Sainte Claire square and gate

Here we are on a much more modern square, the Place Sainte-Claire. What’s interesting here is the tiny fountain you see in front of an arcade column. It may not look like much, but it shows the ingenuity of the water distribution system of the past centuries. Drawing water from great depths, emptying it into an inner basin and pouring it out again! It was walled up for a long time before it was restored. You can see the city’s coat of arms engraved in the stone, with the trout symbolising the economy linked to the lake. The fountain, like the square, takes its name from the figurine you see in the niche on the upper floor, which is said to represent the saint. See also the Sainte Claire’s door. A testimony to Annecy’s medieval past, it hasn’t changed much over the years. Several features are still in place such as its machicolations (you know, the openings at the top of the towers of fortified castles from which you can through out stuff onto attackers bellow), its bell tower and its old hinges! It was the entrance to the town for those coming from Aix-les-Bains or Chambéry. Take a moment to admire the charming almond green “Maison Gallo”, to the right of the gate. Its geometric structure, typical of Turin, contrasts with the general atmosphere of the street. The architect, Charles Gallo, was so sensitive to the overall beauty of the city that he actually wanted the arcades to be demolished and all the facades to be aligned! Imagine that! Good thing they didn’t listen to him. Annecy would have lost so much of its charm