Chambéry

Chambéry, capital of the former duchy and present French department of Savoy, beautifully situated between two ridges of hills, amid gardens and country seats, 370 miles SE. of Paris by rail. The scenery around, with the river Laisse flowing through the valley, is exceedingly fine. The town itself, however, is dull and uninteresting, with narrow and gloomy streets winding between high well-built houses. Notable edifices are the small cathedral, the palace of justice, and the old castle of the Dukes of Savoy, restored early in the 19th century. Chambéry has manufactures of clocks, silk-gauze, soap, hats, paper, and a trade in silk, wine, coal, &c. Pop. (1891) 19,755. From 1525 to 1713 Chambéry was under the dominion of France, and again from the Revolution to 1815, when it was restored to the House of Savoy; but in 1860, by the cession of Savoy, it came again under the rule of France.