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Origin and history

The great seminary of Annecy, built at the end of the 17th century, was founded on the initiative of John d'Arenthon of Alex, Prince Bishop of Geneva, to train the priests of the diocese. The works, carried out between 1684 and 1688, gave rise to an emblematic building that even welcomed King Victor-Amédée II in 1715. During the Revolution he was confiscated as a national good and transformed into a hospital, before returning to his religious vocation during the Sardinian Restoration.

In 1973, the Conseil général de la Haute-Savoie acquired the building to install the departmental archives and preserve its heritage. Since 2001, after the departure of the archives, it houses the Conservatoire d'Art et d'Histoire, cultural services, an antenna of the Gobelins and a room for the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie. Its facades and roofs, protected since 1974, bear witness to its historical importance.

The Conservatoire exhibits collections of local artists, such as Paul Payot or Évariste Jonchère, reflecting the cultural identity of Haute-Savoie. The site also hosts the Salesian Academy, a local scholarly society, and the Cité de l'image en mouvement, strengthening its contemporary cultural role.

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