Château de Chambéry: Distant view, approach to the gates from the town

The main facade, not shown here, is Neoclassical.
The first counts of Savoy settled into an existing fortress in 1285 and expanded it in the early 14th century. However, it quickly became obsolete as a serious fortification genuinely capable of resisting a siege. Due to constant French hostilities on the chateau, Duke Emmanuel Philibert decided to move his capital to Turin. The chateau remained purely an administrative center until Christine Marie of France, Duchess of Savoy, returned to hold court in 1640. It was the site of the 1684 marriage between Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia and Anne Marie d'Orléans, niece of Louis XIV. In 1786, Victor Amadeus III enlarged it, adding a Royal Wing. Under Napoleon Bonaparte, the Aile du Midi (south wing) was rebuilt and redecorated to house the imperial prefecture of the department of Mont-Blanc. Elaborate modification to the structure were made again after Savoy was annexed by France in 1860. Today, the political administration of the department of Savoie is located in the castle, and it is open for tours and concerts.