Savoy

Savoy, former duchy lying between Italy and France, and region of present-day France corresponding to the departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie. Savoy is situated in the south-western Alps. On the north, it is bordered by Lake Geneva, and on the west, it is bounded partly by the River Rhône, whose affluents drain the region. In the south-east, the Graian Alps separate Savoy from the Piedmont Region of Italy. The summit of Mont Blanc, the highest peak of the Alps, is within the borders of Savoy. In the region are several lakes, among them Bourget and Annecy, and a number of mineral springs, the most noted of which are those of Aix-les-Bains and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. The largest town in the region is Chambéry.