Area of France between the Alps, Lake Geneva,
and the river Rhone. A medieval duchy, it was
formed into the departements of Savoie and
Haute-Savoie, in the Rhone-Alpes region.
history Savoy was a duchy from the 14th
century, with the capital Chambery. In 1720
it became a province of the kingdom of
Sardinia which, with Nice, was ceded to
France in 1860 by Victor Emmanuel II (king of
Italy from 1861) in return for French
assistance in driving the Austrians from
Italy.