L'histoire du casino Grand Cercle, historique à Aix les Bains, photos

Naissance d'une institution :le CASINO GRAND CERCLE d'Aix-les-Bains, historique

The beginning of the 19th century was the starting point of a game circle in the heart of the Aix les Bains spa, first created in the Palace of the Marquis of the City of Aix (the current City Hall).

Thirty years later, in 1850, King Victor Emmanuel II opened the current building, which was to become a genuine Casino: sumptuous and luxurious, reinforcing the idea that a Spa should be a very privileged holiday destination where the wealthy European society traveled to, to enjoy the water treatments but also to entertain themselves.

 

Oeuvre d'art architecturale, Casino Savoie, Histoire

Great names in the world of Architecture have left their distinctive imprints on this sumptuous monument, a den of pleasure and suspense filled with History and memories.

The building, originally conceived by the architect Pellegrini held a dancing room in its middle area, bordered on both sides by two lounges: one used for gambling and the other for reading and writing. Three decades later, the Casino expanded and two side wings were added.

Salviati, great Venetian artist of his time, restorer of Saint Marc Basilica in Venice and Charles Garnier’s collaborator at the Opera of Paris, imagined and built the sumptuous ceiling of the slot machine room, classified today as a masterpiece of a great addition to the historical monuments of the world reference: 3,500,000 golden enamel cubes on a surface of 300 m². His work is a testimony of the action of time: the hours, the weeks, the months and the seasons are all represented in his work.

The very first theatre, conceived by Abel Boudier and situated under the foyer dome, very quickly disappeared, victim of its own success after having hosted very famous shows. In 1899, the current theatre was built, with 900 seats and the wooden machinery from then still remains!

Photos: Local Archives of Aix les Bains.

Apparition des machines à sous, Savoie, histoire

Slot machines, Casino Grand Cercle, Savoie.

In November 1991, the casino’s shareholders were granted the right to install slot machines in their casino. Being the most popular activity in all French casinos, the shareholders invested important sums in the renovation and the layout of the building, in order to bring more enthusiasm to the place and by doing so, offered a real game and leisure complex (with the creation of reception rooms, restaurants, piano-bar, dancing club, Irish pub, etc.); by restoring the Casino, they made it the noble place  it used to be in the 19th Century.

Remaniement des espaces du Casino, histoire Aix les Bains

Concerts, groupes de musique, bar pub Le Murphy's, à Aix les Bains, Savoy.

2002 marked an important phase in the Casino life: the whole Casino was redesigned to meet competition and to face the progressive disappearance of the “great” players at board games; the aim was to optimize the slot machines area and thus, develop the restaurant area, the entertainment activities and all sorts of reception facilities.

Since 2005, the Casino owes its success to a dynamic marketing policy, which sees, throughout the year, great events being held like international Backgammon or Tarot tournaments, fabulous parties with free buffet, theme dinners, etc.