Nice old town
Nice old town: when staying in Nice, whether as a short weekend or a few weeks holiday, two places are to be seen absolutely, otherwise it would not be a stay in Nice worthy of the name. First of all, there is of course the famous Promenade des Anglais and second, there is Old Nice, the oldest quarter of the city, two thousand years old, very rich in history, but also very lively Day and night. The heart of Nice is located here and it has been brewing at a frantic pace for nearly 24 centuries.
Old Nice was founded on the banks of the Paillon river, which flows through the city before flowing into the Mediterranean. Around this area, the monuments and buildings, the most majestic of Nice, were built at different times by different powers. They are the witnesses of the glorious and sometimes tumultuous past of the history of the city. A past marked by several changes of sovereignty before the final annexation of the city to France in 1860.
Concerning these buildings built in Old Nice, their architectural styles differ according to the time when they were constructed. The castle, perched on the heights of the eponymous hill, is a witness to a glorious past. This stronghold, in the center of the old citadel, was considered impregnable for a very long time. Indeed, since its construction in the 12th century until 1706, the square remained inviolate. It was Louis XIV's troops who succeeded in taking it, and to mark their superiority, they shaved the place, on the orders of the Sun King, a memory still painful until now among the Nice people, whose hearts are Remained faithful to their former Savoyard belonging.
Other buildings of major interest are also in the heart of the old town of Nice: the former prefecture, the chapel of the Mercy, the cathedral of Sainte-Réparate, the churches Saint Giaume and that of the Gesu, the tower of the Clock, Lascaris palace and much more. So many places to visit if you want to discover the different architectural styles of the various eras through which Nice passed before becoming the important metropolis of the French Riviera, a symbol of development and modernity as we know it today.