Hôtel des Marches

You are on the street of the Golden cross, “la Croix d’Or” in French. This historical street of the old Chambéry area used to be the one through which Italian travelers would arrive. It gets its name from a beautiful and large golden cross that overlooked the fountain that used to be there. At that time, it was the most upper-class street of the city with many stately dwellings. Today, several traces of these buildings are still visible, reminding us of the city’s aristocratic past. For example, to your left, you can see the Pérouse mansion, and to your right, you can admire the beautiful yellow Louis XVI style facade of the Hôtel des Marches. The nobility of Chambéry, built many mansions in the 15th and 16th centuries due to the presence of the Duke. Though most of their facades, such as the one in front of you, were refurbished in the 18th century. As you can read on the commemorative plaque, Pope Pius VII and Napoleon I sojourned here.