Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens Cathedral in Annecy, originally a convent of celestines, was built before 1526 by Jacques Rossel. In 1530, the place of worship was already in use, and its Renaissance façade, inspired by Roman models such as the Church of St.Marie-du-Peuple, was completed in 1535. The convent became a refuge for the chapter of Saint Peter of Geneva in 1538 and was then transformed into an episcopal seat after 1771. Saint Francis de Sales acted as bishop in the 17th century, marking his religious importance.

During the French Revolution, the church was converted into a temple of Reason and its bell tower partially destroyed in 1794. Reconstructed in 1828, it became a cathedral in 1822. Between 1885 and 1936, she underwent decorations and then a restoration to regain her original appearance. Its organ, built between 1840 and 1842 by Nicolas-Antoine Lété, was restored in 1994 and classified as a historical monument in 1972.

The architecture combines Renaissance influences (Tuscan pilasters, pediment) and Gothic influences (pink inspired by the cathedral of Geneva). The bell tower houses two bells from the Paccard foundry, including a 3 tonne bumblebee. The cathedral, classified in 1906, embodies the Savoyard religious and artistic heritage, marked by the political and cultural transformations of the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries.

External links