Annexation of Savoy

The Annexation of Savoy (with a " A" capital letter) is the generic name given to the annexation of the whole of the Savoy (future departments of the Savoy and the Haute-Savoie) and of the County of Nice to the France. It is always used with has capital.

This annexation was concluded at the time of the treated of Turin the March 24th 1860 whereas the Duché of Savoy belonged to the Royaume of Sardinia.

The official documents used, since 1860, the term of " Fastening ".

Official use

The main cities of Savoy have a street of the " Annexation". However, the expression is much more present in North (cf Haute-Savoie, with Annecy and cities close to Switzerland like Annemasse, Good-in-Chablais, Rumilly, Sallanches, Thonon-the-Baths) that in the South where Chambéry made it replace.

Centenary

In 1960, the Centenary of Fastening is the subject of commemorations in Savoy and in Paris.

Committee of celebration

Savoy sets up a Steering Committee of the festivals of the Centenary of the Fastening of Savoy at France , made up of local personalities.

Honorary president: Antoine Borrel (1878-1961), former minister
President: Louis Martel (1899-1961), former deputy and president of the General advice of Haute-Savoie (1945-55)
general Police chief: Maurice Faure (1900-1988), Regional director of the Customs, President of the Literary and Artistic Hearth of Chambéry, President of the Academy of Savoy
Under patronage:

Maurice Grimaud, Prefect of Savoy
Raymond Jacquet, Prefect of Haute-Savoie
Jules Bianco, President of the General advice of Savoy
Arthur Lavy, Senator, President of the General advice of Haute-Savoie

Chronology of the festivities

Information below is drawn from the appendix of the thesis of Lacharme Amndine, 2001 as well as the chronology on line of the Sabaudia.org site.

December 1959: Savoyard Christmas tree offered to the Town hall of Paris.
March 24th, 1960: Centenary of the treaty of Turin. The bells of the churches of Savoy commemorate the event by sounding all whole at midday.
on March 25th, 1960: two commemorative stamps are emitted (cf Timbres of France 1960 and the bond below).
from March 26th to 28th 1960: The glorious Three : the Savoyard Mayors go up to Paris, to celebrate the Centenary of French Savoy.
April 8th, 1960: 85e National congress of the Learned societies with Chambéry and Aix-the-Baths
April 12th, 1960: The Castle of Annecy, renovated, accommodates the members of the Learned societies
22 April 23rd, 1960: Centenary of the Plebiscite. Commemorative festivals. Bells of the parishes again sounded.
April 29th, 1960: Centenary of the publication of the results of the plebiscite. The newspapers publish reproductions of the results. Few particular demonstrations: official audience, in the presence of the Minister for justice, Mr. Michelet, reading in Chambéry of the stop of April 29th, 1860.
June 12th, 1960: Centenary of the ratification of the Treaty. This Sunday is issued “national festival”. Dressing ship on the public buildings. The bells sound again.
Be 1960: many popular holidays take again the topic of the Centenary.
from October 8th to 10th 1960: Visit of the President of the Republic, the general de Gaulle, in Savoy.
the economic area the Alps, formed since 1956, of both department Savoyard and Isere, is integrated into the Rhone-Alps.

Nationalism

Following the Centenary, it seems that some Savoyards was disappointed range of the festivities. Part of the mayors assembled in Paris thought of being received by the President of the Republic, it of it was not nothing. A few years afterwards, the Club of Savoyard of Savoy, first identity and regionalistic movement of importance in Savoy, is constituted. This identity dynamics which finds its apogee with the creation of the Mouvement Area Savoy and discusses it on a Savoyard area can be to be the consequence of this disappointment of some individuals. One can also quite simply see in this identity reactivation the simple fact these festivities made proud the Savoyard ones, finding here the occasion to reaffirm a particularism within the France nation.

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