Saint-Léger square

You arrive at the long Saint-Léger Square, so lengthy that it could be mistaken for a street. This is where the heart of the city was born when the Albanne River still flowed right through the middle. Similar to Annecy, Chambéry had numerous canals due to the river’s branches. As you can see, the square has changed significantly with its dried-up canals. Try to imagine the square divided into two main streets by the arm of a river. Instead of the fountain, picture a church. Despite sounding like a very bad idea, the Saint-Léger Church was indeed built astride the stream. The residents had developed the habit of crossing it to go from one bank to the other, constantly disrupting the sermon of the exasperated priest. Around the church, there were small wooden merchant stands called “cabornes,” a term unique to Chambéry. The Cabornes were later provided with roofs, creating what was called “the covered street”. Eventually, the stands were demolished in 1826. Another significant change to the appearance of Saint-Léger Square was caused by a major fire in 1897. After the loss of these buildings, the decision was made not to rebuild all of them to create an opening on the street of Porte Reine. It is on your left at the corner of the clock which is actually a piece of history in itself! As a matter of fact, it is the only remains of the old Saint-Léger Church. In the early 20th century, the architect Victor Denarié designed the belfry that now houses the restored clock. If you look closely, you can also see the coat of arms of Chambéry. Over the centuries the square has changed a lot but remains undeniably at the heart of the city.