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is a
Commune in
France , situated in the ''
Département '' of
Haute-Savoie in the ''
Région '' of
Rhône-Alpes .
It is the fourth largest town in Haute-Savoie in terms of population, and is located on north-eastern banks
Lake Annecy . It is essentially a residential
Suburb of
Annecy , being less than 3
Km from its centre, and is sometimes known at the "
XVIe Arrondissement " of Annecy.
Its
Mayor ,
Bernard Accoyer , is serving his second term, a doctor by profession, is also the
Député of the district and has been president of the
UMP group in the
Assemblée Nationale since
2002 .
- Area: 1, 702 Hectare s (17.02 Km&2 ) – 50% urbanised with 33 hectares of public forest, and 50% agricultural and forests.
- Population: 19,596 ( 1999 census); 20,520 (2003 estimate).
The commune is located on the foothills of
Mount Veyrier (1,291
M ), on a
Moraine at the junction of two old large
Glacier s.
The banks of Lake Annecy have been occupied by since at least 4000 BC. A s in 62 BC, and the area was colonised by Rome, who founded the town of Boutae (later Annecy) in 50 BC. The town was at a strategic crossroads of three Roman roads across the
Alps , to Italy, to Geneva, and to Vienna, and grew rapidly to a population of several thousand.
Roman Villa s are found in the surrounding countryside
Annecy was attacked by invaders in the post-Roman period, but regained its importance from AD 1107.
Its population has grown to 470 inhabitants by 1756. Grape vines, for producing
Wine , have been cultivated on the surrounding hills since the
Middle Ages .
Various artists lived in the area in the late 19th and early 20th century, including
Eugene Sue ,
Adolphe De Custine ,
John Ruskin and
Gabriel Fauré .
Two principal industrial activities arose in the mid-19th century, the Cléchet flour mill and the Paccard bell foundry. One of largest bells in the world, "La Savoyarde" which hangs at the
Sacré-Cœur in
Paris , was cast in Annecy-le-Vieux in 1891. It weighs 18,835
Kg , stands 3.06 m tall and has a
Circumference of 9.60 m, is 22
Cm thick at the base, and has a clapper weiging 850 kg.
At the end of the 19th century, attacks of
Mildew and
Phylloxera almost completely destroyed the grape vines, being replaced by dairy production.
Annecy includes a university site, attached to the
University Of Savoy , with more than 4,000 students in
2003 , studying technology, commercial arts and trades,
Engineering , and
Particle Physics .
Attractions include the beach Annecy-le-Vieux, boating on Lake Annecy, walking in the hills, including
Mount Rampon (957 m), Mount Veyrier (1,291 m) and
Mount Rampignon (894 m).
Annual events include the ''Ancilevienne'', a 46 m race for teams of runners and cyclists around Lake Annecy, and the Gabriel Fauré music festival..
- Town hall - http://www.mairie-annecy-le-vieux.fr/
- Insee - http://www.cinam.com/insee-rhone-alpes/pages/c7401100.htm
- L’Ancilevien - http://michel.lassiouve.free.fr/acylevxfoto.htm
- Tourism - http://www.annecytourisme.com/fr/communes/agglo/Annecy-le-Vieux/annecylevieux.htm
