Château des Ducs de Savoie & Old Town of Chambéry

Earlier this summer, I went on a guided tour of the Château des Ducs de Savoie (Castle of the Dukes of Savoie) in Chambéry. The construction of the castle was started in the 13th century to serve as the seat of the Counts (and later, Dukes) of Savoie but there has been many additions and demolitions over the years since. It now serves as the seat of the Préfecture of Savoie, so, apart from a small room near the entrance, the guided tour is the only way to visit the castle. The version of the tour I went on (called Château, Ruelles et Confidences) also included a visit of the old town of Chambéry.) nearby, which allowed access to some areas not normally open to the public. Some versions of the tour skip that part and visit the Tour Demi-Ronde (Half-Round Tower) in the castle instead.

Above, statue of Joseph and Xavier de Maistre, near the entrance of the castle.

Above, Place du Château.

Above, waiting for the guided tour to start.

Above, on the ramparts.

Above, Sainte-Chapelle.

Above, old carillon.

Above, Tour de la Trésorerie (Treasury Tower).

Above, the tower from below.

Above, Tour Demi-Ronde (Half-Round Tower).

Above, Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel). It was originally built in the 15th century, with the baroque facade added in the 17th century.

Above, trompe l’oeil paintings by Casimir Vicario, from the 19th century.

Above, replica of the Holy Shroud. The original was kept in the chapel from 1502 to 1578 before being moved to Turin, which had become the new capital of the Duchy of Savoie by then.

Above, the Holy Chapel seen from Place du Château.

Above, back in the courtyard.

Above, a more recent building, used by the Préfecture.

Above, Tour Demi-Ronde.

Above, exiting the castle towards Faubourg Mâché.

Above, in the old town of Chambéry.

Above, internal courtyard of an old building.

Above, the old town is full of small old streets.

Above, the house of Benoît de Boigne.

Above, trompe l’oeil painting.

Above, Place Saint-Léger.

Above, private water pump.

Above, clock in Place Saint-Léger. After the guided tour ended, I walked around the old town by myself until it was time to go back to the train station.

Above, arcade in Rue de Boigne.

Above, Cathédrale Saint-François-de-Sales.