Annecy
The Old Town - Annecy
Annecy
Location within Rhône-Alpes region  Annecy
Administration
Country	France
Region	Rhône-Alpes
Department	Haute-Savoie
Arrondissement	Annecy
Intercommunality	Annecy
Mayor	Jean-Luc Rigaut (NC) (since 2007)
Statistics
Elevation	418–926 m (1,371–3,038 ft) (avg. 448 m or 1,470 ft)
Land area1	13.75 km2 (5.31 sq mi)
Population2	52,890  (2006)
- Density	3,847 /km2 (9,960 /sq mi)
Time zone	CET (GMT +1)
INSEE/Postal code	74010/ 74000
Dialling code	0450
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 45°54′58″N 6°07′59″E / 45.916°N 6.133°E / 45.916; 6.133

Pont des Amours ("Bridge of Love")

Lake Annecy

Annecy (French pronunciation: [an.si]; Èneci / Ènneci in Arpitan language) 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.

Administration[link]

Annecy is the capital of the department of Haute-Savoie.

The metropolitan area of Annecy includes 13 municipalities.

Annecy is the capital of three cantons:

• The Canton of Annecy-Centre is made up of a part of Annecy and has 15,344 inhabitants;
• The Canton of Annecy-Nord-Est is also made up of part of Annecy and counts 19,540 inhabitants;
• The largest canton is that of the Annecy-Nord-Ouest, which is formed from a part of Annecy and the communities of La Balme-de-Sillingy, Choisy, Épagny, Lovagny, Mésigny, Metz-Tessy, Meythet, Nonglard, Poisy, Sallenôves and Sillingy. Its population numbers 44,164.

History[link]

Starting as the capital of the county of Geneva, after the demise of the counts of Geneva, it became integrated into the House of Savoy's possessions in 1401. In 1444, it was set up by the Princes of Savoy as the capital of a region covering the possessions of the Genevois, Faucigny and Beaufortain. With the advance of Calvinism in 1535, it became a center for the Counter-Reformation and the bishop's see of Geneva was transferred here.^[1]

The Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall)

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.

Geography[link]

The Fier forms part of the commune's north-western border. The mountains around the town of Annecy are: Le Mont Veyrier, Le Semnoz, La Tournette and the Parmelan.

Culture[link]

Annecy has hosted the Annecy International Animated Film Festival since 1960.

Sport[link]

On 23 July 2009, Annecy played host to Stage 18 of the Tour de France, as the start/finish point for an individual time trial around Lake Annecy.

Annecy bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games but lost to Pyeongchang.^[2] If they had been chosen, Annecy would have been the fourth French city to host the Winter Olympic Games, after Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992).

Ligue 1 team Évian Thonon Gaillard F.C. play their home matches in Annecy.

Main sights[link]

Sights in Annecy include:

• The Palais de l'Isle, also called the "old prison", was built from the 12th century. 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. [2],[3]
• 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 baroque pieces from the 16th century. [4],[5]
• 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. [6],[7]
• 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.

Education[link]

• Polytech'Savoie
• Université de Savoie (Annecy et Chambéry)

Demography[link]

Research organisations[link]

• LAPP Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique des Particules specialized in Physics
• Mecatronics department of CETIM^[6]
• Different R&D activities in the Université de Savoie and its École Polytechnique d'Ingenieurs: Polytech'Savoie.

Economy[link]

Companies located in and around Annecy include:

• Salomon Group
• SNR Roulements
• Staubli
• Alcatel Vacuum Technology
• Sopra Group
• Ubisoft

Transport[link]

The Gare d'Annecy railway station offers connections with Lyon, Geneva, Paris, Grenoble and several regional destinations.

International relations[link]

Twin towns – Sister cities[link]

Annecy is twinned with:

• Bayreuth, Germany
• Cheltenham, United Kingdom
• Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia
• Sainte-Thérèse, Canada
• Vicenza, Italy

Panoramic view of Annecy.^[7]

Gallery[link]

• 

  Palais de l'Isle jail by night.

• 

  View of the Canal.

See also[link]

• Arpitan language – Franco-Provençal language
• Arpitania

References[link]

• INSEE

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Annecy

• Annecy town website (French) (English)
• Annecy photo blog (French)
• Annecy photos guide (French)
• The former mayor of Annecy Bernard Bosson (French)
• Satellite's view of Annecy's Lake
• Official web site of the Association Annecy Traditions, organizer (English)
• The International Animated Film Festival
• Festival du film italien d'Annecy
• Annecy City (English) (French)
• Annecy Tourist guide (French)
• Association of the Friends of the Old Annecy (French)

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