Chambéry Cathedral, Gothic cathedral in Chambéry, France.

Chambéry Cathedral is a Gothic church whose main facade, built in 1522, shows a tall central nave (23 m under the vaults) flanked by lower side aisles, with a large pointed-arch window above a carved balustrade and twin wooden doors. It has no transept. On the south side, a single complex vault covers both the aisle and the polygonal chapels, producing an unusual run of corner buttresses; the ground being marshy, tradition holds that 30,000 larch piles were driven in.

The church began as a Franciscan chapel in the 15th century and was elevated to cathedral status in 1779. Its role expanded further in 1817 when it became the seat of an archdiocese.

The interior walls display large-scale trompe-l'œil paintings from the 19th century that optically expand the space and depict religious scenes. This decoration shapes the appearance of the interior today and tells of the artistic vision of that era.

Access to the cathedral is available daily for worshippers and visitors, with guided tours providing an overview of the architecture. It is wise to check opening hours and understand that restrictions may apply during religious ceremonies.

A labyrinth nearly 35 metres long was laid in the cathedral between 1860 and 1870, then put back in place in 1989. The neighbouring Musée Savoisien, housed in the former Franciscan convent linked to the cathedral by cloisters, keeps a 12th-century ivory diptych of Byzantine inspiration.