Annecy

Annecy
Annecy-1.jpg
Palais de l'Isle jail
Flag of Annecy
Coat of arms of Annecy
Annecy is located in France
Annecy
Administration
Country France
Region Rhône-Alpes
Department Haute-Savoie
Arrondissement Annecy
Intercommunality Annecy
Mayor Jean-Luc Rigaut
(since 2007)
Statistics
Elevation 418–926 m (1,371–3,038 ft)
(avg. 448 m/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 sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.
Pont des Amours ("Bridge of Love").
Lake Annecy.
Logo of the City of Annecy

Annecy (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 northern tip of Lake Annecy (Lac d'Annecy), 35 kilometres south of Geneva.

Contents

Administration

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:

History

Annecy is located between Geneva and Chambéry. Thus its history was strongly influenced by these two towns between the 10th and the 19th century. 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]

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

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

Culture

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

Sport

On July 23, 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.

On June 22, 2010 the International Olympic Committee announced Annecy as one of three candidate cities for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, along with Munich in Germany, and Pyeongchang in South Korea. If chosen, Annecy will be the fourth French city to host the Winter Olympic Games, after Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992).

Main sights

Sights in Annecy include:

Education

Research organisations

Economy

Companies located in and around Annecy include:

Transport

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

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Annecy is twinned with:

Panoramic view of Annecy[3].

See also

References

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

  1. ↑ Suppressed in 1801, it was restored in 1822.
  2. ↑ [1] Cetim in English
  3. ↑ The picture has been post-edited. The path on the right and left side is straight and not angled by 45°.

External links

Gallery

Palais de l'Isle jail by night..

View of the Lake.