The Romans built their town high above modern Nice in the now fashionable suburb of Cimiez. Cemenelenum, as the Romans called it, was the capital of the Alpes Maritimae. About 20,000 citizens lived here in the late 2nd century AD and it was wealthy enough to have an amphitheatre. It was near the route of the Via Julia Augusta, later to...
A perched village Located on a small hilltop high above the Vésubie Valley, on the route of the Monte Carlo Rally and leading up to the Col de Turini and Authion Massif, la Bollène-Vésubie is a pleasant village of 600 or inhabitants known locally as ‘les Bollénois’. Great views Dating back to the 12th century, Bollène was a Lordship in...
A Trophy for an Emporer La Turbie would be an unexceptional hilltop village with an 18th century Baroque church on the Grande Corniche were it not for the fact that it is located on the Via Julia Augusta and has, at its centre, the amazing and truly monumental Trophy of the Alpes. Following the victories of the legions sent by...
An architectural gem on the Promenade des Anglais, the Musée Masséna stands back from the road amidst beautifully laid out gardens. Fit for the grandson of a hero Built at the turn of the 20th century in the Italianate style to the design of Hans-Georg Tersling and the local architect Messian for Victor Masséna, the grandson of the Marshall for...
Fabulous Nice, capital of the French Riviera, occupies a prime position on the beautiful Baie des Anges at the foot of the Alps. Moreover, its Italianate charm, resulting from a long association with its next door neighbour (see the County of Nice), its Baroque buildings and near perfect climate all contribute to its appeal. I have distinguished between the modern...
Tende, like much of the surrounding territory and neighbouring La Brigue remained Italian until 1947. They were not in fact handed back to France with the rest of the County of Nice in 1860. To this day some local people speak Tendasque, a patois related to the old Ligurian language. In fact, many young people speak Italian as well as...
In the heart of the Mercantour yet only 78km/49mi from Nice the Musée occupies a great site in Tende at the head of the Roya Valley almost in Italy. The museum presents the archeological heritage of Mont Bego and its surrounding area, especially the Vallée des Merveilles. It is organised along three themes: prehistoric archeology, ethnology and natural history. Relief models and...
French Riviera or Côte d’Azur? Nice is often referred to as the capital of what English speakers refer to as the French Riviera although the French know it as the Côte d’Azur. There is no official boundary to the Riviera. However, people usually consider the Riviera as the coastline from the Italian border in the east to St Tropez in the west. Resorts...
Bequeathed to the Institut de France in 1933 by the Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild this beautiful villa and its nine gardens boasts the most spectacular setting on Cap Ferrat. Winter residence The Italianate Villa was built for the Baroness and her husband at the turn of the 20th century. However, in 1904 the couple divorced and Béatrice used the Villa as her Winter...
The Roman Amphitheatre at Nice stands in the up-market suburb of Cimiez. Located above the modern city, the old Roman town of Cemelenum stood guard over the port. A small amphitheatre Quite small by normal Roman standards and only 67 x 57m (220 x 184ft). Nevertheless, the Amphitheatre could still accommodate at least 4000 spectators. Not as complete as the amphitheatres at Nîmes or...