Hôtel de Sales d'Annecy

Hôtel de Sales, Annecy's only genuine private mansion, stands at 10 rue du Pâquier, right beside the pedestrian rue Royale in the heart of the old town, in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps.

Why does the building carry this name?

Construction ran from 1688 to 1690, commissioned by the de Sales family — relatives of Saint Francis de Sales, the bishop of Geneva who was based in Annecy and is now the patron saint of writers and journalists. The mansion takes its name from that family rather than from the saint himself, who had died decades before the building went up. Its original purpose was to serve as a fitting residence for princes of the House of Savoy whenever they stayed in Annecy, then a key town of the Savoy state.

What makes the façade so distinctive?

The building rises three storeys above street level, and its ground floor opens onto five arcades that set it apart from the row houses around it. Above those arcades sit four carved busts, each representing a season: ears of wheat for summer, flowers for spring, bunches of grapes for autumn, and a bundled-up elderly figure for winter. This sculpted frieze is the detail most visitors stop to photograph.

How did the mansion change hands after the French Revolution?

Its later history tracks the region's own upheavals. Revolutionary authorities seized the property, which then housed departmental administrative offices and a criminal court. After 1815, once Savoy regained independence from France, the building became the seat of the Banque de Savoie, where coins and banknotes were struck on site — a role that ended in 1860 when Savoy was annexed to France. Since 1930 the Hôtel de Sales has been listed as a monument historique, a protection that safeguards its façade and decorative elements from alteration.

Can visitors go inside?

The interior is closed to the public, since the building now serves the city's administrative and archival services. The exterior, however, is freely visible year-round from the street — walk along rue Royale or rue du Pâquier and the arcaded façade with its seasonal busts is right there, no ticket or opening hours required. The mansion also appears as a stop on several guided walking tours of Annecy's old town.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Hôtel de Sales? At 10 rue du Pâquier, 74000 Annecy, in the pedestrianised old town, immediately next to rue Royale.

Is it connected to Saint Francis de Sales himself? Only indirectly — the mansion was built by the de Sales family that the saint belonged to, but it was constructed after his death and was never his personal residence.

Do I need a ticket to see it? No. The interior isn't open for visits, since it houses municipal offices, but the façade can be viewed from the street free of charge at any time.

What do the sculpted busts above the arcades mean? They represent the four seasons: wheat for summer, flowers for spring, grapes for autumn, and a warmly dressed elder for winter.