Day 35, July 1 - last day in Chambery, France

Today was a very pleasant day. Last night was warm but we woke up to about 70 degrees and a nice breeze. 

After coffee and reading, we got our stuff together after agreeing on what we wanted to do today. Our priority was visiting the Fontaine des Elephants or the Elephant Fountain. We passed it yesterday on the petit train. It was erected in 1838 to commemorate the military exploits of Count de Boigne (1751-1830) in India. It is the work of the Grenoble artist Victor Sappey. Its popularity is due to its originality: the incongruous presence in Chambery of four elephant busts, which earned it the nickname “The Four Without Butts.” Ha.

We then sauntered over to the Cathedrale Saint-Francois-De-Sales. The building dates from the 15th century, when it was constructed as a Franciscan chapel. It contains the largest ensemble of trompe-l’oeil painting in Europe by the artists Sevesi and Vicario. 

We then visited the local history museum which was formerly the Franciscan convent and is linked to the cathedral by the cloisters, housing a 12-century ivory diptych of Byzantine inspiration. The Musee Savoisien was inaugurated in 1913. It is a local museum, tracing the turbulent history of Savoy, from the Paleolithic era to the present day. Chronological markers, maps, and numerous artifacts illustrate the political upheavals this territory has experienced over time, from the Duchy of Savoy to the Second World War, including the Treaty of Turin. Among the highlights I remember is a dugout canoe dating from the Carolingian era, discovered a few years ago submerged in Lake Bourget, but still in remarkably good condition. The Carolingian dynasty reached its peak in 800 with the crowning of Charlemagne as the first emperor of the Romans in the West in over three centuries. So the canoe was probably about 1,300 years old.

It actually reminded me of the the sturdy, heavy dugout canoes unearthed from Lake Mendota a few years ago that were similar to those the Ho-Chunk later used to fish and trade; experts believe the original inhabitants left them for other tribe members to use. The canoes found in Lake Mendota are believed to be more than 5,000 years old.

We also learned some new recipes the Savoy women have been cooking for hundreds of years – most included bacon and potatoes – a hearty combo. I think the recipes were similar to Tartiflette that is made in the mountains of France. We listened carefully, and wrote two recipes we’ll try when we return home.

While we were in the museum, Jae and Boots took off for the local Goodwill store. Boots was wanting some local logo shirts.

We wandered around the streets a little, and met up with Jae/Boots for lunch. After lunch, Boots cut Beth’s hair (she cut my hair yesterday so it’s off my neck). She did a fine job.

Next up: Jae took off for Les Charmettes, the house of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. I would have liked very much to have gone since Rousseau was an Enlightenment philosopher with whom I acquainted my students in my Issues and Ethics course, but it was too much in terms of getting there. Jae walked 30 minutes – it would’ve taken me an hour with my bad hip.

So Boots took a nap, Beth and I went next door to the Chambery Museum of Fine Arts. The building was a former grain market or grenette; it was built between 1839 and 1846 in a neoclassical style. It then was expanded to a proper museum and the inscriptions "Artibus, Litteris" and "museum-library" were inscribed on the façade. The new building was finally inaugurated on July 14, 1889. 

There is a collection of around 100 paintings, ranging from the late Middle Ages to the early 20th century. Italian works from the 14th to the 18th century are particularly well represented.

The temporary exhibition of “Icons of Albania, treasure of the National Museum of Medieval Art of Korca.” There were around 50 painted icons, all of which survived the destruction of the period of institutional atheism under Enver Hoxha’s communist regime. There were more paintings of Saint John Purhomme or John the Baptist than Jesus, and a lot of Mary and baby Jesus. I am not Catholic nor do I profess any traditional/organized faith, but I guess John the Baptist was a very important figure. Apparently, what makes John the Baptist so amazing is that he was the greatest possible saint that he could be. Sure, he didn't have the Eucharist or the pope or the New Testament, but within the confines of what his Jewish faith offered, he showed himself to be perfectly conformed to the will of God. It's for this reason that he was chosen by God to be the connecting bridge between the Old and the New, and to him was given the extraordinary privilege of preparing the way of the Lord (see Jn 1:23). Anywho, we moved on to the museum’s collection, and it has some amazing images. The one I liked the best was the Seven Athenian women and the Minotaur. If you’re not familiar with the Greek myth – a brief summary:I n Green mythology, the people of Athens were at one point compelled by King Minos of Crete to choose 14 young noble citizens (seven young men and seven young women) to be offered as sacrificial victims to the half-human, half-bull monster Minotaur to be killed in retribution for the death of Minos' son Androgeos.

There also was an exhibit of more recent graphic artists that communicated political ideas; I couldn’t figure out most of them since I know nothing about French history or recent political issues.

Jae was returning from her pilgrimage at the same time we left to go back to the apartment; she had her French class at 5 pm. She did her class, I napped; Beth and Boots read.

Around 7 pm, Beth and I made supper, we discussed our plans for tomorrow (we’re taking different trains to St Moritz, Switzerland, for some odd reason – Jae/Boots bought tickets for a train; my Eurail planner indicates a different train). Anywho, we did the preparatory things for leaving the apartment, packed and I’m doing this blog; Jae/Boots went wandering around town.

On to the next leg of our adventure – Switzerland, where it’s 60 degrees. Yay! We’ll probably freeze, considering we’ve been in the heat the last 3 weeks.

Me, Beth, Jae and Boots at the Elephant Fountain

Beth feeding the elephants?

The pipe organ in the Cathedrale Saint-Francois-De-Sales.

Some of the trompe-l’oeil painting in the Cathedrale Saint-Francois-De-Sales

15th-century writing on parchment, probably some kind of animal hide.

"All Saints," dated 1776.

In the museum's collection is this painting - "The Seven Athenian Women Delivered to the Minotaur" - by Jean-Baptiste Peytavin (1802). Here's an interesting article about the Minotaur having originated in visionary experiences induced by psychoactive substances: https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/10/the-minotaur-of-crete-may-have-been-a-ritual-hallucination-in-the-labyrinthine-environment-of-the-palace-of-knossos/

 

Us and George Sand - this we just a photo and some text about George Sand in the museum; we don't know why it was there, it was kind of out-of-place.

"Young Man with a Pipe" - this was so familiar to me, and I don't know why. it is NOT Picasso's Boy with a Pipe. "Jeune homme à la pipe" (Young man with a pipe), is an 18th-century painting by the Italian artist Giacomo Francesco Cipper (known as Todeschini). The artwork realistically depicts a humble, everyday smoker, symbolizing 18th-century genre painting—celebrating ordinary people, daily life, and the culture of the working class.