rue Jaen-Pierre Veyrat.
Saint-Ombre chapel, place Paul Vachez.
Chapel of the Sainte-Geneviève school, rue Victor Hugo.
Chapel of the diocesan house, chemin du Glu.
Chapelle du Bon Pasteur, rue du Bon Pasteur.
Chapel of Calvary, chemin du Calvaire.
Chapel of Notre-Dame de Lourdes, chemin des Gentianes.
Muslim worship
Al Warithine Mosque, Landiers Avenue.
Tawba Mosque, rue du Genevois.
Protestant / evangelical worship
Temple reform, rue de la Banque.
Evangelical Baptist Church, Route de l’Épine.
Evangelical Pentecostal Church, rue Franc Cachoud.
Evangelical church, rue de la Croix Rouge.
Evangelical Church Siloé, boulevard de Lémenc.
Millinarist cult
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, avenue Leclerc.
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, avenue Daniel Rops.
Cultural heritage
Chambéry includes a set of old and contemporary buildings:
The old town, with its many mansions and alleys from medieval times;
The Charles-Dullin theater, 1866, which has an Italian-style hall;
L’espace Malraux, 1987. This is a national stage which was produced by Mario Botta;
The Jean-Jacques Rousseau media library, 1992. It was created by the architect Aurelio Galfetti and houses the municipal library of Chambéry;
Le Manège, convention center, 1992, which was created by Jean-Jacques Morisseau;
La Cité des Arts, 2002, produced by Yann Keromnes, Aurelio Galfetti and François Cusson;
Le Phare, 2009, a hall that hosts concerts, sporting events and events.
The various museums in the city, exhibition and seminar spaces:
The Museum of Fine Arts, which has Italian Renaissance paintings;
The Savoy museum, devoted to regional history;
Les Charmettes, the house where Jean-Jacques Rousseau spent part of his youth;
The natural history museum, created in 1846, which exhibits the region’s natural heritage to the public;
The Hôtel de Cordon, architecture and heritage interpretation center, 71 rue Saint-Réal, the starting point for tours of the city carried out by Chambéry guide-lecturers;
The Larith gallery, for contemporary art exhibitions;
The Antichambre gallery, 15 rue de Boigne;
The Ruffieux-Bril gallery, rue Basse-du-Château.
A youth and culture center was created on December 8, 1945; from May 1946 it offered a few activities (dramatic art, modeling, masks, English, German, shorthand, drawing, chess, skiing…), more sport from 1955-1965. On February 3, 1967, the current building (bringing together the MJC and the home for young workers) was inaugurated, renovated in 2010. In July 2014 the association was placed in receivership, lifted in September 2015.
The city has several municipal libraries such as the Jean-Jacques-Rousseau media library and the Georges-Brassens library as well as five neighborhood association libraries located in Bellevue, Bissy, Biollay, Chantemerle and Mérande.
Finally, several learned societies of Savoy are present in the commune of Chambéry. These associations allow enlightened amateurs and specialists to come together around various themes, including regional history or the study of regional cultural heritage. Are present, in particular, in the town the Savoisian Society of History and Archeology (SSHA), founded in Chambéry in 1855, the association of Friends of Joseph and Xavier de Maistre as well as the Society of Friends of Old Chambéry. The 7 th art has its place in the ducal city. Chambéry has several cinemas including l’Astrée,the Forum, Curial, and the Pathé Les halles multiplex.