Annecy

[poliphilo]

So where was I?

Ah yes, Annecy.

Annecy is massive. By which I mean the architecture is massive- lowering house fronts with buttresses and cavernous arcades. I'm guessing the old town is mostly- or at least basically- medieval. Has the massiveness something to do with living among mountains? I think so. I am reminded that Le Corbusier-  modern master of the massive- who found a kind of world-denying spirituality in the massive and brutal- was from this part of the world.

The town's most famous former citizen is St. Francois de Sales- who was bishop here in the early seventeenth century- and on the frontine of the war between Rome and John Calvin's Geneva. All I know about him is what I've read in Wikipedia, but he seems to have been charming, witty and humane. The Counter-Reformation is not my favourite intellectual and cultural movement, but if I'd been around at the time and forced to choose between Calvin's Geneva and de Sales' Annecy I don't think I'd have had much difficulty choosing de Sales. He is, on the strength of having written a number of stylish devotional works, the Vatican-designated patron of writers and journalists.

There's a campaign to get Annecy and its lake declared a World Heritage Site. Right on! I say. Also they'd like to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.
 


This is a famous view. The bridge at the end of the vista is called "the bridge of love".



This is a detail of the facade of the late 17th century Hotel de Sales which- according to a wall plaque- was where the Sardinian court (and no, I've no idea what they were doing here) used to hang out.
 


A typical square with a typical fountain.



Just dig how massive it all is.



A corner tower of the castle.

Comments

[jenny_evergreen]

*adds Annecy to the list of places I'd like to visit, which isn't very long as I'm quite picky*

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's an incredibly beautiful place- not just the city, but the whole area.

[jenny_evergreen]

It shows. :)

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

What a gorgeous place! It reminds me somewhat of Regensburg, Germany which we visited last November. The tall houses, arches, massiveness are very similar and yes, it is medieval. There, we were told, the wealthy folk back then would have a sort of competition to see who had enough economic power to build the highest tower on their house, the contributing to that feeling of height and size. This looks rather similar.