after Matthioli’s return to Italy he allowed himself to be bought over
by the Austrian party, which frustrated the French negotiations and so
exasperated the vindictive Louis that he sent orders to the Abbé
Estrades to have him kidnapped at all hazards.
For this purpose Matthioli was induced to go to the frontier beyond
Turin, where he was arrested as a traitor to France by the Abbé,
accompanied by four soldiers, on 2d May 1679. Such a scandalous breach
of international law required the adoption of extraordinary
precautionary means of concealment. His name was changed to Lestang, he
was compelled to wear a black velvet mask, and when he travelled armed
attendants on horseback were ready to despatch him if he made any
attempt to escape, or even to reveal himself.
By the direction of Estrades he was comfortably lodged and fed in
prison, till orders came from Paris, stating— “It is not the
intention of the king that the Sieur de Lestang should be well treated,
nor receive anything beyond the absolute necessaries of life, nor
anything to make his time pass agreeably.” He was handed over to the
charge of St. Mars, who took him to the castle of Pinerolo, whence in
1681 they removed to the castle of Exiles. From Exiles St. Mars removed
his unfortunate and now crazy prisoner to the Island of Ste. Marguerite,
where they arrived 30th April 1687, after a journey of twelve days.
Among the erroneous anecdotes told of Matthioli during his ten years’
sojourn on the island are:—On one occasion he is alleged to have
written his name and rank on a silver plate, which he threw out of the
window. A fisherman picked it up and brought it to St. Mars, who,
on finding the man could not read, let him go. On another occasion
Matthioli is said to have covered one of his shirts with writing, which
he likewise threw out of the window. It was found by a monk, who, when
he delivered it to St. Mars, assured him that he had not read it. Two
days afterwards the monk was found dead. The origin of these stories is
to be found in a letter from St. Mars to the Minister, dated 4th June
1692, in which he informs him that he has been obliged to inflict
corporeal punishment upon a Protestant clergyman named Salves, also in
his keeping, because he would write things on his pewter vessels and
linen, to make known that he was imprisoned unjustly on account of the
purity of his faith.
In 1697 Matthioli with his keeper left for the Bastile, of which place
St. Mars had been appointed governor. They arrived on 18th September
1698.
On the 19th November 1703, about 10 p.m., Matthioli died in the Bastile, after a few
hours’ illness, and was buried next day at 4 p.m. in the cemetery of St. Paul.—Extracted
from the _History of the Bastile_, by R. A. Davenport.
The Island of St. Honorat. Abbey. Massacre.
The Island of St.
Honorat contains 97 acres, or is ¼ the size of Ste. Marguerite,
from which it is 750 yards distant. A pleasant road of 2½ m.,
shaded by umbrella pines, leads round the island. Straight
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from the landing-place is a convent of Cistercian monks, settled here only since
1859. The original monastery was founded by St. Honorat in 410. In 730
and 891 the Saracens invaded the island, pillaged the
establishment, and massacred the monks. In the 10th century the again
flourishing brotherhood received Cannes as a gift from Guillaume
Gruetta, son of Redouard, Count of Antibes. In 1073 they built the tower
on the island, and in 1080 the Abbé Adalbert II. commenced the
castle of Cannes. In 1148 the monks strengthened and enlarged the
fortifications of their tower. In 1788 the monastery was suppressed on
account of the irregularities of the inmates. In 1791 the island and
buildings were sold. In 1859 they were finally bought by the Bishop of
Frejus, who handed them over to the present occupiers, a colony of
Cistercian monks, 50 in number, of whom about two-thirds are lay
brethren.
“What Iona was to the ecclesiastical history of northern England, what
Fulda and Monte Cassino were to the ecclesiastical history of Germany
and southern Italy, St. Honorat was to the church of southern
Gaul. For nearly two centuries the civilisation of the great district
between the Loire and the Mediterranean rested mainly on the Abbey of
Lerins. Sheltered by its insular position from the ravages of the
barbaric hordes who poured down the valleys of the Rhône and of the
Garonne, it exercised over Provence and Aquitaine a supremacy such as
Iona, till the Synod of Whitby, exercised over Northumbria. All the more
illustrious sees of southern Gaul were filled by prelates who had been
reared at Lerins. To Arles (p. 70) it gave in succession Hilary,
Cæsarius, and Virgilius.
“The present cloister of the abbey is much later than the date of the
massacre of the monks, which took place, according to tradition, on the
little piece of green sward in the centre of the cloister.
“With the exception of the masonry of the side walls, there is nothing
in the abbey church earlier than the close of the 11th cent.”
—J. R. Green’s _Stray Studies_.
St. Honorat: Castle.
The tower or rather castle, as it now stands, represents two tall
rectangular elevations of unequal magnitude, crowned by projecting
cornices. On the ground-floor, with entrance from the beach, is a large
hall with groined roof, said by some to have been a chapel, and by
others a bakery, but most likely a “parloir” or reception-room. In the
wall, a little to the left or west, and about 30 ft. from the
ground, is a cannon-ball fired by the English when they took possession
of the islands in 1746. The interior of the castle is shown by the
concierge of the convent. The first part entered is the oblong cloister,
in three stories, of which two remain entire. The corridor of the first
is supported on short columns standing round the edge of a cistern. From
this corridor open the doors into the bedrooms and refectory. From the
upper corridor is the entrance to the chapel, which opened into the
library. Above the library was the infirmary, of which not a vestige
remains. A good view is had from the top. Visitors are next taken
to the convent. The church and buildings are
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modern, excepting one of the cloisters. It is therefore a pity to spend
much time there, especially for those who have arrived by the last
steamer, and have consequently little time to spare.
Chapel of the Trinity.
By the road round the island are the remains of chapels of the 7th
cent., or even earlier. Going from west to east there is, against the
wall of the convent, a little to the west of the castle, the Chapel
of St. Porcaire (restored), where, it is said, the saint was buried. At
the western extremity of the island, within an old fort, is the Chapel
of St. Sauveur. To the west of the landing-place, near the large
gateway, are little better than the foundations of the Chapel of St.
Pierre. Farther east, beside the Orphanage, is St. Justine, now a
stable. The Orphanage contains about 25 boys. They are taught different
trades. The franc charged for showing the castle goes to their support.
On the eastern point of the island, beside a fort, is the most
interesting chapel of all, the Chapel of the *Trinity, 35 ft. long by about 25 wide,
placed from east to west. The great corner-stones of this small temple,
by their size and solidity, are the main supports of the building,
illustrating thereby the reason why in Scripture so much importance and
honour are attached to them in edifices. The roof of the nave is
semicircular, strengthened by three arches, the centre one springing
from two round columns. The roofs of the three apsidal chapels are
semispherical.
Cannes to Grasse, 12½ m. N.
by rail, pop. 12,100. _Hotels:_ the G. H. International,
9 to 12 frs., a first-class house on the road to Le Bar. In the
town, H. Muraour and the Poste, 8 to 10 frs. Their omnibuses await
passengers. Those who wish to walk commence by the stair to the right of
the station, and then the steep road on the other side of the highway.
Grasse, a town of charming views, delicious water, and the best of
air, makes an excellent and beneficial change from Cannes. The town,
with its terraces and labyrinth of narrow, crooked, steep streets, is
situated 1090 ft. above the sea, on the southern slope of Mt.
Rocavignon, which rises almost perpendicularly 695 ft. above the town.
To the N.E. of Rocavignon is the Marbrière, 2920 ft. above the sea. The
short but stony road to the top of Rocavignon commences opposite the
fountain used by the washerwomen. On the summit is a stony plateau,
commanding extensive and exquisite views.
Plain of Napoleon.
A little way inland is a grassy plot, called the Plain of Napoleon,
because here, on 2d March 1815, he breakfasted at the foot of the three
tall cypresses, and then went on to St. Vallier. In the face of the
large calcareous cliff a few yards beyond the trees is a cavern or
“foux,” whence, after heavy rains, a large body of water issues in
the form of a roaring cascade. The path which leads down into the
beautiful valley below commences about 500 yards farther inland. It
joins that very pretty road among olive trees, seen from the plateau,
which, after passing the large white house, a hospice for the aged,
enters Grasse by the powder-house, formerly the chapel of St. Sauveur,
a little circular building with flat shallow buttresses, built in
the early part of the 10th cent. On entering Grasse by this way, and
just at the commencement of the promenade called the Cours, is the
hospital. The large door gives access to the chapel,
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in which are hung, at the west end, three pictures attributed to
Rubens—the Crown of Thorns, the Elevation of the Cross, and the
Crucifixion. The concierge uncovers them. Immediately below, and
opposite the entrance into the public gardens, is the house of
M. Malvillan, containing paintings by a native of Grasse,
Jean Fragonard.
Jean Horace Fragonard, who died at Paris in 1806. The best of them are
five pictures, which were painted for Madame Dubarry, representing
frolicsome scenes, young people playing games. At the foot of the Rue
des Dominicains, in a large house with bulging iron grating, are some
decorative paintings attributed to Flemish artists. These pictures are
shown by courtesy. In the centre of the old town is the parish church,
built in the 11th cent., but altered and repaired in the 17th. It
contains several pictures, but the only good one is an Ascension of
Mary, by Subleyras, behind the high altar. From the terrace at the east
end of the church is one of the many beautiful views. Adjoining is the
Hôtel de Ville, and attached to it is a great square tower of the 11th
cent.
A stair at the head of the main street leads down to the principal
square and market-place, with a fountain at one end and one of the sides
arcaded. The best promenades are the Cours, the terrace of the Palais de
Justice above it, and the Jardin des Plantes below it.
Perfumery.
PERFUMERY.
The standard industries of Grasse are the distilling of perfumes and the
preserving of fruits. The flowers are cultivated on terraces resembling
great nursery-beds. Of the perfumes, the most precious are the Otto of
Roses and the Néroly. It requires 45 lbs. avoirdupois of rose leaves
(petals) to make 1 gramme, or 15½ grains troy of the Otto of Roses,
which costs from 2½ to 3 frs. the gramme; and 2¾ lbs. troy of the
petals of orange flowers to make 1 gramme of Néroly, which costs 8 to 10
sous the gramme. The best Néroly, the Néroly Bigarrade, is made from the
flowers of the bitter orange tree. It is used principally in the
manufacture of Eau de Cologne, of which it constitutes the base. In
colour it resembles sherry, and the odour is that of Eau de Cologne. The
water that comes off in distilling Néroly forms the orange-water of the
cafés. The Otto of Roses of Grasse is superior to that of Turkey.
Extracts for scenting pocket-handkerchiefs are made from
freshly-gathered flowers laid between two sheets of glass, held by their
frames 4 inches apart, and piled one above the other, without pressing
the flowers. On each side of the glass is a layer of lard ⅓ of an inch
thick, which, in 12 to 24 hours, absorbs completely the odoriferous oil.
When the flowers are abundant they are renewed every 12 hours, sometimes
even every 6. The operation is repeated several times on the same lard
with fresh flowers. Jonquilles are changed 30 times, the cassia and
violet 60, the tuberose (a kind of hyacinth) and the jasmine, both
80 times. The lard is then melted in a large iron vessel, and mixed with
spirits made from grain, which, combining with the volatile oil, rises
to the top. The fluid is then filtered.
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This is called the cold method. Orange and rose petals require the hot
methods, either by the still or by the “bain-marie.” The distilling of
the fragrant oil from the petals requires the most vigilant attention,
and the maintenance of the same degree of heat. Rose and orange pomade
are made by the bain-marie method by submerging a large iron pot full of
lard in boiling water. When the lard is melted the petals are added, and
after having remained there for 12 or 24 hours the mass is filtered to
remove the now inodorous petals. The operation is repeated from 30 to 60
times, according to the required strength of the perfume. The red Turkey
rose is the only rose used.
At the very foot of the Rue des Cordeliers is the confectionery of
*Negre. He has showrooms and priced catalogues of his preserved fruits,
which are made up in the candied (cristallisé) state, in the
glazed-sugar (glacé) state, whole and in syrup (compotes), or as jams
and jellies (confitures). At No. 22 Rue des Cordeliers is the perfumery
of Bruno-Court, where purchases of the best material may be made from a
franc upwards. Below the church is the perfumery of Warwick and Co., and
in the B. Fragonard that of Pilar Frères, both of whom supply
Atkinson of London with the raw material.
St. Cesaire. Cannes Canal. Callian.
_Grasse to St.
Cesaire._—9 m. W. by a beautiful road. Carriage there and
back, 20 frs. Diligence, 1½ fr. Time, 2 hours. This little village, pop.
350, is situated on an eminence above the Siagne, 1560 feet above the
sea, or 470 feet higher than Grasse. In front of a large elm in the
“Place” is a plain but clean inn, the Hôtel de la Siagne (pension from 6
to 8 frs.), where those who desire to fish in the river or ramble
in the environs can live comfortably. From the end of the street, right
from the inn, is a terrace, left hand, whence there is a view of the
valley of the Siagne, with the Cannes canal on its eastern side. The path to the
cave “Grotto de la Foux” goes by the upper side of this canal, and
requires 1½ hour’s easy walking. The commencement of the Cannes Canal is
about a half-hour’s walk farther up. No guide is necessary, unless it be
desired to inspect the cave with lights. Guide, 5 frs. Like the
more famous caves of Cahors and of Vaucluse (p. 64), this cavern or “foux,”
at the base of a calcareous cliff, contains a great basin of limpid
water, but no stalactites. The Cannes Canal is a narrow uncovered
conduit 31 m. long, exposed to animal and vegetable impurities
throughout nearly its entire course. Of greater interest is the
commencement of the Roman aqueduct, which conveyed water from the
Siagnole to Frejus (p. 146, and map, p. 129) by a channel covered with bricks, and stones of
the size of bricks, through the Roquotaillado tunnel, 164 ft. long, 27
wide, and 82 high, in all probability originally a cave, but adapted by
the Roman engineers to their requirements. It is most easily visited
from Montauroux, on the hill opposite, 3 m. distant by a
bridle-path, _Inn:_ Bourgarenne, where pass the night. From this
village the tunnel is about 9 m. distant by an excellent
carriage-road. 1½ m. from Montauroux is the village Callian, _Inn:_ Castel, 1200
ft., supplied with water by the Roman aqueduct.
opp. 163
THE DURANCE, THE VAR,
the col di tenda, san remo
_For continuation northwards see map, page 327._
_For continuation eastwards see map, page
211._
see caption
_For continuation westwards see map, page 66._
_For continuation southwards see map, page
123._
Nearly 2 hours’ walk from the Cannes Canal up the Siagne, and
163
situated at a considerable elevation, is the stalactite cave of Mons. Those who have already seen such
caves will find in this one nothing new nor striking. To visit it not
only is a guide necessary, but the keeper of the cave at Mons must be
advised beforehand, that he may be at the mouth of the cave with the
key. It is much the better plan to return from the commencement of the
Cannes Canal to St. Cesaire, and drive back to Grasse. The olives of St.
Cesaire are considered among the best flavoured of the Riviera.
Grasse by Coach to Cagnes Station.
Grasse to the railway station of Cagnes by the Pont du
Loup and Vence, 21 m. By omnibus, 3 frs. By private
carriage, 30 frs. This drive is generally taken in two
parts—Grasse to the Pont du Loup; then from the Pont du Loup to
Vence or Cagnes.
Pont du Loup. Tourette.
_Grasse to the Pont du
Loup by Le Bar_, 7½ m. N.E. Carriage with two horses there
and back, 15 frs. Omnibus to Le Bar 3 times daily, 1 fr. Distance,
5½ m. N.E.; whence it is a pleasant walk of 2 m. up the valley
of the Loup to the inn and Pont du Loup, at the mouth of the Gorge du
Loup. From the Pont 2½ hours of fatiguing walking up the ravine of the
Loup brings the traveller to the falls of the Loup, which requires a
good deal of rain to make them imposing. The whole way from Grasse to
Vence is by a beautiful Corniche road, nearly on the same level (1090
ft.) throughout its entire course, disclosing at every turn exquisite
views towards the sea. The Pont du Loup, with its little cluster of
houses and orange-gardens, is at the top of a long narrow valley, just
at the point where the Loup rushes forth from a rocky gorge. On the top
of a plateau, about 500 ft. over the Pont du Loup, is the village of
Gourdon. From the terrace adjoining the church of Le Bar there is an
excellent view of Gourdon, the valley of the Loup, and of the
carriage-road on both sides of it. Those who visit the Pont du Loup
generally content themselves with a ramble in the gorge, and then, after
having taken some refreshments, either return to Grasse or go on to the
railway station of Vence-Cagnes (see
p. 169), 13½ m. farther, or 21 m. from Grasse. The drive
from Grasse to Vence-Cagnes station in a private carriage costs 30 frs.
The very same road is traversed by the omnibus from Grasse to Vence,
15 m. eastward. Fare, 2 frs. Time, 4 hours. A seat should
be taken in the “Imperial.” Next day, at one, start from Vence to Cagnes
railway station by another omnibus. Fare, 1 fr. Time, 1 hour.
Distance, 6 m. The road from the Pont to Vence continues to follow
the course of the Loup till within a few miles of the village of Tourette, pop. 980, at the foot
of Le Puy de Tourette, 4158 ft. above the sea, where the omnibus
halts.
Vence.
Vence, 1100 ft. above the sea,
pop. 2800. _Inn:_ Lion d’Or, pension 9 frs. Picturesquely
situated on a hill in the midst of mountains clothed with olive trees
and studded with houses standing singly and in clusters. This, the
ancient Vintium, has still large portions of its
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old walls and ramparts, with massive square towers (11th cent.) next the
gates. At the northern entrance is the ancient palace of the Lords of
Vence, with a beautiful tower, built in the 15th cent., in the style of
the palaces of Florence, only without a court, for which there was no
space. In front is a fine old ash tree, sadly mutilated.
The bishopric of Vence, founded in 374, was afterwards united to that of
Frejus. In the centre of the town is the cathedral, 110 ft. long, 68 ft.
wide, and about 70 high, inside measure. Two aisles with massive piers
and semicircular arches (slightly stilted) are on each side of the nave.
Above is a triforium 15 ft. wide. Roof waggon-vaulted. The choir,
containing 50 stalls in dark carved oak, is in a gallery opposite the
altar, in the position usually occupied by the organ. At the N.E. corner
of the church is an ancient and beautiful baptismal font, of which,
unfortunately, a large piece of the pedestal is sunk into the
ground. The chancel was formerly a Roman temple. The column now in the
square behind the church, and the other over a well at the west end,
stood formerly at the entrance into the temple. On the table of the
second altar right is part of a sculptured stone which formerly adorned
this temple. In the next chapel is the tomb of St. Lambert, many years
Bishop of Vence, with Latin inscription on table of altar. Under the
chancel is the vault in which the bishops were buried, while the vault
of the Lords of Vence was under the nave. The present “Place” behind the
chancel was the public cemetery. Several stones with inscriptions are on
the walls. One slab bears an eagle in relief, and under it is a still
larger stone sculptured in a diaper pattern, with a stork and crowing
cocks worked into the design. The style resembles that of the old carved
door in the first chapel right of altar, all probably of the 14th or
15th cent.
Roche-Blanche. Rocher-Noir.
To the N. of Vence is a row of four calcareous mountain cliffs,
extending eastward to the Var, and each about 2000 ft. above the sea.
The most prominent is the mighty cliff above Vence called the Roche-Blanche,
commanding a superb view. On the summit are the remains of a walled
village and castle, and less than half-way up the ruins of a castle of
the Knight-Templars. The road up to the summit is by the first narrow
path beyond the castle, ascending through beds of wild thyme and bushes
of the prickly broom. The next hill is the Rocher-Noir, having on its eastern side, right
above the bed of the Cagnes, a “foux,” an immense cave called the
Riou, containing a large basin of water, whence flows a copious stream.
It is 3½ m. from Vence. The next cliff rises over St. Jeannet, and
bears its name. The most easterly is La Gaude, with vineyards producing
one of the better wines of Provence, drank as vin ordinaire during the
first year, when still sweet and unripe, but of good body and agreeable
in the fifth and sixth years, when it costs 1½ to 2 frs. the litre
bottle. Vence is famous for double violets. They are cultivated in
hollows between furrows, and are sold to the makers of perfumes at the
rate of 3s. 8d. the pound. A woman will gather 4 kilogrammes
(8 lbs. 13 oz.) in a day, for which she is paid at the rate of 2½d.
the kilo.
165
Cagnes.
The road from Vence to the Cagnes railway station descends the whole
way, passing at some distance the village of St. Paul, pop. 700, with
part of its old walls, and below it the village of La Colle, pop. 1500.
The coach drives through the low or modern town of Cagnes. _Inn:_ Savournin, not comfortable
during the mosquito season. The real town occupies, as usual,
a hill, on the summit of which is a castle built by the Grimaldi,
a polygonal tower bought by the present owner at an auction; who
has restored the painting by Carloni on the ceiling of the Salle Dorée,
representing the Flight of Phaeton, and has also added a small picture
gallery. A little way down from the castle are the ruins of the
small abbey church of St. Veran, 6th cent. The chancel is still in good
preservation. From Cagnes the views are not equal to those from Vence.
(For the Vence-Cagnes station, see
p. 169.)
St. Vallier.
ST. VALLIER.
Grasse to
Digne, 63 m. north.—By the courrier 16 frs., changing
coach at Castellane. Fare to St. Vallier, 2½ frs., Escragnolles
4 frs., Castellane 8½ frs., Barrème 11½ frs., and Digne 16 frs. By
private coach from Grasse, with two horses, 100 frs. Dining first day at
Escragnolles, and passing the night at Castellane. Next day breakfasting
at Barrème, and then driving down to Digne (see map,
p. 165).
The road between Grasse and Digne is broad, well constructed, and rises
at an angle from 5 to 7 in the 100. From Grasse to St. Vallier (2350 ft.
above the sea, or 1260 ft. above Grasse, and 6½ m. distant,
population 536) the ascent is continuous, disclosing all the way grand
views of Cannes, the sea, and the Estérel and the Tanneron mountains.
The courrier and private carriages halt generally a few minutes in the
“Place,” near the column with a marble bust of Napoleon I.,
indicating the spot where he reposed “2 Mars 1815.” The Hôtel du Nord is
about 100 yards from this. The house is pretty comfortable, and charges
per day from 8 to 9 frs. A carriage from this hotel, towards
the Ponte-à-Dieu, as far as it can go, 3½ m., costs 5 frs. The
remainder can be walked in about half an hour. A carriage from
Grasse to St. Vallier, and towards the Pont-à-Dieu and back, 20 frs. The
Pont-à-Dieu is a calcareous rock which spans the Siagne in the form of a
bridge, like the “Pont” across the Ardèche.
From St. Vallier the road makes very circuitous windings on the steep
sides of the mountains, ascending nearly all the way to Escragnolles,
a hamlet, pop. 320, consisting of a few houses and a small roadside
inn, with clean but hard beds, and plain and scanty fare, situated 3282
ft. above the sea, or 2192 ft. above and 18 m. north from Grasse.
A little before arriving at Escragnolles is seen, in a deep valley,
one of the principal sources of the river Siagne. The views from
Escragnolles and Castellane exhibit lofty, wild, and partially-wooded
mountains, with fields of wheat on laboriously-terraced ground.
Castellane. Taulanne. Barrème.
19 m. N.W. from Escragnolles, or 37¼ from Grasse, is Castellane, 2370 ft. above the
sea. Pop. 2000. _Inns:_ Levant; Commerce. A village of crooked
streets on the Verdon, crossed by a bridge of one
166
arch. A narrow path leads to the top of the lofty cliff on which is the
chapel of Notre Dame, rebuilt in 1703, commanding a most extensive
prospect. Napoleon I. descended into Italy by the road on the left
bank of the river. Those in private carriages generally spend the night
here. A small coach runs between Castellane and Digne, which,
although not very comfortable, is much better than the courrier in bad
weather. 18 m. W. from Castellane by a mountain-road is Moustiers Sainte Marie (see p. 167).
From Castellane the road by a series of zigzags reaches the top of the
Col St. Pierre, 3600 ft., and then descends to Taulanne, 7 m. N.W. from Castellane. From
Taulanne the road descends 5 m. S., chiefly through a picturesque
ravine, to Senez, pop. 620,
among wild barren mountains, at the foot of Mont La Combe, on the river
Asse. The hamlet has a poor inn, and a cathedral built during 1130 to
1242.
44¼ m. N.W. from Grasse, and 18¾ m. S. from Digne, is Barrème, pop. 1100, on the
confluence of the Clumane with the Asse. Breakfast is taken here, and
the diligence changes horses. Cloth-mills and trade in dried fruits,
especially prunes. In the neighbourhood is a saline spring. The road
from Barrème to Digne descends by a ridge between the valleys of the
Asse and the Clumane.
Digne.
Digne, pop. 8000, 2000 ft.
above the sea, 14 m. E. by loop-line from the station St. Auban on
the main line. St. Auban is 80½ m. N. from Marseilles, 62¼ m.
N. from Aix, and 20½ m. N. from Manosque. It is 109½ m. S.
from Grenoble; 45½ m. S. from Aspres, the terminus of the road from
Die; 41 m. S. from Veynes, whence commences the loop-line to Gap;
and 31¾ m. S. from Serre, the terminus of the road from Nyons (see
map of Rhône and Savoy). _Hotels:_ Boyer; Remusat, both in the
Boulevard Gassendi, near the statue of Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655), one
of the most eminent philosophers of France. This, the ancient Dinia, the
capital of the Avantici, is situated chiefly on hilly ground rising from
the Bléonne and the Eaux-Chaudes. On the highest part is the cathedral,
and on the plain up the river, near the seminary, the much more
interesting church of Notre Dame, 12th cent., numbered among the
historic monuments of France. 1¼ m. up the Eaux-Chaudes, at the
foot of Mt. St. Pancras, are sulphurous springs, temp. 115° Fahr.,
efficacious in the cure of wounds and rheumatism. Bath, 2 frs. From
Digne Napoleon issued his proclamation of March 1815. Digne makes a good
resting-place and good headquarters. Both of the hotels are comfortable
and moderate, 8 to 10 frs. per day, and both supply carriages at so much
per day (see map, p. 165).
Riez. Barjols.
Among the many diligences that start from Digne, the most important is
to Riez, 26 m. S.W., fare
4 frs., time 4½ hrs., a great diligence centre. Riez, pop.
3000, on the Colostre, at the foot of Mont St. Maxime. _Inn:_
H. des Alpes, whence start coaches daily for Manosque, 22 m.
W., by Allemagne, 5 m.; St. Martin, 8 m.; and to Gréoulx (see p. 167), 12½ m. S.W. from Riez,
and 9½ m. E. from Manosque, fare 4 frs. For Moustiers Sainte Marie (see p. 167),
9 m. E.,
167
by Roumoulles, fare 2 frs. For Montmelian, 18 m. S., by Quinson.
Travellers on their way to Draguignan spend the night at Montmelian,
H. Sicard, and proceed next morning to Aups, 9½ m. E.,
_Inn:_ H. du Cours, and thence to Draguignan. From Montmelian
a coach runs to Barjols, _Inn:_ H. Pont d’Or,
9½ m. S., whence other coaches run to Brignoles (see p. 142). For Valensole,
7½ m. W., whence to Volx railway station, other 7 m.
W. From Volx coach to Digne, 25 m. N., by Puymoisson,
3¾ m. N.; Le Begude, 8 m.; Estoublon, 11¾ m.; Mezèl on
the Asse, _Inn:_ H. du Cours, 15¾ m.; and Châteauredon,
7½ m. S. from Digne. All these roads traverse sometimes deep
valleys and at other times extend across wide elevated tablelands. Down
in the valleys are olive trees, in the higher regions quinces, plums,
walnuts, and cherries (see map,
p. 165).
Riez, the Colonia Julia-Augusta of the Romans, is still partly
surrounded by its old fortifications, of which the highest of the towers
has been converted into a belfry. Up the main street, through either of
the gateways, are houses with sculptured doors and transomed windows
which tell of better days. Near the two inns, but on the other side of
the river, is La Rotonde, a temple, square externally, enclosing a
peristyle of 8 monolith granite Corinthian columns, bearing an elongated
octagonal dome. The diameter of the circle is about 23 ft. Near it are
the remains of a colonnade consisting of 4 composite monolith granite
columns. On the top of Mont St. Maxime is the chapel St. Maxime, 10th
cent., restored and altered in 1857. It is 17 yds. long and 10 wide,
outside measure. On each side of the chancel are three Corinthian
columns similar to those in the round chapel. At the S.W. corner is a
short square tower with a spire. From the brow of the eminence, where
there is a statue of Mary, there is an excellent view of the dingy town
and of the pleasing valley of the Colostre.
Moustiers Ste. Marie.
A very pleasant drive of 9½ m. E., fare 2 frs., is to the curious
village of Moustiers Ste. Marie by the courrier,
starting at 2 and returning at 4. _Inn:_ H. du Mouton
Couronné. The village consists of poor dingy houses, partly in a narrow
gully and partly on the slopes, at the base of vertical calcareous
sandstone cliffs, rising to the height of from 500 to 1000 ft. Between
two opposite points of these precipices is a chain 745 ft. long, from
which was suspended a gilt iron star which fell in 1878. Up the cliffs,
by the stair of the “Via Crucis,” is the chapel of Notre Dame, almost
immediately below the chain. Several caves are in the neighbourhood.
Lower down is the parish church of the 10th and 13th cents. From the S.
side rises a square belfry in three diminishing stages. Between
Moustiers and Riez is Roumoulles, with the ruins of a castle. 18 m.
E. from Moustiers is Castellane, but no public coach runs between
them.
Gréoulx. Baths.
12½ m. W. from Riez, and 9½ m. E. from Manosque, is Gréoulx, pop. 1400, a dirty village on a
hill rising from the Verdon. On the top are the gaunt ruins of a castle
built by the Knight-Templars. Less than ½ m. from the village is
the hotel and the bathing establishment. The rooms cost from 2 to
5 frs. Coffee in the morning, 60 cents.
168
Breakfast and dinner, 7 frs. Service, ½ fr. Or the lowest price per day,
10 frs., which is dear considering the quality of the house and
furniture. Bath, 2 frs. Cure lasts 25 days. The establishment is
1150 ft. above the sea. The mineral water, of which there is a most
abundant supply, is limpid and unctuous, and tastes like slightly salt
new milk. Temp. 95° to 100° Fahr. The principal ingredient is the
chloride of soda, and, in less quantities, the chloride of magnesia, the
carbonate of lime, and the sulphate of lime and soda. The water is also
rich in organic substances, such as baregine and glairine along with
other sulphurous compounds, which develop themselves rapidly when the
water is exposed to the action of the air. This organic matter is used
in the mud-baths for the cure of sores and tumours. The baths are
partially sunk into the floor, and are easily entered. The flow of water
into and out of them is constant. Coaches daily from Gréoulx to
Manosque, Mirabeau, and Riez (map,
p. 165).
Manosque.
Manosque, pop. 6200, on
the railway between Marseilles and Grenoble, 22 m. north from
Pertuis, 41½ m. from Aix, 48½ m. from Gardanne, and
59½ m. from Marseilles. 4½ m. south from Volx, 20½ m. from St.
Auban, 31 m. from Sisteron, 61½ m. from Veynes, 66 m.
from Aspres, and 130½ m. from Grenoble (see map of Rhône and
Savoy).
_Hotels:_ Pascal; Eymon, commanding an extensive view of the
surrounding mountains; near it the G. H. de Versailles; and the
Poste. Manosque is situated on an eminence rising from the plain of the
Durance, nearly surrounded by hills covered with vineyards and olive
trees. Portions of the town walls and towers still remain, and the
eastern and western gateways have been repaired and restored. Entering
the town by the gate close to the hotels, we ascend the narrow and
badly-paved principal street to the church of St. Sauveur, easily
recognised by the square belfry attached to the S.E. end. Within the
main entrance are two large caryatides. The windows of the façade are
circular, the others small and round-headed with modern glass. On each
side of the nave are semicircular arches of a great span; the chancel is
extremely shallow, the roof 4 partite, and the floor considerably lower
than the street. The narrow lane opposite the corner of the façade leads
to the principal “Place,” where there is a fountain, and whence there is
a good view. Higher up the principal street is Notre Dame, in exactly
the same style as St. Sauveur. The table or altar in the chapel to the
left of the high altar is formed of a marble sarcophagus, 5th cent.,
with figures, in bold relief, of the apostles, and in the centre a
crucifixion. Above is a black image of Mary and child, supposed to date
from the 6th cent. In the Hôtel de Ville is a silver bust by Puget of
Gérard Jung, the founder of the order of the Hospitallers,
a religious community whose office was to relieve the stranger, the
poor, and the sick. In the neighbourhood are deposits of gypsum and
lignite. Coach daily to Riez, 5 hrs., 22 m. E.; to the baths of
Gréoulx, in the same direction; to Apt (see index), 26 m. W., by
Reillane 15½ m., and Céreste 20½ m. W. Volx station is
the intended terminus of the rail from Apt.
169
Vallauris. Antibes.
MARSEILLES
MENTON
124
31
GOLF JOUAN or
VALLAURIS. A few
yards straight up from the station is a short column, which marks the
spot where Napoleon bivouacked after his arrival from Elba on March 1,
1815. A very pleasant road, lined with villas, connects this small
port with Cannes. Opposite station are pottery showrooms.
MARSEILLES
MENTON
127
28
ANTIBES, pop. 6000.
_Hotels:_ Escouffier, Aigles d’Or. A fortified port founded by
the Greeks, but, with the exception of two old towers, without any mark
of antiquity. The streets are lined with tolerable houses. In the square
the inhabitants have erected a monument to their valour. Those wishing a
bird’s-eye view of the town should ascend the tower beside the church.
The bellman’s house is close by. The wine of Antibes is of superior
quality (see p. 154). From Antibes
station omnibus to Biot, pop. 1400.
MARSEILLES
MENTON
132
23
VENCE-CAGNES. At
this station coaches await passengers for Cagnes, pop. 3000, about
1 mile distant. It is built on the slope of a hill, and contains
the old mansion of the Grimaldi. Six miles northwards by the same road
is Vence, pop. 3000, with an old cathedral and several
interesting antiquities. It is famous for figs, and flowers for
perfumery. One mile distant is St. Martin, with a splendid view from the
terrace, and most picturesque environs. Between Vence-Cagnes and Nice
runs a diligence (see p. 165).
MARSEILLES
MENTON
136
19
VAR. This station is on the left
or Nice side of the river Var, at the eastern end of the viaduct over
the mouth of the river. ¾ m. N.W. from the station by the road to
St. Martin are the Nice nurseries or pépinières, extensive, but not well
kept. About 2 m. N.E. from the station, up on the hill, is the
Caucade cemetery, in three stages. The first is used by the French, the
next by the English, and the highest by the Russians. The last two
contain many beautiful marble monuments.
At the mouth of the Var is the racecourse. The races take place in
January.
Nice.
opp. 171
plan of Nice
NICE
is 140 m. N.E. from Marseilles, 95½ m. N.E. from Toulon, 95¼ m.
N.E. from Hyères, 39 m. N.E. from St. Raphael, and 19¼ m. N.E.
from Cannes. It is 9½ m. W. from Monaco, 15 m. S.W. from
Menton, 23½ m. S.W. from Bordighera, and 30 m. S.W. from San Remo
(see railway map, fly-leaf).
Situated on the Bay des Anges and on the embouchure of the Paillon,
mostly covered over, pop. 66,300.
170
Nice: Hotels and Pensions.
Hotels and Pensions on the Promenade des Anglais, taking them in the
order of east to west. The Hôtel des Anglais, with one side to the
“Jardin Public.” Next it is the Cercle (club) de la Méditerranée; and
opposite it, projecting into the sea, a casino. On the other side
of the cercle is the H. Luxembourg. Then follow the Pension Rivoir,
13 to 18 frs.; the H. Méditerranée, H. Westminster, and the
H. West End, all first-class houses charging from 15 to 25 frs. per
day.
The following are at the western end of the Promenade, and, as they
have considerable gardens in front, the inmates do not hear the noise of
the sea so much. The H. de l’Elysée, No. 59; the Pension *Anglaise,
8 to 11 frs., No. 77; the H. Continental, 10 to 15 frs. On the
Boulevard du Midi, the eastern prolongation of the Promenade des
Anglais, are the Beau Rivage; the H. des Princes, 12 to 15 frs.;
and on the Quai des Pouchettes, the *H. et P. Suisse, 8½ to 12
frs.
Around the “Jardin Public” are the first-class houses, the Angleterre
and the Bretagne. On the Quai Massena the H. de France; while in
the Place Massena are the best cafés and restaurants, large cab-stands,
and the terminus of the trams. Over the river near the Place Massena is
the Casino Municipal, fronting the Quai St. Jean Baptiste, on which are
the hotels Cosmopolitain; the Paix; and the Grand Hotel, fronting the
garden in the Square Massena. These hotels are first-class, and charge
from 10 to 20 frs. Higher up is a second-class house, frequented chiefly
by French, the H. Ferrand, 8 to 10 frs.
On and near the Avenue de la Gare are some excellent hotels and
pensions. Taking them in the order of the Place Massena towards the
railway station we have, under the arches, the hotels Meublés, Deux
Mondes, and opposite the Univers. Then follow the hotels Ambassadeurs
with garden, Iles Britanniques, Prince of Wales, all the three from 10
to 20 frs. Opposite, at No. 42, is the H. and R. Duval, 9 to
12 frs. At the top of the R. de la Gare, the H. National, 9 to 12
frs., and the Hotel des Alpes.
In the streets at right angles to the R. de la Gare near the
H. Iles Britanniques are the Russian, German, English, and Scotch
churches, and some comfortable hotels and pensions, mostly with gardens.
The best of the hotels are the *Paradis and the *Louvre, in the Boul.
Longchamp, near the Scotch Church. At the western end of the Boul.
Longchamp, the H. et P. des Palmiers, and the H. Splendide,
all from 10 to 20 frs. Near the Splendide is the P. Java, 9 to 11
frs.
Behind the Scotch Church are the P. Internationale and the H. et
171
P. de Genève. Next the Russian Church is the P. Helvétique. Near it
the H. Royal; the H. et P. Mignon and the P. *Millet,
entered from R. St. Etienne, 8 to 12 frs.
At W. end of the R. de la Paix the H. Raissan, 10 to 12 frs.;
near it the Russie and the Beau Site, both quiet houses with
gardens.
Opposite the station the H. et P. du Midi, 9 to 11 frs. Farther
down the H. et P. Interlaken, 8 to 11 frs. with wine.
From the E. side of the Avenue de la Gare parallel streets extend to
the Boulevard Carabacel. In the first of these, the Rue Carnieri, is the
Theatre Français. In the Rue Pastorelli the Pension St. Etienne and the
H. Négociants, 8 to 12 frs. In the broad B. Dubouchage are the
first-class houses—the H. Littoral; *Empereurs; *Albion.
Behind the Albion, in the Rue Alberti, the H. et P. d’Orient. The
large building in the B. Dubouchage is the Bourse. Near it is the
American Episcopal Church. In the Avenue Beaulieu are the
H. Central and the G. H. *Rubion.
The hotels, pensions, and villas at the end of the
B. Dubouchage, and about the B. Carabacel, are frequented by
delicate people, who sun themselves in the gardens and boulevards of
this quarter. At the Carabacel end of the B. Dubouchage are the
first-class houses—the H. Hollande; H. *Windsor; and
opposite, the H. *Julien. On an eminence in a garden off the
B. Carabacel is the H. *Nice. Then follow, on the
B. Carabacel, the H. Bristol, P. Londres, H. de Paris,
and houses with furnished apartments. In this quarter is the Carabacel
Episcopal Church, and near it the Hôtel Carabacel.
On the way up to Cimiès, the G. H. Windsor. On Cimiès Hill, near
the Convent of St. Barthélemy, is the H. et P. *Barthélemy, on the
road to the Val Obscur, and near many pleasant rambles. On the Cimiès
Hill, on opposite sides of the Amphitheatre, are the H. et
P. Cimiès, and the Pension Anglaise, in the three houses from 9 to
12 frs. They are about 2 m. from Nice, and 430 ft. above it. The
tram from the Place Massena has its terminus near the
P. Barthélemy. The H. Cimiès has its own omnibus. The town
omnibus runs within a short distance of the P. Anglaise.
In the street behind the Promenade des Anglais, the R. de France, and
its continuation the R. Massena, are hotels and pensions, with
moderate prices. Commencing at west end and going eastward—at No.
100, in garden, the P. Torelli. On the hill behind the H. de
Rome, 12 frs. At No. 121 is the H. de l’Elysée, with front to the
Promenade des Anglais. At No. 46 the P. *Metropole, 8 to 10 frs.;
172
and opposite, the H. du Pavillon, with front to the Promenade des
Anglais. At No. 34 the P. Lampiano, 9 to 11 frs. At No. 30 R.
Massena the H. St. André, 8 frs. In the Place Massena the
H. et R. Helder, 18 frs. For commercial gentlemen the best is
the H. des Étrangers, R. Pont Neuf, 9 to 10 frs.
Those requiring to study economy will, by a little search through the
private pensions, find very comfortable and moderately-priced lodgings.
In the meantime they may alight at any of the following houses, where
they can arrange at the prices given:—H. du Midi, opp.
station, 8 to 11 frs., 3 meals, wine extra. At the head of the Avenue de
la Gare the H. des Alpes and the H. National, 9 to 12 frs. At
17 B. Carabacel H. et P. de Londres, 8 to 10 frs. with wine. In the
Rue de France the P. *Metropole, 8 to 10 frs. At the west end of the
Promenade des Anglais the Pension Anglaise, 8 to 10 frs. In the Rue
Massena the H. St. André, 8 frs., including everything. In the
R. Gioffredo the H. and R. Montesquieu, 8 to
9 frs.
Nice: Cafés. Banks.
_Cafés._—The
best in the Place Massena. _Restaurants._—The *London House,
Pl. du Jardin Public. Restaurant *Française, 3 Av. de la Gare, and at
No. 11 Rest. d’Europe. _Clubs or Cercles._—The Cercle de la
Méditerranée in the Prom. des Anglais. Cercle Massena, Quai St.
Jean.
_Banks._—The
Banque de France, 6 Quai du Midi. The best for all kinds of banking
business and money changing is the “Credit Lyonnais,” 15 Avenue de la
Gare. Other banks—the Banque de Nice, 6 P. Massena; Lacroix et
Roissard, 2 P. Massena; Viterbo, 13 Avenue de la Gare.
_House Agents._—John Arthur and Co., 1 Place Jardin
Public; C. Jougla, 55 R. Gioffredo; Salvi and Co., 2 R. du
Temple.
_Post Office_, 20 Rue St. François de Paul, behind the Quai du
Midi. Most of the clocks have two minute-hands, one for railway or Paris
time, the other for Nice time. The railway time is 20 minutes behind the
Nice time. In the same street is the excellent public library, with
45,000 volumes. Open from 10 to 3 and 7 to 10 p.m. It contains a few antiquities, some Roman
milestones, a collection of medals, and a bust of Caterina
Segurana. The Museum of Natural History is in No. 6 Place Garibaldi.
Observatory on the top of Mont Gros, 1201 ft. above the sea.
_Booksellers._—Galignani, 15 Quai
Massena, with well-supplied reading-room; Barbery, Place du Jardin
Public; Visconti, 2 Rue du Cours. Cook’s office adjoins Galignani’s.
Gaze’s is at No. 13, and Caygill’s No. 15 Avenue de la Gare.
_Druggists._—Of these there are excellent English
establishments in the principal streets.
173
_Confectioneries and Perfumeries._—Of the confections the
_specialité_ of Nice is candied Parma violets, sold in little round
boxes weighing 100 grammes, or 3½ oz., for 5 frs. the box. The most
expensive of the glazed fruits are pine-apple, 10 frs. the kilogramme
(2 lbs. 3¼ oz.), strawberries, 10 frs., and apricots, without the
stones, 8 frs. All the others cost either 5 or 6 frs. the
kilo. The best shops are— *Caëtan Féa, 4 Avenue de la Gare;
Guitton and Rudel, 23 same street; and *Escoffier, in the Place Massena.
Rimmel’s garden and perfume distillery are near the slaughter-house, on
the left bank of the Paillon.
Nice: Churches. Conveyances.
_Churches._—Temple Évangélique or Vaudois
in the Rue Gioffredo; Russian Memorial Chapel, N.W. from the station;
Russian Church, Rue Longchamp; German Church, Rue Adelaide; American
Church, Rue Carabacel. Trinity Church, Rue de France; St. Michael’s, Rue
St. Michel; Carabacel Episcopal Church, at the east end of the Rue Notre
Dame. Scotch Church, in the Rues St. Etienne and Adelaide.
Steamers to Marseilles, Genoa, Leghorn, and Corsica once weekly.
_Coach hire._—A carriage with coachman and 2 horses, 750
frs. per month. Per day, 30 frs. There are many excellent livery
stables, where carriages and riding horses can be had per day or per
month.
_Cabs._—Drivers
have to produce their tariffs. Cab with 1 horse and seat for 2, the
course 75 c.; seats for 4, 1 fr. The hour, seat for 2, 2½ frs.;
seats for 4, 3 frs. Cabs with 2 horses, the course 1½ fr.; the
hour, 3½ frs.
To or from the station. Cab with seat for 2, 1 fr.; with seats
for 4, 1½ fr. Cab with 2 horses, 1 fr. 15 sous. Each article on top
of cab 25 c., and 25 c. for each stoppage. It is better, if not sure of
a hotel, to engage the cab by the hour.
All the _tram cars_ start from the Place Massena.
_Diligences._—From the office, No. 34
Boulevard du Pont Neuf, start daily:—Coach to St. Martin Lantosque, 3117 ft. above the sea,
and 37 m. N. from Nice. Fare 6 frs., time 10 hrs. (see
p. 180). Coach to Puget-Théniers,
1476 ft. above the sea, and 42 m. N.W. from Nice. Fare 2½ frs.,
time 9 hrs. (see p. 182). To St.
Sauveur, 40½ m. N. (p. 182). Omnibus twice daily during
the winter season to Monte Carlo, by the low Corniche road. From the
office, Place St. François, start:—Coach to Cuneo, 80 m. N., by Tenda and the Col
di Tenda tunnel. Fare 16 frs., time 18 hrs. Coach to Tenda alone, 2680
ft. above the sea, and 51 m. N. from Nice. Fare 9 frs., time
11 hrs. (see p. 182). From Hôtel Chapeau Rouge, Quai St. Jean
Baptiste, coach to Levens, 1916 ft. above the sea, and 15 m. N.
from Nice. Fare 3 frs., time 4 hrs. From the Cloche d’Or, Rue de
l’Aqueduct,
174
coach to Contes, fare 1½ fr., time 2 hrs., 10½ m. N. up the valley
of the Paillon, passing the pretty village of Trinité—Victor,
5½ m. N., pop. 1300; Drap, on both sides of the Paillon; and then
on a hill to the left, 2½ hrs. distant by a path, the ruins of the
village Châteauneuf, abandoned on account of the want of water.
Contes.
Contes, pop. 1700, has good country inns, gardens full of orange trees,
and vineyards producing good wine. Cab with 1 horse and 2 seats to
Trinité-Victor and back, 5 frs.; ½ hour’s rest allowed.
Nice: Climate.
_Climate._—If I should be asked to draw a
comparison between Nice and Cannes with respect to climate,
I should be inclined to call Nice a trifle colder in winter,
especially if there be much snow on the mountains. M. Teysseire has
preserved and published records of twenty years’ meteorological
observations taken at Nice with instruments placed outside his window,
on a fourth floor facing the north-north-east. His mean results for the
twenty years are as follow; to which, for the sake of comparison,
I append the means of my six winter seasons at Cannes:—
Mean Temperature.
Nice. Cannes.
November 53.8 52.6
December 48.5 46.3
January 47.1 48
February 46.2 48.8
March 51.8 51
April 58.1 55.5
The mistral is as well known at Nice as it is at
Cannes.—_Health Resorts_, by M. Marcet, M.D.
Vallons.
Nice occupies a plain bounded by the limestone summits of the
Maritime Alps, whence descend fertile wooded ridges composed of a
reddish conglomerate and a gray-blue clay of the Pleiocene period.
Between these ridges are deep vallons, gullies, or furrows, with
precipitous sides, scooped out to a great depth by the intermittent
action of torrents, the breadth and depth of the valleys depending on
the volume of water in the stream and the degree of consistence of the
conglomerate. The great vallons have tributary vallons. The pleasant
Vallon de Magnan exemplifies both kinds. From the Pont de Magnan (near
which a tram stops) the first tributary is nearly a mile up the stream,
opening from the right or west side. This vallon is short, the walls
nearly perpendicular, and in some parts scarcely 2 ft. apart. Higher up
the Magnan, and opening from the left or east side, next a church, is
the more beautiful and more extensive tributary vallon, the Madeleine,
which high up becomes so narrow and so choked with troublesome brambles
as to be almost impassable. The banks are covered with vegetation, and
the more level parts with maritime pines and olive trees. At the
entrance are beds of clay of immense thickness, of which
175
fire-bricks are made. The Mantéga Vallon, entered from the Chemin de
Mantéga (see plan), has great walls of clay and conglomerate. The softer
conglomerate is quarried and broken up for its sandy dolomitic material,
which, mixed with lime, makes excellent mortar.
The city of Nice consists of three distinct parts:—1st, the new
or fashionable quarter, stretching westwards from the Paillon,
containing avenues and gardens, and broad and well-paved streets
bordered with large and elegant buildings, of which a large proportion
are hotels and “pensions;” 2d, the Old Town, a perfect labyrinth of
narrow, dirty, steep streets, radiating from the Cathedral as a sort of
centre, and running up the sides of the Château hill, which separates it
from, 3d, the Port, with its seafaring population, and about 16 acres of
harbour.
During the season, from November to April, Nice is a luxurious city,
with the attractions and resources of the great northern capitals. In
winter the population may be estimated at 90,000, whereas in summer it
is only about 54,000, a diminution in numbers apparent only in the
largest and most elegant part of the city. The non-fluctuating
population inhabit the crowded tenements in the narrow streets huddled
together between the Paillon and the Château hill.
Nice: Promenade. Castle.
Cemetery.
The glory of Nice is the Promenade des Anglais, commenced by the
English in 1822 to employ the poor during a season of scarcity. This
beautiful terraced walk, 85 ft. broad, extends 2 m. along the beach
of the Baie des Anges, from the Quai Lunel of the Port to the mouth of
the Magnan, whence it will be continued other 3 m. west to the
mouth of the river Var, near the Racecourse.
Over the Port rises the Castlehill, 315 ft., commanding from the
platform, in every direction, the most charming views. To the E. are the
peninsula of St. Jean and Cape Boron, and rising from it, Fort
Montalban, Mt. Vinaigrier, and the Observatory residence and buildings.
To the N. is Mt. Chauve; to the E. the roofs of Nice; and in the
distance the Roche-Blanche (p. 164),
the peninsula of Antibes, and the Estérels. This fortress, founded by
the early Phœnician colonists, and destroyed and rebuilt at various
periods afterwards, was finally razed to the ground in 1706, by order of
Louis XIV., by Maréchal Berwick. Now it has become the great park of
Nice. A round tower that still remains, over the Hôtel des Princes,
called the Tour Bellanda, was probably added to the Castle by Emmanuel
Philibert in 1560. On the W. side of the hill (see plan) is the cemetery in five stages. At
the entrance is the monument to the “Victimes de l’Incendie du Theatre,
23d March 1881.” Towards the E. end, at the wall, is the grave of
176
Rosa Garibaldi, d. 19th March 1852. The tombstone was placed by her
son, General Garibaldi. In the highest terrace is the grave containing
Gambetta and his mother. In a terrace by itself in the eastern end is
the Protestant cemetery.
Caterina Segurana.
Near the harbour, and above the Quai Lunel, is the statue of King
Charles Felix. In the Rue du Murier, leading down from the Rue Segurane
to the Port, is the mulberry tree where Caterina Segurana had her tent.
On the 15th of August 1543 she, at the head of a devoted band, attacked
the allied French and Turkish forces commanded by François de Bourbon
and the Turk Barbarossa, struck down with her own hand the
standard-bearer, and put the enemy to flight. Giuseppe Garibaldi was
born, 19th July 1807, in a house which stood at the head of the Port
before its enlargement. In a small street, ramifying from the Rue
Segurane, is the church of St. Augustin, in which Luther preached in
1510. At the east end of the R. de la Préfecture, last street left, No.
15 R. Droite, is the Palais des Lascaris, with ceilings painted in
fresco by Carlone. It is now the “École Professionnelle.” This is also
the street of the jewellers patronised by the peasantry. Paganini died
(1840) in the house No. 14 R. de la Préfecture. The jambs and lintels of
the doorway are slightly decorated. The Cathedral and the other churches
in the old town are in the Italian style, ornamented with gilding and
variously-coloured marbles. The new church, Notre Dame, in the Avenue de
la Gare, is Gothic in style. The first non-Romanist church erected in
Nice was the Episcopal chapel of the Trinity in 1822. As it became too
small, the present church was built on the same site in 1856 at a cost
of £6000. To the N.W. of the railway station, by the Chemin St. Etienne,
in an orange grove, is the
Nice: Memorial Chapel.
Russian Memorial Chapel, a series of ascending domes, built over
the spot on which stood the villa in which the Prince Imperial of Russia
died, April 24, 1865. The interior is covered with designs in gold leaf,
varied here and there by a light-blue ground. Round the base runs a
white marble panelling, enclosing frescoes of saints in niches.
The principal thoroughfares in Nice are the Place Massena and the
handsome broad street the “Avenue de la Gare,” extending in a straight
line northward from the “Place” to the station. Next in importance are
the Quais Massena and St. Jean Baptiste. In the above are all the best
shops. The Rue Massena, and its continuation the Rue de France, behind
the Promenade des Anglais, contain shops principally of the provision
kind, British stores, grocers, wine merchants, confectioners,
177
and dressmakers. At the east end of the Rue de France is the Croix de Marbre,
a marble crucifix under a canopy on four marble columns, erected in
1568 to commemorate the visit of Charles V., Francis I., and
Paul III. in 1538, and the partial reconciliation of the two
potentates through the intervention of the Pope. The column opposite
commemorates the visits of Pio VII. in 1809 and in February 1814. Near
this is Trinity Church, and in the Rue Gioffredo the Temple Évangélique,
the second Protestant church built in Nice.
André Massena.
On the arched part of the Paillon, fronting the Quai St. Jean, is the
large and handsome Casino, and a little farther up the river the pretty
public garden called the Square Massena, with a statue in the centre, in
an animated posture, of André Massena, Prince of Essling and Marshal of
France, who was born on May 7, 1758, in a house now demolished, which
stood on the Quai St. Jean Baptiste. In 1810 he was chosen by Napoleon
to stop the advance of Wellington in Portugal, and was commissioned “to
drive the English and their Sepoy general into the sea.” But the wary
strategy and imperturbable firmness of the British general proved
resistless, and Massena was compelled to save his military fame by a
masterly retreat. On the pedestal Clio is seen writing his name in the
chronicles of his native city. This garden forms a pleasant lounge, but
it is not so fashionable as the other farther down, at the mouth of the
river, called the “Jardin Public,” planted with magnolias, acacias,
Japan medlars, and gum, cork, camphor, and pepper trees. The band plays
here in the afternoon. The most beautiful of the public gardens is on
the Castlehill, intersected by footpaths and carriage-roads up to the
summit. On one side of the hill is the public cemetery.
Cimiès.
All the side streets which ramify eastward from the Avenue de la Gare
lead to the Quartier Carabacel, one of the most sheltered parts of Nice,
and inhabited by the most delicate invalids. Above it, about 2 m.
distant, or 3 from the Place Massena, is Cimiès (430 ft. above the sea), another favoured
spot, frequented principally by nervous invalids requiring a sedative
climate. On the top of this hill stood the Roman city Cemenelium, of
which all that remains are the ruins of an amphitheatre 210 ft. long by
175 wide. Just under the Boulevard Prince de Galles are artistic ruins
composed of ancient material gathered in this neighbourhood. They stand
in the spacious grounds of the superb villa Val Rose, which in shape
resembles Noe’s ark. Entrance from behind G. H. Windsor. The
first road right from the theatre leads to a Franciscan convent built in
1543 on the site of a temple of Diana.
178
The altar-pieces of the two chapels to the right of the altar were
painted by Ludovico Brea, a contemporary of Raphael, and the only
artist of eminence Nice has produced. The cemetery contains some
beautiful tombstones. In the centre of the “Place,” on a spiral marble
column, is a crucifix with a winged J. C. Above is a pelican
feeding its young, a favourite Christian symbol of charity during
the Middle Ages.
A path in the corner of the “Place” leads down to St. Pons (p. 179).
At No. 6 Place Garibaldi is the Museum of Natural History. The first
hall contains a collection of the fungi growing in the department; and
separate, under a glass case, specimens of those allowed to be sold in
the market for food.
Nice: Drives.
The best of the drives from Nice is to Menton, 20 m. east,
either by the high Corniche road along the flanks of the mountains,
passing above Monaco, or by the beautiful new road which seldom rises
much above the coast, and passes through La Condamine to Monte Carlo. An
omnibus runs daily between the Boul. du Pont Neuf and Monte Carlo by
this road (see p. 187).
Cab with 1 horse and 2 seats to Villefranche and back, 5 frs.; ½
hour’s rest allowed. With 2 horses and 4 seats, 7 frs. Above the
Pont Neuf, near the Place St. François, omnibuses (without fixed time)
start for Villefranche, ½ fr.; St. Jean, 15 sous; and Beaulieu, 15 sous.
On feast-days a steamer generally sails to Monaco. In the village of St.
Jean there is a very comfortable country inn, H. Victoria, where
bouillabaisse can always be had. Pension, 8½ frs. And at Beaulieu, close
to the station, is the *H. et P. des Anglais, pension 9½ to 12 frs.
Those who go from Nice to St. Jean with luggage should leave in the
omnibus, but for Beaulieu the rail should be taken. A carriage with
2 horses to St. Jean and Beaulieu and back, 25 frs. The tour round Mt
Boron, ascending by the new and descending by the old road, costs, in a
coach with 2 horses, 15 frs. Time, 1½ hour.
Val-Obscur.
Nice to the
Val-Obscur, 4 m. N.—Take tram from the Place Massena to
St. Maurice, 2 m. N. It stops in front of the gate of the Villa
Chambrun, by the side of the Octroi. For the Vallon des Fleurs ascend by
the road to the right. For the Val-Obscur ascend by the road to the
left, passing the Chapelle du Ray. Carriages can drive the length of the
water-conduit. From this part the bed of the stream may be followed, but
as it is very stony it is better to keep on the path by the side of the
conduit as long as possible. The Val-Obscur is a deep ravine, 440 yards
long, between cliffs of an earthy
179
conglomerate from 200 to 300 ft. high, and 7 ft. apart at their
narrowest point. By continuing this path for a little distance past a
house on the side of the hill, then crossing over by a path to the
right, we reach the chapel of St. Sebastien, whence a road ascends to
Mt. Chauve, passing by Le Ray, with an inn, 1446 ft. above the sea, or
only 1324 ft. below the summit of Mt. Chauve.
The Vallon des
Fleurs ou des Hepatiques is renowned for its olive trees and its
wild flowers in early spring. The commencement of the valley is about 10
minutes’ walk from the St. Maurice terminus of the tram. A path
leads to the top of the valley. From the summit it leads round by the
head of other two vallons to the Cimiès road, which it joins nearly
opposite to the observatory, only a little higher up the valley of the
Paillon. The whole forms a very agreeable walk. (For Cimiès, see p. 177.)
Nice: Villa Clery. St. Pons. Grotte St.
Andre.
A much-frequented drive or walk is to the Grotte St. André, about
3¾ m. N. from Nice by the west bank of the Paillon and the Vallon
St. André. A cab with 1 horse and 2 seats there and back,
5 frs.; with 2 horses and 4 seats, 7 frs.; ½ hour’s stay
allowed. Carriage, 15 frs. But if the return to Nice be made by Falicon,
25 frs. When about 1½ m. up the Paillon there is a large gate which
gives access to the orchard of the Villa Clery, containing some orange
trees above 100 years old, yet in the whole plantation there is not one
well-developed specimen. The oranges are sold at from 4½ to 6 frs.
the 100, and packed and despatched to order. Almost opposite, on the
east side of the Paillon, are the more beautiful gardens and perfume
distillery of Rimmel. On the top of the hill (430 ft.), above the Clery
orchard, is seen the monastery of Cimiès, built in 1543 after the
original house, which stood near the Croix de Marbre, had been destroyed
by the Turks. The next large edifice passed on the west bank is the
monastery of St. Pons,
built in 775 by St. Syagrius, a contemporary of Charlemagne, on the
spot where the Roman senator St. Pontius suffered martyrdom. The emperor
is said to have spent some days here in 777 while on his way to Rome. In
890 it was destroyed by the Saracens, and in 999 rebuilt by Fredericus,
Bishop of Nice. In 1388 the treaty was signed here by which Nice was
annexed to the house of Savoy. A short distance beyond, at the part
where the stream St. André unites with the Paillon, 3 m. from the
Place Massena, is the asylum for the insane. First-class boarders pay
4 frs. per day, second 3 frs. A little higher up the
stream are the village, pop. 660, and (on a hill) the château of St.
André. The château is a plain house with a small chapel at the west end,
180
fronted by a terrace built by the brothers Thaon of Lantosque in 1685.
Part is occupied by a school and part is let. The chapel is now the
parish church. At the east end is a small petrifying spring. From the
château an avenue of ill-conditioned cypresses (the best have been cut
down) leads to the Grotte St. André. Fee, ½ fr. each. It is a
natural tunnel, 114 ft. long and 25 ft. high, through the limestone
rock, under which flows the stream St. André, dammed up at the outer end
to enable the man to take visitors through it in a boat. Near it are a
restaurant and shop in which petrifactions are sold.
From the “Grotte” up to the 8th kilomètre stone the ravine becomes so
narrow that there is barely room between the high cliffs for the road
and the stream. It is so picturesque that those who have come to visit
the cave should walk up this distance, 1 mile, before returning.
Those in carriages generally pass up this way and return by Falicon,
a village perched on the top of a steep hill above the river St.
André.
_To the
Observatory_, 1215 ft. above the sea, constructed in 1881 at the
expense of M. Bischoffsheim. Take the Abbatoir tram the length of
the Place Risso (see plan), where take the corner to the right and
ascend by the Corniche road. If on foot, on arriving at a well beside a
house, ascend the hill by the mule-path. The views are charming. The
establishment possesses 1235 acres of land. On the highest part are the
various buildings for astronomical purposes. A few yards below, on
the west side of the mountain, is a handsome building 228 ft. long and
46 broad. In the centre is the library, and the wing at each end
dwelling-houses.
Nice to Cuneo by St. Martin Lantosque.
(Map, page 165, and Map of Rhône and Savoy.)
_Nice to Cuneo by St. Martin Lantosque._—Diligence from
Nice to St. Martin, 37 m. N. From St. Martin to Entraque, on
the north side of the Col di Finestra, 8 hrs. by mule, considered equal
to 25 m. From Entraque to Cuneo by Valdieri and Dalmazzo,
24 m. N. by coach.
Levens. Lantosque.
The diligence from Nice ascends by the west side of the river Paillon,
and after passing the villages of St.
André (p. 179) and Tourette, near the ruins of Châteauneuf,
arrives at Levens, 1826 ft.
above the sea, pop. 1560, _Inn:_ H. des Étrangers, where the
coach halts a short time. After Levens it crosses the Col du Dragon, and
then descends into the prettiest part of the valley of the Vesubie,
where it passes through the village of Duranus, 18 m. from Nice,
pop. 1500. Then, after having traversed a tunnel 88 yds. long, crossed
the Vesubie, and passed by the hamlet of Le Suque (Suchet), 25 m.
from Nice, it reaches the village of Lantosque, 28½ m. from Nice, 1640
181
ft. above the sea, pop. 1910, _Inn:_ H. des Alpes Maritimes.
On a plateau 765 ft. above Lantosque, and 1¼ m. distant, is La
Bollène, with a large hotel, charmingly situated amidst hills covered
with chestnut trees. The coach next halts at Roquebillère, pop. 1800, on
the Vesubie, 3½ m. from Lantosque, 32 from Nice, and 1968 ft. above
the sea. It is the station for the village of Belvédère, pop. 1250, with
a comfortable hotel on a plateau 755 ft. above Roquebillère.
St. Martin Lantosque.
Col di Finestra.
From Roquebillère the coach proceeds up the valley of the Vesubie by the
villages of Berguerie, St. Bernard, and St. Sebastien, to St. Martin
Lantosque, 37 m. from Nice, pop. 1956, and 3117 ft. above
the sea. An ancient village at the junction of the Vesubie with the
Salèses. In the “Place” where the diligence stops is a very good inn,
the H. des Alpes. Down in the town is the Belle-Vue pension,
6 frs. Up by the side of the promenade are some good pensions. On
the opposite hill, ½ hour walk from St. Martin, and 700 ft. higher, is
the village of Venanson, pop. 250, commanding splendid views of the
surrounding valleys. The lower parts of the mountains are covered with
chestnut and cherry trees, and the higher with large firs. From St.
Martin commences the bridle-path to Entraque, by the valley of the
Vesubie and the Col di
Finestra, 8269 ft. above the sea, called thus from a fancied
resemblance of a cleft in the peak to a window. Mule and guide to
Entraque, 22 frs.; time, 8 hrs. 1¼ m. up the Vesubie is the stone
which marks the boundary between France and Italy, and 6¼ m.
farther the inn and the chapel of the Madonna di Finestra, 6234 ft.
above the sea. Many rare plants are found here, especially the
remarkable _Saxifraga florulenta_, on the ridges of rock above the
sanctuary. Half an hour beyond, a lake is passed among jagged
peaks, and, in about another ½ hour more, the summit of the pass, 8269
ft., is attained, commanding an extensive view both towards Italy and
France. At Entraque there is an inn, and a coach daily to Cuneo.
Valdieri.
A mule-path from St. Martin extends to the Baths of Valdieri, about 20 m. distant, time
7 to 8 hrs., by the Salèses, which it follows all the way to the Col de
Moulières, 6890 ft. A few miles farther northward it crosses also
the Col di Fremamorta, a depression between two mountains, 8745 ft.
and 8964 ft. respectively above the sea. It then descends by a long
dreary road to the Val di Vallaso, where it turns eastwards to the river
Valletta and the Baths of Valdieri. From the baths a carriage-road
extends 24 m. N.E. to Cuneo, passing by the village of Valdieri on
the Gesso, 2493 ft. above the sea, 10 m. N. from the baths, and
7½ m. S. from the next village, Roccavione, in the picturesque
valley of the Vermanagna. The coach then passes through the Borgo San
Dalmazzo, 5 m. from Cuneo, in a well-cultivated plain at the
junction of the Vermanagna with the Gesso.
A more direct but not such a good path separates from the Fremamorta
road at a small hamlet about 4 m. N. from St. Martin, whence it
ascends northwards by the Col de Cerise, 8500 ft., and then follows the
course of the Valletta to the baths. “The Baths of Valdieri make
excellent headquarters for exploring this part of the Western
182
Alps. In every village an inn of more or less humble pretensions is to
be found; and, though the first impressions may be very unfavourable,
the writer [Ed.] has usually obtained food and a bed such as a
mountaineer need not despise. Apart also from the advantage of being
accessible at seasons when travellers are shut out by climate from most
other Alpine districts, this offers special attractions to the
naturalist. Within a narrow range may be found a considerable number of
very rare plants, several of which are not known to exist elsewhere. The
geology is also interesting, and would probably repay further
examination. A crystalline axis is flanked on both sides by
highly-inclined and much-altered sedimentary rocks, which probably
include the entire series from the carboniferous to the cretaceous
rocks, in some parts overlaid by nummulitic deposits.” —_The
Western Alps_, by John Ball.
Puget-Theniers. Saint Sauveur.
_Nice to
Puget-Theniers_, 42 m. N.W. by the Vallon du Var, which does not
become picturesque till Chaudan, 22 m. N. from Nice, at the
junction of the Tinée with the Var, where the horses are changed and
where the coach from St. Sauveur (18¼ m. N. from Chaudan) meets the
Puget coach. Puget-Theniers (Castrum de Pogeto de Thenariis, pop. 1450,
1476 ft. above the sea, _Inn:_ *Croix de Malte) is a dirty village
on the confluence of the Roudoule with the Var at the foot of bare
precipitous mountains. Coach daily from the inn to Guillaumes, pop.
1300, on the Var, 22 m. N., _Inn:_ Ginié. The roads beyond are
traversed by mules. Coach also to Entrevaux, 3¾ m. W. from
Puget.
The banks of the Tinée are more picturesque than those of the Var. On
the Tinée, 40½ m. N. from Nice, is Saint Sauveur, pop. 800, _Inn:_ Vial, with
Romanesque church containing a statue of St. Paul, dating from 1309. Hot
and cold sulphurous springs issue from a granite rock called the Guez.
From St. Sauveur a good road extends northwards by the Tinée to St. Etienne, where there is an
inn. From St. Etienne, pop. 150, a good mule-path leads by the Col
Valonet to Vinadio (see map, p. 165).
Nice to Turin by the Col di Tenda.
Nice to the village of Tenda, by coach, 51 m., 11 hours,
9 frs.; Tenda to Cuneo, 29 m., 7 hours, 7 frs.; Cuneo to
Turin, by rail, 3 hours (see maps, pp. 165 and
107). This is rather a
fatiguing journey. The most beautiful views are seen during the descent
from Tenda to the Mediterranean. Nice.—Start from the Place
St. François. The road ascends the E. bank of the Paillon by the
villages of Trinité-Victor, pop. 1300, and Drap,
pop. 800, with a sulphurous spring called Eau de Lagarde. Beyond this it
leaves the Paillon and crosses over to Escarène on the Braus,
12½ m. N.E. from Nice, pop. 1500. About 1½ m. farther is
Touet, pop. 400, whence commences the tedious ascent of the Col
di Braus, 3300 ft, between the Tête Lavine on the S. and Mt. Ventabren
on the N. The road now descends to Sospel, 1125 ft., pop. 3500, on the Bevera, an
affluent of the Roja, 25½ m. N.E. from Nice. H. Carenio; coach
daily to and from Menton, 14 m. S. The
183
road now ascends the Col di Brouis, 2871 ft., whence passengers in this
direction have their last view of the Mediterranean.
Giandola.
Saorgio.
The descent is now made through bleak and barren mountains to Giandola, 39¼ m. N.E. from Nice,
1247 ft., at the base of lofty frowning rocks. _Inns:_ Étrangers,
Poste. Coach daily between this and Ventimiglia. To the E., on the Roja,
are Breglio, pop. 2580, and the ruins of the castle of Trivella. The
road now ascends a narrow defile of the Roja, which, suddenly widening, discloses Saorgio, pop. 1600, 400 ft. above
the torrent, composed of parallel rows of dingy houses among almond and
olive trees. On the top of the hill is the castle of Malemort, destroyed
by the French in 1792. From this the valley contracts so much that the
road has repeatedly to cross and re-cross the river on its way to
Fontana on the Italian frontier, 43 m. from Nice, pop. 1230.
Luggage and passports are examined here. Almost the only habitat of the
curious plant _Ballota spinosa_ is between Fontana and Breglio. The
road from this to St. Dalmazzo, 5 m. N., passes through one of the
most formidable defiles in the Alps, the Gorge de Berghe, between steep
massive walls of igneous rock. “The bold forms of the cliffs, and the
luxuriant vegetation which crowns every height and fills every hollow,
make the scenery of this road worthy to compare with almost any other
more famous Alpine pass.” —_Ball_. At St. Dalmazzo is a
hydropathic establishment, pension 8 frs. Coach daily between
Ventimiglia and Tenda.
Limone. Cuneo.
51 m. N.E. from Nice, 2 m. S. from the tunnel, and 12 m. S. from
Limone, is the village of Tenda, pop. 1800; _Inn:_ H. National; 2680
ft. above the sea, and 1516 ft. below the tunnel; situated on the Roja
at the base of a rock, on which are the picturesque ruins of the castle
of Beatrice di Tenda, executed on the 13th Sept. 1418 by her jealous and
tyrannical husband, Duke Fil. Maria Visconti. Many rare plants are to be
found on the rocks over the village. The village church (1476-1518) is a
good specimen of Lombardian architecture. The tunnel, opened in
1882—4196 ft. above the sea at the Tenda end, and 4331 ft. at the
Limone end—is 9844 ft. long and 23 ft. high. The Tenda end of the
tunnel is at the hamlet called La Punta, and the Cuneo end at the hamlet
La Panice. From La Panice the road descends rapidly by the Vermanagna to
Limone, 3668 ft., 63 m.
N.E. from Nice and 17 m. S. from Cuneo; _Inn:_ H. de la
Poste; pleasantly situated in the valley of the Vermanagna, from which
an occasional glimpse may be had of Monte Viso, 12,670 ft. The road,
after passing Robillante, Roccavione, and Borgo-San-Dalmazzo,
pop. 4600, arrives at Cuneo,
80 m. N.E. from Nice, 1500 ft. above the sea, pop. 1200;
_Inns:_ Barra di Ferro, Albergo di Superga; situated at the
confluence of the Stura with the Gesso. 55 m. N. by rail is
Turin.
Mondovi. Acqui.
The easiest way to go to Turin from Nice is to take the
rail to Savona, whence rail to Turin, 91 m. N.W. by Carru, Bra, and
Cavallermaggioré. On this rail, 4 m. W. from Savona, is the
Santuario di Savona, a pilgrimage church with large hospice for
poor devotees (p. 210). From Carru
station, 50 m. N., a branch line extends 8 m. S.
184
to Mondovi, pop. 17,000,
on the Ellero. _Inns:_ Croce di Malta; Tré Limoni d’Oro. From
Mondovi is visited the Cave of Bossea, about 15 m. S., in the valley of
the Corsaglia. Each seat in the conveyance, 8 frs.; cave, 2½ frs.
each, shown from June to October. 12 m. S.W. from Mondovi, and
about the same S.E. by coach from Cuneo, is the Certosa di Val
Pésio, formerly a monastery, founded in 1173, now a hydropathic
establishment, open from 1st June to 30th September. Pension, 8 to 10
frs. It is well managed, and well situated for botanists, fishers, and
sketchers.
At the station S. Giuseppe di Cairo, 13 m. W. from Savona, is the
junction with line to Alessandria, 52 m. N., by Acqui, 31 m.
N., traversing a picturesque country, between S. Giuseppe and
Acqui, where it passes down the beautiful valley of the Bormida.
Acqui, pop. 8000, on the
Bormida, and 21 m. S. by rail from Alessandria. _Hotels:_
Italia; Moro. The town is partly on and partly round the Castello. On
the other side of the river is the bathing establishment, a large
building with abundant accommodation. The pension price per day is from
9 to 12 frs., including the use of the water, which, besides being
drank, is employed both in water and in mud baths. The waters are
sulphurous and alkaline, temp. 120°, and were known to the Romans under
the name of the Aquæ Statielæ, yet of their times nothing exists but the
ruins of an aqueduct. The mud-baths of Acqui are remedies of
considerable power. The patient remains immersed for about half an hour
in the humus or mineralised mud of a temperature as hot as he can bear.
Immediately after he receives a warm mineral water bath. “The
therapeutic influence of this application is most evident in chronic
articular enlargements, rheumatic arthritis, some indolent tumours,
intractable cases of secondary syphilis, and rheumatism.” —Dr.
Madden’s _Health Resorts_.
Villefranche.
MARSEILLES
MENTON
142½
12½
VILLEFRANCHE,
pop. 3500. Approached by omnibuses from the Pont Vieux at Nice, also by
rail. Station at the head of the bay. _Hotel:_ Marine. Pleasant
boating excursions may be taken here to the peninsulas of St. John and
the Hospice. The climate of Villefranche resembles that of Cimiès and
Carabacel. 2 m. E. from Nice, at the head of a deep narrow bay,
2 m. long, are the arsenal, fortress, and port of
Villefranche, founded in the 13th cent. by Charles II., King
of Naples.
The bay is a favourite place of anchorage of the French squadron, as
well as of other ships of war and yachts. Boat from the mole to the
little pier on the peninsula of St. Jean, 1 fr. each person. From
Villefranche commences the splendid Road to Monaco, 8 m.
long and 18 ft. wide, exclusive of the space for foot-passengers. This
most enjoyable carriage-drive skirts with the railway the base of the
precipitous cliffs which rise from the sea. 1 m. from Villefranche
by rail, or 1¾ by road, is
opp. 185
THE CORNICHE ROAD
NICE to MENTON
see caption
Beaulieu.
MARSEILLES
MENTON
143½
11½
BEAULIEU, famed for its
large olive trees. A little above
185
the station is one of the oldest trees, and near it the H. des
Anglais among “countless terraces, where olives rise unchilled by
autumn’s blast or wintry skies.” Down towards the village is another old
olive tree, not far from a restaurant. Near the Church on the Monaco
road is the Restaurant Beau-Rivage, where a Bouillabaisse lunch can be
had. In the creek below are small boats for hire. Beaulieu is really a
beautiful place. It is situated in one of the most sheltered nooks of
the Riviera, at the foot of gigantic cliffs with patches of strata of
reddish sandstone. The edges of this grand precipice are fringed with
trees, which in the bright atmosphere look almost as if they were
transparent; while below, groves of stately olive trees cover the base
and struggle as far up as they can by the fissures in the rocks. Behind
the olives, and intermixed with them, are orchards of orange and lemon
trees, bending under the weight of their beautiful fruit. Trees and tall
shrubs hang over the edges of the abrupt banks, which enclose the tiny
creeks and bays bordered with diminutive sandy beaches, or with long
ledges of marble rocks, dipping gradually down into the deep-blue water,
carpeted in some places with the thin flat siliceous leaves of the
Posidonia Caulini, a Naiad not an alga, which covers the shore of
the Mediterranean, and of which great accumulations are seen thrown up
at various parts. It makes a poor manure, but prevents in some degree
evaporation.
Port of St. Jean.
A charming road, at some parts rather narrow for a carriage, leads
from Beaulieu round by the edge of the bay and east side of the
peninsula to the Port of
St. Jean. The real carriage-road commences at the railway
bridge, goes round by the west side of the peninsula, and descends to
St. Jean, a little before reaching the chapel of St. Francis. The
continuation past the chapel, of the road, extends to the lighthouse,
passing the signal-tower to the right.
The port of St. Jean, _Inn:_ H. Victoria, is used
principally by the tunny fishing-boats from February to April. It makes
a very pleasant residence for artists and naturalists. It is situated
among creeks and bays, gardens, orchards, villas, and woods, in the most
fertile part of the peninsula. Beyond, on the highest point of the
peninsula of St. Hospice, is a round tower, the remains of the
fortifications razed by the Duke of Berwick in 1706. The more ancient
crumbling masonry around belonged to a stronghold of the Saracens,
whence they were driven in the 10th cent. “A fir-clad mound amid
the savage wild bears on its brow a village, walled and isled in lone
seclusion round its ancient tower. It was a post of Saracens, whose
186
fate made them the masters for long years of lands remote and scattered
o’er a hundred strands.” —_Guido and Lita_, by the Marquis of
Lorne. Below, towards the point, are a cemetery, a church, 11th
cent., visited by Victor Emmanuel in 1821, and a battery.
Lighthouse.
At the south extremity of the peninsula of St. Jean is the lighthouse
(second-class), built in the 17th cent., but repaired, and the top story
added, in 1836. It is 98 ft. high, or 196 ft. above the sea, and is
ascended by 120 steps. The light is white and revolving, and is seen at
a distance of 20 m. The Antibes light is fixed, and is of the
first-class. By the east side of the lighthouse is the grave of Charles
Best, who died at Tenda, on the 30th day of July 1817, aged 38. The tomb
is hewn in the rock and arched over. His friends have laid him in a
grand place to await the call of the resurrection trumpet. Large
euphorbias and myrtles cover this stony part of the peninsula.
Petite Afrique. Eze.
EZE.
The most picturesque part of the Monaco road is between Beaulieu and
Eze, the next station, 2 m. distant by road, but only 1½ by rail.
The steep flanks of the mountains between Beaulieu and Cape Roux are so
exposed to the sun, and so protected from the cold, that this region has
been called the Petite Afrique. Cape Roux itself, the abrupt
termination of a lofty ridge, looks as if it would topple over into the
sea, to which it is so close that both the rail and the road have to
pass through it by tunnels. On the eastern side of this cape is the
equally picturesque and sheltered bay, the Mer d’Eze, backed by a
phalanx of lofty stalwart cliffs and mountains. On the peak (1300 ft.
high) of one of this confused assemblage of lofty calcareous rocks is
the nearly deserted village of Eze, pop. 770, with the ruins of
its castle founded by the Saracens in 814, and its small church,
recently restored, built on the foundations of a temple of Isis, whence
the name Eza or Eze is said to be derived. From the floor of rock of the
castle, under the remains of a vaulted roof, a charming marine
landscape displays itself, while inland is seen the Pass or highest part
(1750 ft.) of the Corniche road, which here crosses the ridge terminated
by Mt. Roux. At the Pass are an inn and a few houses. The road up to Eze
commences near the station. In some parts it is steep, and much exposed
to the sun, and throughout very picturesque and stony, passing through
plantations of firs, olives, and carouba or locust trees. The ascent
requires, doing it leisurely, 75 minutes. From Eze a road ascends to the
Corniche road, and another descends to St. Laurent, on the road to
Monaco. A little beyond Eze is the station for La Turbie.
187
Monaco.
100 min. from Cannes, 35 from Nice, and 44 from Menton, is
MARSEILLES
MENTON
149
6
MONACO station, situated in
La Condamine. At the station (6) an omnibus awaits passengers for Monaco
on the top of the S.W. promontory, 195 ft. above the sea. For Monte
Carlo, on the top of the N.E. promontory, alight at the next station,
1¼ m. N.E.
Monaco proper, pop. 1200. Hôtel de la Paix, 7½ frs., splendid
view from the square. Pharmacies under the direction of MM. Cruzel and
Muratore. Till the arrival of F. Blanc in 1860, Monaco was a poor
place, where the Prince and his subjects had to maintain themselves from
the produce of a few small vineyards and orchards scattered over patches
of scanty soil on the slopes of the mountains. But now that the
gambling-tables have brought a flood of gold into the principality,
wealth has taken the place of poverty, the palace has been furnished
anew, the humble Grimaldi church, 13th cent., thrown down, and in its
stead a majestic cathedral erected, the barns have been filled with
plenty, costly roads have been cut through the cliffs, the formerly arid
hills clothed with exuberant verdure, and beautiful villas have been
built in the midst of enchanting gardens, in places where, only a few
years ago, hardly enough of short wiry grass could grow to feed a goat.
The gambling establishment of Monaco was opened in 1856 by a company
with the sanction of Prince Charles III. The first house was in the
Place du Château; whence, after sundry changes, the company commenced to
build a house in 1858 on Monte Carlo. Becoming short of funds, they sold
their rights and property in 1860 to François Blanc.
The Grimaldi family have been in possession of this small territory
since 968, when the Emperor Otto I. gave it to Grimaldi I.,
Lord of Antibes and father of Giballin Grimaldi, who drove the Saracens
from the Grand-Fraxinet of St. Tropez
(p. 145). The greatest length of the principality, from the
cemetery wall at the western extremity to the brook St. Roman at the
eastern, is (including curves) 3½ m., and the greatest breadth,
from Point St. Martin northwards, 1 m. Population 10,000,
distributed among four different centres—the city, or Monaco
proper; the port, or La Condamine; Monte Carlo; and Les Moulins. They
are all united excepting the city, which, like an eagle’s nest, occupies
its own isolated rock, and is the one clean old town on the whole coast
of the Mediterranean, and, although about 200 ft. above the sea, is most
easily accessible by well-planned and gently-sloping roads.
Monaco: The Palace.
At the landward or north end of the promontory is the palace, of which
the rooms in the upper floor on the west side are shown to the public on
188
certain days. The earliest parts, including the crenellated towers, date
from the commencement of the 13th cent., but the rest is much more
modern and of different dates. It is in the form of an oblong rectangle,
the south small side being occupied by the entrance and the north by the
chapel, sumptuously decorated with marble, gilding, and mosaics. Within
the entrance is the Cour d’Honneur, decorated on the east side with
friezes and designs in fresco by Caravaggio, retouched in 1865,
representing the triumphal procession of Bacchus. On the opposite side a
horse-shoe marble staircase, of 30 steps in each branch, leads up to an
arcaded corridor. Under the 12 inner arches are frescoes by Carloni,
representing the feats of Hercules. The rooms shown are to the left and
right of the entrance passage, at the north end of the corridor. To left
the first room is the usher’s room. The second is in blue satin;
hangings and furniture in style Louis XV.; some family portraits on the
walls. 3. Reception-room in red; handsome chimney-piece of one stone.
Bust and full-length portrait of Charles III., Prince of Monaco.
Ceiling painted in fresco by Horace Ferrari. 4. Room with brown hangings
and green furniture. On the walls are some indifferently executed
pictures representing the exploits of the Grimaldis. 5. Bedroom with red
furniture; style Louis XIII.
Rooms on right hand of passage. 1. Sitting-room of the Duke of York,
brother of George III.; red furniture and hangings; family
portraits, some very good, and frescoes by Annibale Carracci. 2. The
bedroom in which he died, 1760; the walls hung with rich embroidered
scarlet satin; ceiling painted in fresco by Ann. Carracci. Table in
mosaic. Elegant bedstead, shut off by a richly-gilt banister or low
screen. 3. Sitting-room in pale yellow; style Louis XV. 4. Bedroom.
Furniture and walls covered with white satin richly embroidered.
The door in the N.W. corner of the court gives access to a very
pretty garden, 130 ft. above the sea, full of palms, orange trees, and
flowers. Below, near the beach, is the kitchen garden.
At the southern part of the town is the cathedral, built with money
bequeathed by Blanc. It is placed from north to south, is 75 yards long,
and at the transepts 32 yards. In front, handsome terrace and good view.
Northward, in the Rue de Lorraine, is the Church des Penitents Noirs,
and a little way farther down the same street are the Église de la
Visitation, founded in 1663, its schools, and the Hôtel Dieu. Down on
the face of the southern cliffs is the domain of the washerwomen. They
spread their clothes to dry on the hot rocks, or
189
over the prickly pear plants, here very abundant. At this end is also
the Jardin St. Martin, a very pretty promenade, with charming
views. 500 yards west from the foot of the Monaco rock, on the splendid
road to Villefranche, is the cemetery, whose wall forms the western
limit of the principality. Among the many tombs there is a beautiful
marble monument to Pierre and Modestine Neri, brother and sister.
La Condamine. St. Devota.
On the little plain between the promontories of Monaco and Monte
Carlo is La
Condamine, whose handsome houses extend, where practicable,
a considerable way up the surrounding mountains. In the picturesque
gully, entered from beneath the railway viaduct, is the parish church,
on the spot where the body of Santa Devota, a Roman martyr, the patroness
of Monaco, was washed ashore. In 1070 Hugues, Prince of Monaco, caused
the nose and ears of Captain Antinopes to be cut off for having stolen
the relics of St. Devota. La Condamine contains the harbour and the
principal railway station, as well as the less expensive hotels, such as
the G. H. des Bains between the sea and the gas-works, and the
Bristol on the terrace. Within the town, the Condamine; Étrangers;
Angleterre; Beau-Séjour; Beau Site; France; Marseille; in all, board and
lodging from 8 to 10 frs. At the station the H. Nice and Des
Voyageurs. On the road up to Monte Carlo are the first-class hotels:
Princes; *Beau Rivage; *Monte Carlo, occupying the house the late Madame
Blanc built for herself. On Monte Carlo are the first-class houses: the
Paris; the *Grand Hotel; *Des Anglais; Russie; Londres; Colonies; still
higher up, the *Victoria in the principality, but on the confines of
France; in all, 15 to 20 frs. per day. Behind the Londres a narrow lane
leads up to the Corniche road by the village of Le Carniet. Those hotels
marked in this instance with an asterisk do not receive promiscuous
company. Abundance of excellent restaurants, cafés, and furnished rooms.
English chapel in France, above the Hôtel Victoria. Mean winter
temperature, 49°.3. _Cabs._—The course, within the
principality, 1½ fr.; the hour, 3 frs. To Menton and back, 15 frs.
The omnibus that runs between Monte Carlo and Nice by the new road
starts from the Casino (see page 178).
Monte Carlo. Gambling-Rooms.
Monte Carlo is not an isolated rock like Monaco, but the abrupt
termination of a ridge sloping upwards from Point Focinana to the
Corniche road and the Château Mountains, both a considerable way beyond
the territory of Monaco. On the face of Monte Carlo, or rather of
Focinana Point, is the Casino, a large and showy building, erected
in 1862 by F. Blanc (d. 1877), a native of Avignon, and
formerly the
190
proprietor of the Cursaal of Homburg. To the right of the entrance into
the Casino are the cloak-rooms, the ladies’ (dames) and gentlemen’s
(hommes) lavatories, and the reading-room. Fronting the entrance is the
concert-room—a superb rectangular hall profusely decorated with
gilt ornaments intermingled with paintings in fresco representing the
Muses and mythological subjects. It is furnished with 600 cushioned
arm-chairs covered with scarlet velvet. The stage, or the part occupied
by the orchestra, is less ornamented, and the colours are more subdued.
Directly opposite is a sumptuous gallery for the use of the prince and
his suite, entered from the large door at the west side of the Casino.
The orchestra consists of nearly 80 first-class musicians, of whom about
three-fourths play on stringed instruments. To the left of the entrance
are the gambling-rooms and the office where visitors
give their names and addresses before entering. In the first three rooms
are the tables for roulette, which is played with one zero, and at which
the smallest sum admitted is 5 frs., and the largest 6000 frs. or
£240. The fourth room, ornamented with panel paintings by Clairin and
Boulanger, representing young lady riders, croquet-players, fencers,
fishers, archers, mountaineers, shooters, and sailors, is devoted to
trente-et-quarante, at which the smallest sum admitted is 20 frs., and
the largest 12,000 frs. or £480. Only French coin and notes taken at the
tables.
Les Moulins.
Charming gardens and lawns with exquisite turf surround the Casino,
and under it, at the foot of the cliff, is a large pigeon-shooting
gallery. Entrance, 5 frs. Well-constructed carriage-drives and
footpaths ramify in all directions, up the hill to the Corniche road,
and along the coast either to Menton or to Nice by the magnificent
coast-road to Villefranche (see
p. 184). The whole hill itself, or rather slope, is studded, even
beyond the boundaries of Monaco, with beautiful villas, partially hidden
among orange, lemon, and olive trees. On the eastern side of Monte Carlo
is Les Moulins,
now quite a town, with shops, hotels, restaurants, and furnished
lodgings. Up on the main road is the Hôtel de la Terrasse, 20 frs.,
dear. Down below on the coast-road, fronting the sea, is a small house,
the Hôtel du Parc.
At the Casino it is not necessary to gamble, while those inclined to
that horrid vice will find more dangerous traps laid to catch them in
the clubs of the principal towns on the Riviera. In Monte Carlo no one
can gamble on credit.
Lemons.
About a quarter of an hour eastward from Moulins by the main road is the
valley of
191
St. Roman, with some very large olive and locust trees. In the
principality are also large groves of lemon trees. They flower and bear
fruit throughout the whole year. The lemons, which ripen in spring, are
called graneti, and those which ripen in summer verdami. They are the
juiciest, and as they keep longest, are the most suitable for
exportation. The best paper for wrapping them in is that made from old
tarry ropes. The manure preferred for the lemon and olive trees is
composed of the waste of horns, woollen rags, and refuse.
_Excursions._—1640 feet above Monaco is La Turbie,
ascended by a road containing 860 terraced steps, of which the best are
14 feet long by 9 feet wide, but a great many are smaller, and the
most are in bad condition. The ascent, walking leisurely, requires one
hour. It commences from the Rue de Turbie, the second street left from
the railway station. At Turbie, pop. 2400, there are three
restaurants—the France, Paris, and Ancre; the first is the most
frequented. Bedrooms, 2 frs. Delicious lemonade, most grateful
after a hot climb. When up at La Turbie ascend by the tower of Augustus
to the little knoll close by and take a seat under the rock at the top,
whence “From ancient battlements the eye surveys a hundred lofty peaks
and curving bays.” But the one great view, which excels all the others,
is from the
Tête de Chien.
Tête de Chien.
The road to it ramifies from the Corniche road at the west end of
La Turbie. Carriages drive all the way. As there is a Fort on the
top, permission must be procured from the captain to approach the brow
of the mighty projecting precipice, which by its position commands a
splendid uninterrupted view east and west, but spoils that from the
other places. From the Tête de Chien eastward are seen every mountain,
town, village, cape, creek, and bay the length of San Remo. On the
western side the view is much more extensive, reaching to St. Tropez and
the Maure mountains. The east side embraces Monaco, Monte Carlo, Les
Moulins, Mt. de la Justice, Mt. Gros, Roquebrune, Cape St. Martin,
Menton, Ventimiglia, Braja and Bordighera on the Cape San Ampeglio,
which conceals San Remo, but not the entrance into the bay. The western
side embraces Eze, Cape Roux, Beaulieu, the whole of the peninsula of
St. Jean, a piece of Villefranche, the greater part of Nice,
Antibes, the lighthouse and peninsula, the Lerins islands, the Esterel
mountains, and the Maures above Saint Tropez, which close the view.
A good opera-glass should be taken. A stony road leads down
the west side of the Tête, through a plantation of firs, to the Monaco
road, which it joins near the battery (see map,
p. 185).
192
La Turbie.
La Turbie, the
ancient Trophræa Augusti station, on the Via Julia, is a poor village,
composed of narrow streets, old houses, and gateways close to the
massive Roman fort, which, after having stood nearly intact for 1700
years, was reduced to its present dilapidated condition by a prince of
Monaco in the reign of Louis XIV. The village is supplied with excellent
water from a spring to the N.W. of Mt. Agel. To the west of Turbie, at
the Colonna del Ré, a road descends northwards to the sanctuary of
Notre Dame de Laguet, at the foot of Mt. Sembole, 13 m. from Nice,
but scarcely 2 from La Turbie.
The conical hill, rising over La Turbie, is Mt. la Bataille, and the
long ridge farther east, leading up to Mt. Agel, 3771 ft., are the
Château mountains. The view from none of these mountains equals that
from the Tête de Chien; moreover, the ascent is uninteresting, by stony
paths. Ascend by the first road east from Turbie, and when at the Turbie
reservoir turn to the left for the Montagne de la Bataille; but for the
Chateau mountains take the path to the right. This path leads round into
a narrow ascending valley, at the top of which is the summit of the
Château mountains, and the commencement of the peak of Mt. Agel, one
half-hour higher. The mountain immediately over Monte Carlo and Les
Moulins is La Justice, 911 ft., used as a quarry. On the top is a pillar
of rough stones, rudely plastered together. By the side of it are the
remains of a similar column. At the chapel of St Roch a road leads up to
the Corniche road (see map, page 185).
MARSEILLES
MENTON
150¼
4¾
MONTE
CARLO station. Alight here for the Casino, for the hotels on
Monte Carlo, and for Les Moulins and its hotels.
Roquebrune.
MARSEILLES
MENTON
152½
2½
ROQUEBRUNE station,
where the Corniche road from La Turbie joins the low road from
Menton.
Roquebrune, pop. 1080, is 150 ft. above the station and the
sea, among great masses of brown conglomerate rocks. From the main road
a series of paved steps leads up to the village through a plantation of
lemon trees. The streets are steep and narrow, but the houses are better
and more comfortable than those of the villages similarly situated in
the neighbourhood of Menton, Bordighera, and San Remo. Near the terrace
is a small restaurant. On the summit of the hill are the ruins of the
great castle built by the Lascaris of Ventimiglia, who, in 1363, ceded
it to Charles Grimaldi. On a lintel on the eastern square tower is the
almost defaced sculpture representing a bishop’s mitre, with the
armorial bearings of the Grimaldis, and the date August 17, 1528. This
bishop is supposed to have been Augustine
193
Grimaldi, councillor to Francis I. of France, who repaired this castle
in 1528. A broken staircase leads up to the top. “No warrior’s
tread is echoed by their halls, no warder’s challenge on the silence
falls. Around, the thrifty peasants ply their toil, and pluck in orange
groves the scented spoil from trees that have for purple mountains made
a vestment bright, of green and gold inlaid.” —_Guido and
Lita_, by the Marquis of Lorne.
Menton. Hotels.
699 m. S.E. from Paris, 155 m. N.E. from Marseilles, 34½ m. N.E.
from Cannes, and 15½ m. N.E. from Nice, is
MENTON,
population 11,100, 16 miles S.W. from San Remo. _Hotels and
Pensions._—Commencing with those at the west end of the
Promenade du Midi, near the Gorbio, and going eastward through the town
to the Garavan. Those hotels with ² prefixed have a front to the sea and
esplanade, and another to the Avenue Victor Emmanuel II. The
asterisk signifies recommended. W signifies bottle of wine, and the
price given that of the cheapest quality. P signifies pension or
boarding-house. At the west end of the esplanade the ²H. du Pavilion;
the H. St. George, 9-12 frs., W 1½ fr., by the side of the Borrigo;
²*P. Condamine; *H. et P. Londres. These 4 houses charge from
9 to 12 frs., W from 1½ to 2 frs. Near the Carrei and the
Episcopal Church of St. John are the *H. Splendide, 9-12 frs., W 1½
fr.; the Parc, 8-10 frs., W 1½ fr.; and the ²*Russie, 9-12 frs., W 1½
fr. Now cross the Carrei, on which is a very sheltered promenade up the
eastern bank. By the side of the Place (where the band plays), built
over the mouth of the torrent, is the ²*H. de Paris, 10-14 frs., W
1½ fr. Same side, ²H. et P. d’Angleterre, 9-12 frs. Opposite, the
H. Camous, 9-12 frs.; and the Banque Bottini. Situated in the
busiest part of Menton are the *P. and H. Méditerranée, 9-12 frs.,
W 1½ fr. Next it the house agencies of Amaranté et Cie and
Tonin-Amaranté; and a little farther, the Menton Bank of Biovès et Cie.
Opposite, the ²H. Westminster, ²H. Victoria, and ²*H. de Menton,
all large good houses, charging 9-15 frs. The H. Menton is
patronised by Messrs. Cook. Nearer the harbour, but with a front only to
the sea, is the Midi, same price. We now enter the eastern or most
sheltered quarter, called the Garavan. The hotels are large and
first-class, and charge from 10 to 20 frs., and wine from 1½ to 2½ frs.
The most westerly is the H. Italie, and, about 100 feet up the bank
behind, the principal house of the hotel. A little farther east, on
the same eminence, is the *Belle-Vue. Near the Belle-Vue, and on
194
the same level, is the Villa Helvetia, a benevolent home for ladies not
younger than 18 nor older than 40, who are received for 20s.
a week, which includes everything “except laundress and fire in
bedroom.” For conditions of admission apply to Ransom, Bouverie, and
Co., bankers, London; Mrs. Seton Karr, 30 Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park; or
Miss Mackenzie, 16 Moray Place, Edinburgh. Below, on the terrace along
the beach, is Christ Church, and adjoining is the Paix,
a well-furnished house. Then follow the *H. des Anglais, the
H. et P. Santa Maria, *Beau Rivage, Grand Hotel, Beau Site,
Britannia. Queen Victoria spent the spring of 1882 in the Châlet des
Rosiers, about 200 yards from the H. des Anglais.
Inland, on the east side of the Carrei, in a warm nook, under the
shelter of a high hill, is a cluster of large and small hotels, just
behind the busiest part of the town. Of these the most prominent are the
first-class houses of the *H. des Iles Britanniques (expensive),
*H. National, *Orient, *Louvre, and Princes. Rather lower down are
the Ambassadeurs, Turin, Venise, Malte, Alpes, 9-15 frs., W 1-2 frs.;
the last five being less costly. Up the west side of the Carrei is the
P. des Orangers, pleasantly situated. On the road down from the station,
on the right or west bank of the Carrei, is the H. de l’Europe,
9-14 frs., W 2 frs. Almost adjoining is a second-class house, the
H. and P. des Deux-Mondes, 6-7 frs. The above prices include
service, coffee in the morning, and meat breakfast and dinner, but never
wine, excepting the G. H. de Menton, whose price includes wine but
not coffee.
Menton has certainly some very sheltered nooks, but this only renders
the more exposed parts the more dangerous. The distinguishing feature of
the neighbourhood is the abundance of lemon trees in the small valleys
watered by mountain streams. The annual yield of the trees amounts to 30
million lemons, of which the minimum price is from 12 to 15 frs. the
thousand.
Menton: Bankers. Churches. Conveyances.
_Bankers._—Bank of France, Maison Palmaro.
In the Av. Victor Emmanuel are: Biovès et Cie, Credit Lyonnais,
A. Bottini, and Credit de Nice. In 17 R. St. Michel, the Palmaro
Bank and the English Consulate. _House Agents._—G. Amaranté
and T. Amaranté, 12 and 19 Av. V. Emmanuel; Willoughby, R. St.
Michel. English doctors, chemists, and grocers.
_Protestant
Churches._—Christ Church, adjoining the H. de la Paix;
St. John’s, near the Pont Carrei; Presbyterian, above H. Italie;
Vaudois, R. du Castellar; German Church, R. Partouneaux.
_Cabs._—One-horse cab—the course,
1 fr. 25 c.; the hour, 2¾ frs. Two-horse cab—the course,
1 fr. 75 c.; the hour, 3 frs. 75 c. A one-horse cab for
the whole day costs 20 frs.; a two-horse cab, 25 frs. Donkey for
the whole day, 5 frs.; gratuity, 1 fr. Boats, 2 frs. the
hour.
195
Menton is situated round a large bay, bounded on the west by Cape St.
Martin, and on the east by Mortola Point. This bay is divided into two
smaller bays by the hill, 130 ft. high, on which the old town is built.
The platform of the parish church, St. Michel, is reached by 95 steps in
8 divisions. All the streets about it are narrow, dirty, steep, and even
slippery. The new town stretches out a great way along the beach. The
public promenade (about 40 ft. wide) bends round the west bay from the
town to Cape St. Martin. A kind of gloom pervades Menton. The strip
of ground on which it stands is narrow, and so are the streets.
Immediately behind rise great mountains with dark gray limestone cliffs,
intermingled with deep green olive trees and stiff straggling pines. The
valleys are narrow and sombre. The roads up the mountains are steep,
badly paved, and are generally traversed on unwilling donkeys.
The pleasantest walks and drives are those along the coast, extending
from Cape St. Martin to the Italian frontier, to which there are two
roads, an upper and a lower. The former, the main road, crosses the
bridge of St. Louis, while the latter skirts the beach to the famous
bone-caverns. The _débris_ found in these caves, like the
shell-banks in the north of Scotland, consisted of the waste
accumulation from the food of the early inhabitants, together with the
stone implements they had employed. Four of the caves are above the
railway, a little beyond the viaduct under the Italian
custom-house, and two are just below the line close to the beach.
Cape St. Martin. Gorbio. St. Agnès.
Cape St.
Martin, 2 m. W. Tram from Garavan to St. Martin, 50 c. The tram
stops at the N.E. corner of the cape. On the road northward from the
cape leading to Roquebrune is, right hand, a Roman sepulchre,
consisting of a centre arch with a smaller arch on each side, all that
remains of the Roman settlement Lumone, mentioned by Antoninus. From
this a straight road leads directly S. through a grove of large olive
trees to the signal-tower in the centre of the peninsula. Beside it are
the ruins of a nunnery, which was connected with the monastery of
St. Honorat (p. 158). Afterwards the road
leading westward joins the carriage-way, which sweeps round the
peninsula. A stony path on the W. side, parallel to the road,
extends along the coast by the rocks and cliffs (see map, p. 185).
Gorbio, 2½ hrs. or 5 m.
N. up the valley of the Gorbio, and 1427 ft. above the sea. Take the
road E. from the Pont de l’Union, passing by the entrance into the Villa
(Palais) Carnolès, and, traversing groves of lemon and olive trees. When
about 1 hr. from the village the road
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becomes steep, and pines take the place of lemon trees. Gorbio, pop.
500, occupies the summit of a hill rising from a valley formed by the
stream Gorbio and by one of its affluents. The streets are narrow,
steep, and roughly paved; the houses poor but substantial; and the
little church, built in 1683, is dedicated “Soli Deo.” At the upper end
of the village is a beautiful tulip tree. The path northward from the
tree leads to Mt. Gorbio, 2707 ft., and to Mt. Baudon, 7144 ft. The
rough stony road leading to the right or eastward from the tree ascends,
in less than 2 hrs., to St. Agnès. It is easily followed, and unfolds
lovely views. St. Agnès,
pop. 580, is situated 2180 ft. above the sea, or 330 ft. below the
mountain peak, crowned with the ruins of the castle built in the 10th
cent. by Haroun, a bold Saracen chief. A narrow path leads up
to the top in 45 minutes, whence there is an extensive prospect.
From the village descend to Menton by the path on the W. side of the
village, which, after innumerable windings, reaches the road by the side
of the Gorbio. On the way down it is difficult, among the network of
execrable paths, to follow the right one, which in descending is not of
much consequence, but in ascending adds immensely to the fatigue. If the
traveller should stray into the Vallon Castagnec or Primevères, the bed
of the stream should be followed as much as possible. One excursion
should be made of Gorbio and St. Agnès, commencing with Gorbio.
Annonciade. Castellar.
Convent and Chapel of the Annonciade, 722 ft. above the sea, on the ridge
between the Carrei and the Borrigo. Walk up the right or west bank of
the Carrei to beyond the railway bridge, the length of the Hôtel
Beau-Séjour, whence the path commences. Opposite, on the other side of
the river, is seen the Hôtel des Iles Britanniques. The object of this
easy excursion is the charming view from the terrace in front of the
convent. The walls of the church are covered with votive offerings.
Castellar, 1280 ft.
above the sea, 4 m. north, pop. 770. The road commences from the
narrow street, R. de la Caserne, a few yards W. from the Place du
Marché. Having passed a church, it enters on the broad highway which
skirts the flanks of the steep mountains, covered with lemon and olive
trees, rising from the left or east side of the stream Menton. With a
few interruptions the road is excellent all the way. Castellar, on the
plateau of St. Sebastian, surrounded by olive trees, is a poor village,
consisting of three narrow dirty parallel streets lined with ugly dingy
houses, and terminating
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at the N. end with the parish church, rebuilt in 1867. Near the church
are the crumbling ruins of a castle of the Lascaris, descendants of the
Byzantine Emperors. From the terrace, where there are some beautiful elm
trees, is a charming view. Here also the village feast-day is held on
the 20th of January. From Castellar 2 to 3 hrs. are required for the
ascent of the Berceau, 3640 ft. above the sea, commanding a magnificent
prospect. Guide advisable.
Bennet’s Garden.
Pont St.
Louis, Bennet’s Garden, Hamlets of Grimaldi and Ciotti.—At the
east end of the Garavan is the boundary between France and Italy,
a narrow ravine with cliffs 215 ft. high, spanned by a bridge of
one arch 72 ft. wide. From this, on the first projecting point, are an
Italian custom-house station and the two entrances into the Bennet
Garden. The lower entrance is just before reaching the top of the point,
the other is by the path ascending from the point to Grimaldi. The upper
entrance is by the side of the square tower converted into a villa. The
garden on terraces is an oasis among cliffs, rocks, and stones, and is
chiefly remarkable for the number of English garden flowers in full
bloom in the middle of winter. The views from the walks are
charming.
The continuation of the path, or rather stair, up the steep rocky
hill leads to Grimaldi, a few straggling cottages among olive and
lemon trees. After Grimaldi the path crosses the top of the ridge, and
having passed up by the E. or left side of the Vallon St. Louis, ascends
the hill, on the top of which is the hamlet of Ciotti (1090 ft.),
consisting of some 20 houses compactly grouped together. N.E. from
Ciotti is Mt. Belinda, 1837 ft.
La Mortola. Hanbury Grounds.
La Mortola, about
2 m. E. from Garavan. The Menton and Ventimiglia omnibus passes through
Mortola by the gate (200 ft. above the sea) of the Hanbury Grounds,
consisting of 99 acres, sloping down to the beach by terraces. Large
olive trees occupy the larger portion, while in the more sheltered nooks
are palms, orange and lemon trees. On a level with the house, the
Palazzo Orengo, 150 ft. below the entrance, is the Pergola,
a charming walk covered with trelliswork supported by massive
pillars, up which climb above 100 different species of creeping plants.
Queen Victoria visited the grounds on the 25th March 1882. An excellent
view of the house and grounds, as well as of Ventimiglia and Bordighera,
is had from the stone seat a little below the Mortola cross, on the
highest part of the road, a little to the W. of Mortola. For time
and conditions of admission into the Hanbury Grounds apply to the
Palmaro Bank, 17 R. St. Michel. The
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generous founder and father of the present owner died a few years ago.
Just beyond is the Piano di Latte, one of the most favoured little
valleys in the Riviera. Mortola is nearly an hour’s drive from
Bordighera.
Les Moulins. Monti. Hermit’s Grotto.
The most important drive towards the interior is to Sospel, 14
m. N., on the road between Nice and Cuneo by the Col di Tenda (see
p. 182). Excellent carriage-road all the way,
ascending by the western or railway station side of the Carrei. In the
lower part of the valley are large plantations of lemon trees. To the
left of the road near the octroi are Les Moulins olive-oil mills, with
four stages of water-wheels. 4 m. farther up the valley of the
Carrei, on a eminence considerably above the stream, are the church and
straggling village of Monti.
The bridle-road that descends here to the Carrei crosses over to
Castellar, well seen on the opposite side. About a mile beyond Monti,
opposite the part of the road where it makes a sudden bend to the left,
is seen a small stone bridge on the other side of the Carrei. This
bridge crosses the stream that forms the cascade called the
Gourg-d’Ora.
About a hundred yards to the west of the bridge, on the face of an
almost vertical rock, and at a considerable height, is a kind of window
or cavity called the Hermit’s Grotto. Over the entrance is an
illegible inscription in red hieroglyphics. By the side is another
inscription giving the name of a hermit who once lived in this
cave:—
CHRISTO LA FECE. BERNARDO L’ABITO.
1528.
(Christ made it. Bernard inhabits it.)
The inside of the grotto is composed of two rooms; the first, 6 yds.
by 4½, is continued by steep staircases up into the mountain for about
27 yds. At this extremity a large cavity leads into a second room, 3
yds. long, with a floor sloping in the opposite direction to the
opening. Into this cave the crusader Robert de Ferques is said to have
retired from grief.
At the time when King Philip Augustus had summoned all his nobility
to take part in the third crusade, a lord, named Robert de Ferques,
hastened to join the banner of the Count of Boulogne, his sovereign.
This Robert de Ferques had been recently married, and his young bride,
Jehanne de Leulinghem, unable to bear the thought of separation,
resolved to follow her lord and share his toils. She succeeded by
concealing her sex under a man’s dress, and set out with joy in the
capacity of esquire. Unhappily, during the journey she fell from her
horse, and was forced to stop at an inn.
Robert de
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