The Palais de l’Île, the Palais de l’Isle or Annecy’s old prisons all refer to the same pitch: a historic monument dating back to the Middle Ages near Annecy city center with a fascinating history that today houses an exhibition center, to be visited during your Lake Annecy vacation or even just a1-day visit to Annecy.
Palais de l’Isle: a historic monument
The Palais de l’Île is a small medieval building that has served many functions over the centuries, and is closely linked to the history of France. In the Middle Ages, all that stood on this small rocky island in the Thiou was a fortified house, occasionally used as a prison. In the 14th century, it also housed a monetary workshop, before being transformed into a princely residence. In the 16th century, it was used as a courthouse and prison. From 1550, it also housed the Chambre des Comptes du Genevois, an independent jurisdiction of the Chambre des Comptes de Savoie.
The Palais de l’Île remained a prison until the French Revolution. It then housed administrative offices, was transformed into a barracks and then a warehouse, and even became an old people’s home before becoming a barracks again. To be saved, the palace was listed as a historic monument in 1900. During the Second World War, it was once again used as a prison.
Today, it houses the Centre d’Interprétation de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine. The CIAP is a museographic space dedicated to the architecture and heritage of the Annecy region. Temporary exhibitions are held here on a regular basis. You can discover all this when you visit the Palais de l’Isle.
A visit to the Palais de l’Île
Before visiting the Palais de l’Île, start by crossing the Pont Perrière next to the Saint François de Sales church for a souvenir photo. During your visit, you’ll be able to see the prisons dating back to the Middle Ages and understand the conditions in which prisoners were held. You’ll also visit the palace’s chapel and audience chambers. The palace now houses Annecy’s CIAP. A visit is included in the price of your ticket.
What you need to know before visiting the Palais de l’Île
The Palais de l “Île, or de l’Isle, is located in the heart of the old town, on an island in Annecy’s Thiou river. Allow an hour to visit Palais de l’Isle. Admission is €3.80 per adult and €2 for minors aged 12 to 17 inclusive. Children under 12 enter free of charge. Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month. The Palais de l” Île is open from Wednesday to Monday:
- 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. October to May ;
- 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. June to September.
From the 4-star La Ravoire and Les Fontaines campsites, it takes 25 minutes to reach the Palais de l’Isle, around 16 km away, by following the D1508 along the lake. The Saint-Claire parking lot is the nearest parking area.
For more information, visit the Annecy museums website. Among the must-sees in Annecy during your stay in Savoie, don’t miss the Château d’Annecy and its rooms, and the other museums in the region.