Musée Savoisien

Musée Savoisien is a museum dedicated to the history and cultures of Savoy, located in Chambéry, the historic capital of the Savoie region in the French Alps. Recognized with the "Musée de France" label, it occupies the former Franciscan convent, one of the city's oldest surviving architectural ensembles.

Why is the museum housed in a former convent?

The building dates back to the 13th century, when it was built as a convent for the Friars Minor, the Franciscans, members of the order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Over the following centuries the complex was repeatedly enlarged and remodeled; the most extensive works, which gave the convent its present layout around a large cloister, took place in the second half of the 17th century.

The building's role changed at the end of the 18th century, when Chambéry became the seat of a bishopric. Among the city's architectural complexes, the former Franciscan convent was judged the only one large enough to house the new diocesan authorities. The friars were expropriated in 1777 and relocated to the former Jesuit convent, while their former home was put to new use. In 1911 the complex was listed as a historic monument of France.

How did the museum come to be?

The Musée Savoisien opened its doors on 18 November 1913, on the initiative of the Marquis Costa de Beauregard. The decision followed the annexation of Savoy to France in 1860, and the museum was conceived to preserve the historical and archaeological memory of a region that had spent centuries as a separate state tied to the House of Savoy.

In 2014 the museum closed for a thorough renovation that lasted almost a decade. Between 2018 and 2020, archaeological excavations carried out on the former convent grounds traced the evolution of the site from the 13th century to the present day. During the works, close to 70,000 objects from the collection were moved to a dedicated conservation center. The museum reopened on 29 April 2023, with a renewed display, improved visitor accessibility, and modernized conservation facilities.

What is on display?

The permanent exhibition brings together several fields. The archaeology section presents prehistoric finds, including Bronze Age objects from the lakeside settlement at Lake Bourget, dated to around 1000 BC, alongside Gallo-Roman and medieval material.

A separate section is devoted to the ethnography of Savoy: traditional costumes, household furnishings, furniture, tools, and objects linked to the region's crafts, set against the long history of the House of Savoy.

The collections also include religious art, chiefly regional devotional sculpture from the 14th to the 19th century, together with paintings and secular sculpture. The museum additionally holds a numismatic collection of medals connected to Savoy's history, a section on the performing arts, and a dedicated area on the memory of the Second World War.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Musée Savoisien located? In the centre of Chambéry, in the Savoie region, inside the former Franciscan convent.

Is the museum building a listed monument? Yes, the convent complex was listed as a French historic monument in 1911.

When did the museum open? It first opened on 18 November 1913. After a long renovation, it reopened on 29 April 2023.

What kind of collections can visitors see? Archaeological collections spanning prehistory to the Middle Ages, ethnographic collections on Savoyard culture, religious art, painting, numismatics, and an exhibition on the Second World War.

Were archaeological excavations carried out during the renovation? Yes, excavations between 2018 and 2020 uncovered the convent's building history from the 13th century to today.