Annecy

Annecy, city, capital of Haute-Savoie département, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes région, southeastern France. It lies along the northwestern shore of Lake Annecy at the entrance to one of the cluses (transverse gorges) of the Savoy Pre-Alps, south of Geneva.

Traces of the Gallo-Roman Boutae have been found nearby. The seat of the counts of Genevois from the 10th century, Annecy was attached to the dukedom of Savoy from 1401 and became important during the Reformation when the bishop’s seat was transferred there from Geneva in 1535 along with monastic institutions expelled from Geneva during the Reformation. St. Francis de Sales was bishop (1602–22) and, with St. Jane Frances Chantal, founded the first Convent of the Visitation of the Virgin in Annecy. In 1728 the 16-year-old Jean-Jacques Rousseau took refuge in the city. Annecy, along with the rest of Savoy, became part of France in 1860.

The old part of the city has arcaded streets that are interlaced with canals. Tourism is an economic mainstay. The city’s industries include electronics, confections, and precision instruments. Pop. (1999) 50,348; (2014 est.) 53,285.