Chambéry

Chambéry (alt. 270 m/885ft; pop. 60,900), capital of the independent state of Savoy from the 13th to the 16th C., lies on the fast-flowing river Leysse in a fertile basin surrounded by hills and mountains. It is dominated by the old castle of the Dukes of Savoy (14th-15th C.). At the end of the castle's north wing is the Gothic Ste-Chapelle (1408), with fine stained glass and paintings in the apse by Vicario (1831). Other features of interest are the Treasury Tower (Tour Trésorerie), the state apartments and the Portail St-Dominique, a doorway in Flamboyant style which belonged to an earlier Dominican house.

The best known monument in the town is the Elephant Fountain commemorating General Comte de Boigne (1751-1830). In