Chambéry

Chambéry, founded in Roman times, was the capital of the Duchy of Savoy until 1563, when it was replaced by Turin. In 1860, Victor Emmanuel II ceded Chambéry to France as part of the agreement with Napoleon III during the Second Italian War of Independence. Located along the Via delle Gallie, an ancient Roman link between the Po Valley and Gaul, Chambéry has a intertwined history with the destinies of the House of Savoy and the surrounding kingdoms. Occupied by the French in 1536, it returned to the House of Savoy in 1559 and, in the 18th century, became part of the County of Savoy. During the French occupation in 1792, it was annexed to the French Republic as the Department of Mont Blanc, only to return to the Kingdom of Sardinia after the restoration. In 1860, the Treaty of Turin sealed its annexation to France, marking an important phase in its history.