The Évêché quay

From the Bishop’s Quay, you can observe a magnificent row of old houses at water level. It’s a scene that sparks the imagination. However, it’s important to note that the quays are relatively recent, and in the past, residents had to reach their homes by boat. In the Middle Ages, many craftsmen settled along the Thiou river to take advantage of its constant power. The buildings you see in front of you are sometimes a little out of place. As you can imagine, it wasn’t easy to build with heavy stones on land weakened by its proximity to the lake. In Annecy, as in Venice, builders built on stilts, digging deep trenches into which piles were driven, covered with a layer of impermeable stone. The houses stood firm, but some sank a little. Look out for a small sloping door on the corner of the rue de l’île that illustrates the problem. It is perhaps a little more difficult to observe, but you should know that the church of Saint-Maurice has the same problem! It’s a long way from the Tower of Pisa, but still! The weight of the church on this unstable ground has clearly tilted the building to one side. Come and see for yourself