Musée des Charmettes

Chambéry


Geneva-born philosopher, composer and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a key figure of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, lived the happiest years of his life in this serene country house between 1736 and 1742. It's laden with original features, like 18th-century wallpaper and fainting couches. Even those with little interest in the life of Rousseau might find their interest piqued by stories of his 'instruction' under Madame de Warens, who took the much-younger philosopher as her lover here.

It's a steep 2km southeast of central Chambéry.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chambéry attractions

1. Cathédrale St-François de Sales

0.93 MILES

All is not as it seems inside Chambéry's 15th-century Franciscan cathedral, decorated with 6000 sq metres of trompe l’œil painting. The largest such…

2. Musée Savoisien

0.95 MILES

Due for a grand reopening in 2020, this museum housed in a Franciscan monastery was closed to undergo a massive renovation when we passed through. When it…

3. Château des Ducs de Savoie

0.99 MILES

Medieval walls, Gothic tracery, trompe l'oeil detailing…Chambéry's château has acquired a wealth of styles since its founding in the 11th century. Once…

4. Hôtel de Cordon

0.99 MILES

This former hôtel particulier (historic private mansion) has interactive displays on local culture on its upper floor. It's also the starting point for…

5. Fontaine des Éléphants

1.03 MILES

With its four carved elephants, this 17.6m-high fountain looks like the model for an old Indian postage stamp. It was sculpted in 1838 in honour of…

6. Musée des Beaux-Arts

1.19 MILES

Occupying a former corn exchange, Chambéry's grand fine-arts museum exhibits mostly 14th- to 18th-century Italian works. There's a particular emphasis on…

7. Temple of Diana

9.43 MILES

This 1st-century Roman temple – dedicated originally not to Diana, but probably a local Celtic god – is inside the town hall, a 16th-century château built…

8. Arc de Campanus

9.47 MILES

More than 9m high, this triumphal arch is thought to date to the late 1st-century. The Latin inscription declares glory to the Campanus family, members of…