Magasin
Monument
Magasin, located in Annecy (Département 74), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Annecy, Département 74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.9008, 6.1264
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00118353
A remnant of the first commercial empire in Annecy, this early 19th-century shop is a testament to Savoyard retail architecture at a time when Annecy was awakening to modernity. A piece of urban history that has been protected since 1984.
History
In the heart of Annecy, a town of clear-water canals and colourful facades inherited from its Savoyard past, stands a discreet but historically significant building: a shop built in the first quarter of the 19th century, partially protected as a Historic Monument since 1984. In a town often celebrated for its châteaux and lakeside palaces, this shop building is a rare piece of urban heritage, an ordinary shop elevated to the status of an architectural landmark. What sets this monument apart is precisely its accepted banality - in the noble sense of the word. Far from the grand monumental compositions, it embodies the functional architecture of a pivotal period, when Savoie was gradually opening up to modern trade and street commerce was becoming codified in its built form. The façade, the openings, the layout of the interior spaces: everything here is designed to serve the commercial transaction, with an economy of means that commands admiration. A visit here offers a welcome experience of decentring. While the visitor's gaze is often caught by the stained glass windows of cathedrals or medieval keeps, stopping here means agreeing to look at the city in a different way: as a living organism whose lifeblood was trade. You can imagine the stalls, the smells of fabric or spices, the murmur of merchants and shoppers that animated these walls two centuries ago. Annecy's urban setting adds even more interest to the building. Nestling in a heterogeneous architectural environment that blends medieval, classical and contemporary styles, this shop forms a point of reference in time, a seam between the city's different eras. The proximity of the River Thiou, the arcades of the old town and the Palais de l'Isle offer visitors an unexpectedly rich journey down memory lane. The ideal audience for this monument: lovers of urban history and industrial and commercial heritage, as well as the curious who want to go off the beaten track in Annecy. A short but significant stop-off on any serious exploration of the city.
Architecture
The shop belongs to the neoclassical style of commercial architecture of the early 19th century, a sober, functional style that emphasised the legibility of the street façade. In Savoyard towns of this period, commercial buildings generally adopted a simple rectangular plan, with the ground floor entirely devoted to commercial activity - a sales area open to the outside world through large windows - and one or two storeys reserved for the shopkeeper's living quarters or for storing goods. The façade, the central element of the composition, probably has ashlar surrounds for the openings, contrasting with rendered masonry infill, a common treatment in the region. The straight lintels or low arches typical of the Empire and Restoration periods give structure to the openings, while a slight cornice marks the separation between the shop and the dwelling. The low-pitched roof, covered in flat tiles or slate in keeping with local tradition, completes the discreet look. The interior would have featured a ground-floor sales area with direct access from the street, perhaps extended by a back shop or storeroom. The partial protection granted in 1984 suggests that certain features - the shop front, joinery and interior layout - have retained their original character, making this building an intact witness to the commercial practices of the Napoleonic and Restoration periods in Savoie.
Related Figures
Négociants annéciens du début du XIXe siècle, artisans du renouveau commercial de la ville sous domination sardeArchitectes locaux de tradition néoclassique actifs à Annecy entre 1800 et 1825Propriétaires bourgeois ayant contribué à la densification du tissu urbain commerçant d'AnnecyInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription en 1984Charles-Félix de Savoie, roi de Sardaigne (1821-1831), sous le règne duquel le commerce savoyard se modernise
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Magasin located?
Magasin is located in Annecy, Département 74 department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
When was Magasin built?
Magasin dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Magasin open to visitors?
Magasin is currently closed to visitors.