5/25/2016 Nice - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice 1/20 Look up nice in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Nice General view of the city Flag Coat of arms Motto: Nicæa civitas fidelissima Nice From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nice (/ ˈniːs/, French pronunciation: [nis]; Niçard Occitan: Niça [classical norm] or Nissa [nonstandard], Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek: Νίκαια, Latin: Nicaea) is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, and it is the capital of the Alpes Maritimes département. The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of about 1 million [1][2] on an area of 721 km 2 (278 sq mi). [1] Located in the Côte d'Azur area on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region after Marseille. Nice is about 8 miles (13 km) from the principality of Monaco, and its airport is a gateway to the principality as well. The city is called Nice la Belle (Nissa La Bella in Niçard), which means Nice the Beautiful, which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written by Menica Rondelly in 1912. The area of today's Nice contains Terra Amata, an archaeological site which displays evidence of a very early use of fire. Around 350 BC, Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia, after Nike, the goddess of victory. [3] Through the ages, the town has changed hands many times. Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength. For centuries it was a dominion of Savoy, and was then part of France between 1792 and 1815, when it was returned to Piedmont-Sardinia until its reannexation by France in 1860. The natural beauty of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winter there. The city's main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais ("Walkway of the English') owes its name to visitors to the resort. [4] For decades now, the picturesque Nicean surroundings have attracted not only those in search of relaxation, but also those seeking inspiration. The clear air and soft light have particularly appealed to some of Nice Location within Provence-A.-C.d'A. region Coordinates: 43°42′12″N 7°15′59″E
Transcript
5/25/2016 Nice - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice 1/20
Look up nice inWiktionary, the freedictionary.
Nice
General view of the city
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Nicæa civitas fidelissima
NiceFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nice (/ˈniːs/, French pronunciation: [nis]; Niçard Occitan: Niça [classicalnorm] or Nissa [nonstandard], Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima,Greek: Νίκαια, Latin: Nicaea) is the fifth most populous city inFrance, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, andit is the capital of the Alpes Maritimes département.The urban area of Nice extends beyond theadministrative city limits, with a population of about 1million[1][2] on an area of 721 km2 (278 sq mi).[1]
Located in the Côte d'Azur area on the south east coastof France on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice is thesecond-largest French city on the Mediterranean coastand the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côted'Azur region after Marseille. Nice is about 8 miles(13 km) from the principality of Monaco, and itsairport is a gateway to the principality as well.
The city is called Nice la Belle (Nissa La Bella inNiçard), which means Nice the Beautiful, which is alsothe title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written byMenica Rondelly in 1912.
The area of today's Nice contains Terra Amata, anarchaeological site which displays evidence of a veryearly use of fire. Around 350 BC, Greeks of Marseillefounded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia,after Nike, the goddess of victory.[3] Through the ages,the town has changed hands many times. Its strategiclocation and port significantly contributed to itsmaritime strength. For centuries it was a dominion ofSavoy, and was then part of France between 1792 and1815, when it was returned to Piedmont-Sardinia untilits reannexation by France in 1860.
The natural beauty of the Nice area and its mildMediterranean climate came to the attention of theEnglish upper classes in the second half of the 18thcentury, when an increasing number of aristocraticfamilies took to spending their winter there. The city'smain seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais("Walkway of the English') owes its name to visitors tothe resort.[4] For decades now, the picturesque Niceansurroundings have attracted not only those in search ofrelaxation, but also those seeking inspiration. The clearair and soft light have particularly appealed to some of
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds,glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiplecommunes (e.g., students and military personnel) only countedonce.
Western culture's most outstanding painters, such asMarc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle andArman. Their work is commemorated in many of thecity's museums, including Musée Marc Chagall,Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts.[5] Nice hasthe second largest hotel capacity in the country[6] andit is one of its most visited cities, receiving 4 milliontourists every year.[7] It also has the third busiestairport in France, after the two main Parisian ones.[8] Itis the historical capital city of the County of Nice(Comté de Nice).
Contents1 History
1.1 Foundation1.2 Early development1.3 Defenses1.4 Nice and Savoy1.5 French Nice
2 Coat of arms3 Administration4 Climate5 Vegetation and geography6 Economy and tourism7 Transport8 Sights
8.1 Squares8.1.1 Place Masséna8.1.2 Place Garibaldi8.1.3 Place Rossetti8.1.4 Cours Saleya8.1.5 Place du Palais
8.2 Religious8.3 Sports and entertainment
9 Sport10 Population11 Observatory12 Culture13 Cuisine14 Education15 International relations
The first known hominid settlements in the Nice area date back about400,000 years;[9] the Terra Amata archeological site shows one of theearliest uses of fire, construction of houses, and flint findings dated toaround 230,000 years ago.[10] Nice (Nicaea) was probably foundedaround 350 BC by the Greeks of Massilia (Marseille), and was giventhe name of Nikaia (Νίκαια) in honour of a victory over theneighbouring Ligurians; Νίκη (Nike) was the Greek goddess ofvictory. The city soon became one of the busiest trading ports on theLigurian coast; but it had an important rival in the Roman town ofCemenelum, which continued to exist as a separate city until the timeof the Lombard invasions. The ruins of Cemenelum are in Cimiez,which is now a district of Nice.
Early development
In the 7th century, Nice joined the Genoese League formed by the towns ofLiguria. In 729 the city repulsed the Saracens; but in 859 and again in 880the Saracens pillaged and burned it, and for most of the 10th centuryremained masters of the surrounding country.
During the Middle Ages, Nice participated in the wars and history of Italy.As an ally of Pisa it was the enemy of Genoa, and both the King of Franceand the Holy Roman Emperor endeavoured to subjugate it; but in spite ofthis it maintained its municipal liberties. During the 13th and 14th centuriesthe city fell more than once into the hands of the Counts of Provence, but itregained its independence even though related to Genoa.
Defenses
The medieval city walls surrounded the Old Town. The landward side wasprotected by the River Paillon, which was later covered over and is now thetram route towards the Acropolis.
The east side of the town was protected by fortifications on Castle Hill. Another river flowed into the port onthe east side of Castle Hill. Engravings suggest that the port area was also defended by walls.
Under Monoprix in Place de Garibaldi are excavated remains of a well-defended city gate on the main roadfrom Turin.
Duchy of Savoy (red) andother independent Italianstates in 1494.
Nice in 1624
Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia (blue) and otherindependent Italian states in1843.
In 1388 the commune placed itself under the protection of the Counts ofSavoy. Nice participated – directly or indirectly – in the history of Savoyuntil 1860.
The maritime strength of Nice now rapidly increased until it was able to copewith the Barbary pirates; the fortifications were largely extended and theroads to the city improved. In 1561 Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoyabolished the use of Latin as an administrative language and established theItalian language as the official language of government affairs in Nice.
During the struggle between Francis I and Charles V great damage wascaused by the passage of the armies invading Provence; pestilence andfamine raged in the city for several years. In 1538, in the nearby town ofVilleneuve-Loubet, through the mediation of Pope Paul III, the twomonarchs concluded a ten years' truce.[11]
In 1543, Nice was attacked by the united Franco-Ottoman forces ofFrancis I and Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha, in the Siege of Nice;though the inhabitants repulsed the assault which followed theterrible bombardment, they were ultimately compelled to surrender,and Barbarossa was allowed to pillage the city and to carry off 2,500captives. Pestilence appeared again in 1550 and 1580.
In 1600, Nice was briefly taken by the Duke of Guise. By openingthe ports of the county to all nations, and proclaiming full freedom oftrade (1626), the commerce of the city was given great stimulus, thenoble families taking part in its mercantile enterprises.
Captured by Nicolas Catinat in 1691, Nice was restored to Savoy in1696; but it was again besieged by the French in 1705, and in the followingyear its citadel and ramparts were demolished.
The Treaty of Utrecht (1713) once more gave the city back to the Duke ofSavoy, who was on that same occasion recognised as King of Sicily. In thepeaceful years which followed, the "new town" was built. From 1744 untilthe Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) the French and Spaniards were again inpossession. In 1775 the king, who in 1718 had swapped his sovereignty ofSicily for the Kingdom of Sardinia, destroyed all that remained of the ancientliberties of the commune. Conquered in 1792 by the armies of the FirstFrench Republic, the County of Nice continued to be part of France until1814; but after that date it reverted to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia.
French Nice
After the Treaty of Turin was signed in 1860 between the Sardinian king andNapoleon III, the County was again and definitively ceded to France as a territorial reward for Frenchassistance in the Second Italian War of Independence against Austria, which saw Lombardy united withPiedmont-Sardinia. The cession was ratified by a regional referendum: over 25,000 electors out of a total of30,700 were in favour of the attachment to France. Savoy was also transferred to the French crown by
The waterfall on the Colline duChâteau (Castle Hill)
similar means. Giuseppe Garibaldi, born in Nice, opposed the cession to France, arguing that the ballot wasrigged by the French. Italian irredentists considered Nice one of their main nationalist goals, along withIstria, Dalmatia, Corsica and Trentino. In 1942–1943 the city was occupied and administered by Italy.
The 20th century saw the arrival of modern transportation. In 1900, the Tramway de Nice electrified itshorse-drawn streetcars and spread its network to the entire département from Menton to Cagnes-sur-Mer. Bythe 1930s more bus connections were added in the area. In the 1930s Nice hosted international car racing inthe Formula Libre (predecessor to Formula One) on the so-called Circuit Nice. The circuit started along thewaterfront just south of the Jardin Albert I, then headed westward along the Promenade des Anglaisfollowed by a hairpin turn at the Hotel Negresco to come back eastward and around the Jardin Albert Ibefore heading again east along the beach on the Quai des Etats-Unis.
As war broke out in September 1939, Nice became a city of refuge for many displaced foreigners, notablyJews fleeing the Nazi progression into Eastern Europe. From Nice many sought further shelter in the Frenchcolonies, Morocco and North and South America. After July 1940 and the establishment of the VichyRegime, antisemitic aggressions accelerated the exodus, starting in July 1941 and continuing through 1942.On 26 August 1942, 655 Jews of foreign origin were rounded up by the Laval government and interned inthe Auvare barracks. Of these, 560 were deported to Drancy internment camp on 31 August 1942. Due to theactivity of the Jewish banker Angelo Donati and of the Capuchin friar Père Marie-Benoît the localauthorities hindered the application of anti-Jewish Vichy laws.[12]
The first résistants to the new regime were a group of High School seniors of the Lycée de Nice, now LycéeMasséna, in September 1940, later arrested and executed in 1944 near Castellane. The first publicdemonstrations occurred on 14 July 1942 when several hundred protesters took to the streets along theAvenue de la Victoire and in the Place Masséna. In November 1942 German troops moved into most ofunoccupied France, but Italian troops moved into a smaller zone including Nice. A certain ambivalenceremained among the population, many of whom were recent immigrants of Italian ancestry. However, theresistance gained momentum after the Italian surrender in 1943 when the German army occupied the formerItalian zone. Reprisals intensified between December 1943 and July 1944, when many partisans weretortured and executed by the local Gestapo and the French Milice. Nice was also heavily bombarded byAmerican aircraft in preparation for the Allied landing in Provence (1000 dead or wounded and more than5600 people homeless) and famine ensued during summer 1944. American paratroopers entered the city on30 August 1944 and Nice was finally liberated. The consequences of the war were heavy: the populationdecreased by 15% and economic life was totally disrupted.
In the second half of the 20th century, Nice enjoyed an economicboom primarily driven by tourism and construction. Two mendominated this period: Jean Médecin, mayor for 33 years from 1928to 1943 and from 1947 to 1965, and his son Jacques, mayor for 24years from 1966 to 1990. Under their leadership, there was extensiveurban renewal, including many new constructions. These includedthe convention centre, theatres, new thoroughfares and expressways.The arrival of the Pieds-Noirs, refugees from Algeria after 1962independence, also gave the city a boost and somewhat changed themake-up of its population and traditional views. By the late 1980s,rumors of political corruption in the city government surfaced; andeventually formal accusations against Jacques Médecin forced him to
flee France in 1990. Later arrested in Uruguay in 1993, he was extradited back to France in 1994, convictedof several counts of corruption and associated crimes and sentenced to imprisonment.
On 16 October 1979, a landslide and an undersea slide caused two tsunamis that hit the western coast ofNice; these events killed between 8 and 23 people.
In February 2001, European leaders met in Nice to negotiate and sign what is now the Treaty of Nice,amending the institutions of the European Union.
In 2003, local Chief Prosecutor Éric de Montgolfier alleged that some judicial cases involving localpersonalities had been suspiciously derailed by the local judiciary, which he suspected of having unhealthycontacts through Masonic lodges with the defendants. A controversial official report stated later thatMontgolfier had made unwarranted accusations.
Coat of armsThe coat of arms of Nice appeared for the first time in a copy of theRegulations of Amadeus VIII, probably written around 1430.[13] The Nice issymbolised by a red eagle on white background, placed on three mountains,which can be described in French heraldic language as "d'argent à une aiglede gueule posée sur trois coupeaux".[13] ("Argent, an eagle gules on acoupeau of three") The arms have only undergone minor changes: the eaglehas become more and more stylised, it now "wears" a coronet for the Countyof Nice, and the three mountains are now surrounded by a stylised sea.[13]
The presence of the eagle, an imperial emblem, shows that these arms arerelated to the power of the House of Savoy. The eagle standing over the threehills is a depiction of Savoy, referring to its domination over the countryaround Nice.[13] The combination of white and red (argent and gules) is a reference to the colours of the flagof Savoy.[13] The three mountains symbolise a territorial honour, without concern for geographic realism.[13]
AdministrationLocated in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Nice is a commune and the prefecture (administrativecapital) of the Alpes-Maritimes département. However, it is also the largest city in France that is not aregional capital; the much larger Marseille is its regional capital. The current mayor of Nice is ChristianEstrosi who was elected in 2008. He was reelected for a second term in April 2014 ( that will end in 2020).He is a member of the Republicans (formerly the Union for a Popular Movement), the party supportingformer President Nicolas Sarkozy.
ClimateNice has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), enjoying mild winters with moderate rainfall.It is one of the warmest Mediterranean climates for its latitude. Summers are hot, dry, and sunny. Rainfall israre in this season, and a typical July month only records one or two days with measurable rainfall. The
temperature is typically above 20 °C (68 °F), and frequently reaches 30 °C(86 °F). The climate data is recorded from the airport, located just metresfrom the sea. Summer temperatures, therefore, are often higher in the city.The average maximum temperature in the warmest months of July andAugust is about 27 °C (81 °F). The highest recorded temperature was37.7 °C (99.9 °F) on 1 August 2006. Autumn generally starts sunny inSeptember and becomes more cloudy and rainy towards October, whiletemperatures usually remain above 20 °C (68 °F) until November where daysstart to cool down to around 17 °C (63 °F). Winters are characterised by milddays (11 to 17 °C (52 to 63 °F)), cool nights (4 to 9 °C (39 to 48 °F)) andvariable weather. Days can be either sunny and dry, or damp and rainy. Frostis unusual and snowfalls are so extremely rare that they are remembered byinhabitants as special events. The average minimum temperature in Januaryis around 5 °C (41 °F). Spring starts mild and rainy in late March, and isincreasingly warm and sunny towards June.
Climate data for Nice (1981–2010 averages)Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Vegetation and geographyThe natural vegetation of Nice is typical for a Mediterranean landscape, with a heavy representation ofbroadleaf evergreen shrubs. Trees tend to be scattered but form dense forests in some areas. Large native treespecies include evergreens such as holm oak, stone pine and arbutus. Many introduced species grow in parksand gardens. Palms, eucalyptus and citrus fruits are among the trees
and gardens. Palms, eucalyptus and citrus fruits are among the treeswhich give Nice a subtropical appearance. But there are also speciesfamiliar to temperate areas around the world; examples include horsechestnut, linden and even Norway spruce.
Geographically, Nice consists of two large bays. Villefranche-sur-Mer sits on an enclosed bay, while the main expanse of the city liesbetween the old port city and the Aeroport de Côte d'Azur, across agently curving bay. The city rises from the flat beach into gentlerising hills, then is bounded by surrounding mountains that representthe Southern and nearly the Western extent of the Ligurian Alpsrange.
Economy and tourismNice is the seat of the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie Nice Côted'Azur. It manages the Nice - Côte d'Azur Airport and the Cannes -Mandelieu Airport, as well as the Port of Nice. Investors from Franceand abroad can benefit from the assistance of the Côte d'AzurEconomic Development Agency Team Côte d'Azur.
Among tourists, Nice is the second most popular French city afterParis, a fact which, combined with the difficulties of land travel atlong distance (partly because of the Alps), allows it to have the thirdbusiest airport in France in terms of passenger numbers (close to10,000,000 passengers in 2005). It is easily accessible, being lessthan 6 hours from Paris by train, and the airport is located justminutes away from the city.
Nice has one conference centre: the Palais des Congrès Acropolis. The city also has several business parks,including l'Arenas, Nice the Plain, Nice Méridia, Saint Isidore, and the Northern Forum.
In addition, the city features several shopping centres such as Nicetoile, Nice TNL, Nice Lingostière,Northern Forum, St-Isidore, the Trinity (around the Auchan hypermarket) and Cap3000 in Saint-Laurent-du-Var.
Sophia Antipolis is a technology park northwest of Antibes. Much of the park is within the commune ofValbonne. Established between 1970 and 1984, it primarily houses companies in the fields of computing,electronics, pharmacology and biotechnology. Several institutions of higher learning are also located here,along with the European headquarters of W3C. The park is named after Sophie Glikman-Toumarkine, thewife of French Senator Pierre Laffitte, founder of the park, and incidentally, Sophia, the goddess of wisdom.The second half of the park's name is derived from Antipolis, the ancient Greek name of Antibes.
The Nice metropolitan area had a GDP amounting to $47.7 billion, and $34,480 per capita,[16] slightly lowerthan the French average.
The port of Nice is also known as Lympia port. This name comesfrom the Lympia spring which fed a small lake in a marshy zonewhere work on the port was started in 1745. Today this is theprincipal harbour installation of Nice – there is also a small port inthe Carras district. The port is the first port cement manufacturer inFrance, linked to the treatment plants of the rollers of the valley ofPaillon. Fishing activities remain but the number of professionalfishermen is now less than 10. Nice, being the point of continentalFrance nearest to Corsica, has ferry connections with the islanddeveloped with the arrival of NGV (navires à grande vitesse) orhigh-speed craft. Two companies provide the connections: SNCM, apartially public company and Corsica Ferries – Sardinia Ferries, an entirely private company. Located infront of the port, the Place Cassini has been renamed Place of Corsica.
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is the third most important airport in France after Charles de Gaulle Airport andOrly Airport, both in Paris. It is on the Promenade des Anglais, near l'Arénas and has two terminals. Due toits proximity to the Principality of Monaco, it also serves as that city–state's airport. A helicopter serviceprovided by Heli Air Monaco and Monacair links the city and airport; it averages 39 flights a day. It is runby the Chamber of Commerce and the Nice Côte d'Azur industry. Its director is Hervé de Place, director ofthe Côte d'Azur airports, which includes Cannes - Mandelieu Airport. In 2009, 9,830,987 passengerstravelled through the airport.[17]
Rail
The main railway station is Nice-Ville, served both by high speed TGV trains connecting Paris and Nice inless than 6 hours and by local commuter TER services. Marseille is reached in 2.5 hours. Nice also hasinternational connections to Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and Russia.[18] Nice is also served by severalsuburban stations including Nice St-Augustin, Nice St-Roch and Nice Riquier.
Nice is also the southern terminus of the independently run Chemins de Fer de Provence railway line whichconnects the city with Digne in approximatively 4 hours. A metro-like suburban service is also provided onthe southern part of the line.
Tram
Tramway de Nice began operating horse-drawn trams in 1879. Electrified in 1900, the combined length ofthe network reached 144 km (89.48 mi) by 1930. The replacement of trams with trolleybuses began in 1948and was completed in 1953. In 2007, the new Tramway de Nice linked the northern and eastern suburbs viathe city centre. Two other lines are currently in the planning stage. The second line will run east-west fromPlace Masséna to the Nice Côte d'Azur Airport,[19] extending to Cagnes-sur-Mer and Le Port, while the thirdline will provide a connection to the future TGV Nice Saint-Augustin Lingostière rail station.[20]
The A8 autoroute and the Route nationale 7 pass through the Nice agglomeration, linking Marseille withItaly.
Sights
Panorama of the town (including many main sights, like Hotel Negresco) and the beach
Panorama of Nice from Colline du Château
The Promenade des Anglais ("Promenade of the English") is apromenade along the Baie des Anges ("Bay of the Angels"), which isa bay of the Mediterranean, in Nice. Before Nice was urbanised, thecoastline at Nice was just bordered by a deserted stretch of beachcovered with large pebbles. The first houses were located on higherground well away from the sea, as wealthy tourists visiting Nice inthe 18th century did not come for the beach, but for the gentle winterweather. The areas close to the water were home to Nice'sdockworkers and fishermen.
In the second half of the 18th century, many wealthy English peopletook to spending the winter in Nice, enjoying the panorama along thecoast. When a particularly harsh winter up north brought an influx of beggars to Nice, some of the richEnglishmen proposed a useful project for them: the construction of a
Englishmen proposed a useful project for them: the construction of awalkway (chemin de promenade) along the sea.
The city of Nice, intrigued by the prospect of a pleasant promenade,greatly increased the scope of the work. The Promenade was firstcalled the Camin dei Anglès (the English Way) by the Niçois in theirnative dialect, Nissart. After the annexation of Nice by France in1860 it was rechristened La Promenade des Anglais, replacing theformer Nissart name with its French translation.
The Hotel Negresco on the Promenade des Anglais was named afterHenri Negresco (1868–1920) who had the palatial hotel constructedin 1912. In keeping with the conventions of the time, when the Negresco first opened in 1913 its frontopened on the side opposite the Mediterranean.
Another place worth mentioning is the small street parallel to the Promenade des Anglais, leading fromNice's downtown, beginning at Place Masséna and running parallel to the promenade in the direction of theairport for a short distance of about 4 blocks. This section of the city is referred to as the "Zone Pietonne", or"Pedestrian Zone". Cars are not allowed (with exception to delivery trucks), making this avenue a popularwalkway. Here, tourists can find a fine selection of restaurants, specializing in various types of cuisine,including Niçoise, French, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish and Italian. There is also a largeselection of cafés where one can sit and enjoy an apéritif, as well as several bakeries with coffee, cake, and aterrace. There are also plenty of small shops selling clothing, shoes, and souvenirs.
Old Nice is also home to the Opéra de Nice. It was constructed at the end of the 19th century under thedesign of François Aune, to replace King Charles Félix's Maccarani Theater. Today, it is open to the publicand provides a regular program of performances.
Other sights include:
ChâteauMonument aux mortsThe portCours SaleyaJardin botanique de la Ville de Nice (botanical garden)Musee MassenaMarché aux fleursOld NiceGrand Hôtel ImpérialFort of Mont Alban
Squares
Place Masséna
The Place Masséna is the main square of the city. Before the Paillon River was covered over, the Pont-Neufwas the only practicable way between the old town and the modern one. The square was thus divided intotwo parts (North and South) in 1824. With the demolition of the Masséna Casino in 1979, the Place Massénabecame more spacious and less dense and is now bordered by red ochre buildings of Italian architecture.
Place Garibaldi, pedestrian since theintroduction of the Nice tramway.
The recent rebuilding of the tramline gave the square back to thepedestrians, restoring its status as a real Mediterranean square. It islined with palm trees and stone pines, instead of being therectangular roundabout of sorts it had become over the years. Sinceits construction, the Place Masséna has always been the spot for greatpublic events. It is used for concerts, and particularly during thesummer festivals, the Corso carnavalesque (carnival parade) inFebruary, the military procession of 14 July (Bastille Day) or othertraditional celebrations and banquets.
The Place Masséna is a two-minute walk from the Promenade desAnglais, old town, town centre, and Albert I Garden (Jardin AlbertIer). It is also a large crossroads between several of the main streetsof the city: avenue Jean Médecin, avenue Félix Faure, boulevardJean Jaurès, avenue de Verdun and rue Gioffredo.
Place Garibaldi
The Place Garibaldi also stands out for its architecture and history. Itis named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of the Italian unification(born in Nice in 1807 when Nice was part of the Napoleonic Empire,before reverting to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia). The squarewas built at the end of the 18th century and served as the entry gateto the city and end of the road to Turin. It took several names between 1780and 1870 (Plaça Pairoulièra, Place de la République, Place Napoléon, Placed'Armes, Place Saint-Augustin, Piazza Vittorio) and finally Place Garibaldiin September 1870.
A statue of Garibaldi, who was fiercely in favour of the union of Nice withItaly, stands in the centre of the square. The recent rebuilding of the area toaccommodate the new tramway line gave mostly the entire square topedestrians. The architecture is in line with the Turin model, which was thenorm of urban renewal throughout the entire realm of the House of Savoy.
It is a crossroads between the VieuxNice (old town) and the town centre.Place Garibaldi is close to the easterndistricts of Nice, Port Lympia(Lympia Harbour), and the TNLcommercial centre. This square isalso a junction of several importantstreets: the boulevard Jean-Jaurès,the avenue de la République, the rue Cassini and the rue Catherine-Ségurane.
Entirely enclosed and pedestrianised, this square is located in theheart of the old town. With typical buildings in red and yellow ochressurrounding the square, the cathédrale Sainte-Réparate and thefountain in the centre, place Rossetti is a must-see spot in the oldtown. By day, the place is invaded by the terraces of traditionalrestaurants and the finest ice-cream makers. By night, theenvironment changes radically, with tourists and youths flocking tothe square, where music reverberates on the walls of the smallsquare. The square's lighting at night gives it a magical aspect.
Place Rossetti is in the centre of the old town, streets Jesus, Rossetti,Mascoïnat and the Pont-vieux (old bridge)
Cours Saleya
The Cours Saleya is situated parallel to the Quai des États-Unis. Inthe past, it belonged to the upper classes. It is probably the mosttraditional square of the town, with its daily flower market. TheCours Saleya also opens on the Palais des Rois Sardes (Palace of theKings of Sardinia). In the present, the court is mostly a place ofentertainment. There are good restaurants serving typical Nicoiscuisine, markets and many pubs. It is no doubt one of the most activespots in Nice.
Place du Palais
As its name indicates, the Place du Palais is where the Palais de laJustice (Law courts) of Nice is located. On this square, there also isthe Palais Rusca, which also belongs to the justice department (homeof the tribunal de grande instance).
The square is also notable due to the presence of the city clock.Today, the Place du Palais is alive day and night. Often, groups ofyouths will hangout on the steps leading to the Palais de la Justice.Concerts, films, and other major public events frequently occur inthis space.
It is situated halfway between the Cours Saleya and Place Masséna.
Religious
Sainte-Réparate Cathedral, 17th centuryRussian Orthodox CathedralNotre-Dame de NiceSainte Jeanne d'Arc Church, 20th century
Stade du RayAllianz RivieraStade Charles-EhrmannPalais NikaiaNice Jazz Festival
SportThe city's major football club is OGC Nice. They play in Ligue1 (the top division in France).The Olympic Nice swimming club (French: Olympic NiceNatation) is also notable; Camille Muffat and Yannick Agnelused to train there for example.[21]
Nice hosts the finish of the annual cycling race Paris–Nice.
Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962 (http://cassini.ehess.fr/cassini/fr/html/fiche.php?select_resultat=24984), INSEE database from 1968 (http://www.statistiques-locales.insee.fr/FICHES/DL/DEP/06/COM/DL_C
OM06088.pdf) (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)
The metropolitan area of Nice, defined by INSEE, is home to 888,784 inhabitants (fifth most populous inFrance) and its urban area totals 933,080 inhabitants, which makes it the sixth largest in France.
Roughly 10% of the population has foreign citizenship.
Nice residents of Vietnamese descentstand in front of one of the manyVietnamese restaurants of the city.
View of the Bischoffsheim cupola,main cupola of Nice Observatory
The city saw a big demographic rise in the second half of the 19thcentury, a period when the population more than doubled, mainly dueto French immigration. At the beginning of the 20th century, this riseintensified with the arrival of internal immigrants from the County ofNice itself.
After the First World War, the city had a strong increase inpopulation. Immigration was again the reason of this growth. Thehotel industry and that of the construction industry, in full strength inthe 1920s, attracted the world more and more and thus made itpossible for Nice to become a town of national importance. In 1921,Nice then became the eleventh most populous town of France, thenin 1931, the eighth, before being ranked sixth in 1946; thereafter thecity reached its current demographic level due to the arrival of sixty thousand people including Frenchcitizens from Algeria.
Since the 1970s, the number of inhabitants has not changed significantly; the relatively high migration toNice is compensated by a natural negative growth of the population. Nice has a high proportion of elderlypeople., and as such has one of the highest median ages in France.
Currently, the population of the city is growing again, the most likely reason of which is a preference for theclimate. Nice was projected to have 360,000 citizens in 2008, and will have 370,000 by 2012.
ObservatoryThe Observatoire de Nice (Nice Observatory) is located on thesummit of Mont Gros. The observatory was established in 1879 bythe banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was CharlesGarnier, and Gustave Eiffel designed the main dome.
The 76-cm (30-inch) refractor telescope that became operational in1888 was at that time the world's largest telescope. It wasoutperformed one year later by the 36-inch (91-cm) refractor at theLick Observatory at University of California, Santa Cruz.
As a scientific institution, the Nice Observatory was merged withCERGA in 1988 to form the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur. Manyscientific activities still take place on the Nice Observatory site on Mount Gross above the city includinggravity-wave and high-energy astrophysics, astrometric and interferometric astronomy and planetaryscience. The city is the namesake for the Nice model, which was developed at the observatory in 2005.
CultureNice is one of the oldest human settlements in the world. Terra-Amata, an archaeological site dating from theLower Palaeolithic age, is situated near Nice. Nice itself was established by the ancient Greeks. There wasalso an independent Roman city, Cemenelum, near Nice, where the hill of Cimiez is located. It is anarchaeological site with treasures, of which only a small part has been excavated. The excavated siteincludes thermal baths, arenas and Roman road.
Since the 2nd century AD, the light of the city has attracted many famous painters and sculptors such asChagall, Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle, Klein, Arman and Sosno. Nice inspired many composers andintellectuals in different countries e.g. Berlioz, Rossini, Nietzsche etc.
Nice also has numerous museums of all kinds: Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse (arenas of Cimiezcontaining Roman ruins), Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée international d'Art naïf Anatole Jakovsky, MuséeTerra-Amata, Museum of Asian Art, Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain which devotes much spaceto the well-known École of Nice ”), Museum of Natural History, Musée Masséna, Naval Museum andGalerie des Ponchettes.
Being a vacation resort, Nice hosts many festivals throughout the year, such as the Carnaval de Nice and theNice Jazz Festival.
Nice has a distinct culture due to its unique history. The local language Niçard (Nissart) is an Occitan dialect(but some Italian scholars argue that it is a Ligurian dialect). It is still spoken by a substantial minority.Strong Italian and (to a lesser extent) Corsican influences make it more intelligible than other extantProvençal dialects.
In the past, Nice welcomed many immigrants from Italy (who continue to make up a large proportion of thepopulation), as well as Spanish and Portuguese immigrants. However, in the past few decades immigrationhas been opened to include immigrants from all over the world, particularly those from former Northern andWestern African colonies, as well as southeast Asia. Traditions are still alive, especially in folk music anddances. The most famous dance is the farandole.
Since 1860 a cannon (based at the Château east of Old Nice) is shot at twelve o'clock sharp. The detonationcan be heard almost all over the city. This tradition goes back to Sir Thomas Coventry, who intended toremind the citizens of having lunch on time.[22]
CuisineThe cuisine of Nice is especially close to those of Provence but also Liguria and Piedmont and uses localingredients (olive oil, anchovies, fruit and vegetables) but also those from more remote regions, in particularfrom Northern Europe, because ships which came to pick up olive oil arrived full of food products, such asdried haddock.
Nice has a few local dishes. There is a local tart made with onions and anchovies (or anchovy paste), named"Pissaladière". Socca is a type of pancake made from chickpea flour. Farcis niçois is a dish made fromvegetables stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs, meat (generally sausage and ground beef), and herbs; andsalade niçoise is a tomato salad with green peppers of the "Corne" variety, baked eggs, tuna or anchovies,and olives.
Local meat comes from neighbouring valleys, such as the sheep of Sisteron. Local fish, such as mullets,bream, sea urchins, and anchovies (alevins) are used to a great extent, so much so that it has given birth to aproverb: "fish are born in the sea and die in oil".
PichadePissaladièrePan-bagnatSoccaSoupe au pistouTourte de blettesDaubeFarcisSalade niçoise
EducationUniversity of Nice Sophia AntipolisInstitut EurécomÉcole des hautes études commerciales du nordÉcole pour l'informatique et les nouvelles technologiesVilla ArsonESRA film schoolInstitut supérieur européen de formation par l'actionSupinfoSkema Business School
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Nice is twinned with:[23]
Notable people
Alicante, Spain Antananarivo,
Madagascar Cape Town, South
Africa Cartagena, Colombia Cuneo, Italy Edinburgh, Scotland,
UK[24][25]
Gdańsk, Poland Hangzhou, China Houston, Texas, United
States Kamakura, Japan
Kamakura, Japan Laval, Quebec, Canada Libreville, Gabon Louisiana (state),
United States Manila, Philippines Miami, Florida, United
States Netanya, Israel[26]
Nouméa, NewCaledonia
Nuremberg, Germany Phuket, Thailand Xiamen, China Can Tho, Vietnam
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Saint-Denis, France Saint Petersburg,
Simone Veil – French lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Health, President of theEuropean Parliament and member of the Constitutional Council of France. Survivor from theAuschwitz-Birkenau concentration campJoann Sfar – French comics artist, comic book creator and film director.Jean-Pierre Mocky – French film director, actor, screenwriter and producerJ. M. G. Le Clézio – French author and professor, was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature[29]
René Cassin – French jurist, law professor and judge, former student of Nice's Lycée Massena, hereceived the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968[30]
André Masséna – 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling, one of the original eighteen Marshals of theEmpire, French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, his nicknamewas l'Enfant chéri de la Victoire ("the Dear Child of Victory")[31]
Henry Cavendish – British scientist noted for his discovery of hydrogenSurya Bonaly – figure skaterJules Bianchi (1989–2015) – Formula 1 DriverDominic Howard – Drummer for Muse currently lives in NiceHugo Lloris – footballerGeorges Lautner – director born in Nice. He is buried in the cemetery of the Castle.Dick Rivers – born Hervé Forneri, rock singer, born in Nice in 1945René Goscinny – Asterix creator buried in Nice.Christian Estrosi – born in Nice in 1955.Léon Gambetta (1838–1881), buried in NiceQueen Victoria – Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland stayed many winters inNiceEric Ciotti – born in Nice in 1965.Jean Behra (1921–1959) – racing driver, born in NiceElton John – singer, owns a house in Mont Boron on the hills of NiceDominique Jean-Zéphirin – footballerGilles Simon – tennis playerAlizé Cornet – tennis playerFreda Betti – opera singerHenri Betti – composer and pianistPriscilla Betti – singer and actressAlexy Bosetti – footballerMichel Siffre – adventurer and scientistRobert W. Service – poet and writer of the Klondike Gold Rush lived in Nice during the summersfrom 1916 until 1940.[32]
Aimé Teisseire (1914–2008) – French Army officer, lived in Nice after his retirement from themilitary until his death at the age of 93[33]
Albert SpaggiariCimetière du ChâteauEuropean Institute of High InternationalStudiesLe MéridienParis–Nice
References1. Demographia: World Urban Areas (http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf), March 20102. INSEE – Résultats du recensement de la population de 2008 – Aire urbaine de Nice (http://www.recensement.inse
3. Ruggiero, Alain, ed. (2006). Nouvelle histoire de Nice. Toulouse: Privat. pp. 17–18. ISBN 978-2-7089-8335-9.4. Alain Ruggiero, op. cit., p. 1375. "Nice, France travel. Comprehensive guide to Nice". Europe-cities.com. Retrieved 3 April 2011.6. Un savoir-faire et un équipement complet en matière d'accueil (http://www.agglo-nice.fr/chiffres-cles-atouts-territ
oire.htm), site de la CANCA Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20090224120503/http://www.agglo-nice.fr/chiffres-cles-atouts-territoire.htm) 24 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
7. Les chiffres clés du tourisme à Nice (http://www.nice.fr/mairie_nice_19918.html), site municipal Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20071217222657/http://www.nice.fr/mairie_nice_19918.html) 17 December 2007 at theWayback Machine.
8. "Union des aéroports français – Résultats d'activité des aéroports français 2007 – Trafic passagers 2007classement – page 8" (PDF). Retrieved 3 April 2011.
9. "Le Nouveau venu" (in French). Musée de Paléontologie Humaine de Terra Amata. Retrieved 5 March 2009.10. A. G. Wintle; M. J: Aitken (July 1997). "Thermoluminescence dating of burnt flint: application to a Lower
Paleolithic site, Terra Amata". Archaeometry 19 (2): 111–130. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.1977.tb00189.x.11. "The Chsteau of Villeneuve-Loubet". Villeneuve-Loubet Guide and Hotels. Retrieved 30 September 2009.12. Léon Poliakov, La conditions des Juifs sous l'occupation italienne, Paris, CDJC, 1946 and bibliographies of
Angelo Donati and Père Marie-Benoît13. Ralph Schor (Edited by), Dictionnaire historique et biographique du comté de Nice(Historical and biographical
dictionary of the County of Nice), Nice, Serre, 2002, ISBN 978-2-86410-366-0, pp.22–23 (French)14. "1981–2010 Data". July 2012.15. "Nice, France". Climatebase.ru. Retrieved 10 July 2015.16. "Global city GDP 2011". Brookings Institution. Retrieved 4 March 2013.17. 2009 traffic details from Nice airport website (http://www.nice.aeroport.fr/developpement_en/statistiques/statistiq
ue.asp)18. "French Riviera train for Russia". BBC News. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2010.19. "Line 2 tram expected to be finished in 2017". Attika International. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2014.20. "Dates et chiffres clés / La ligne 1 / Accueil – Tramway de la Communauté Urbaine Nice Côte d'Azur" (in
French). Tramway.nice.fr. Retrieved 2011-09-15.21. "Olympic Nice Natation homepage" (in French). Olympic Nice Natation.22. Nice – French Riviera: Noon on the Dot (http://www.francemonthly.com/nice-french-riviera/) from
francemonthly.com. Retrieved 11 February 2013.23. "Villes jumelées avec la Ville de Nice" (in French). Ville de Nice. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012.
Retrieved 2013-06-24.24. "Twin and Partner Cities". City of Edinburgh Council. Retrieved 16 January 2009.25. "British towns twinned with French towns [via WaybackMachine.com]". Archant Community Media Ltd.
Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-20.26. "Netanya – Twin Cities". Netanya Municipality. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved
2013-08-01.27. "Twinnings" (PDF). Central Union of Municipalities & Communities of Greece. Retrieved 2013-08-25.28. "Yerevan – Twin Towns & Sister Cities". Yerevan Municipality Official Website. Retrieved 2013-11-04.29. Lichfield, John (9 October 2008). "French novelist Le Clézio wins Nobel literature prize". The Independent.
Retrieved 22 October 2012.30. "René Cassin". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 22 October 2012.31. General Michel Franceschi (Ret.), Austerlitz (Montreal: International Napoleonic Society, 2005), 20.32. "Biography". Robert W Service Estate. Retrieved 3 May 2013.33. Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération. "Aimé Teisseire" (http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr/les-compagnons/1037/ai
me-teisseire). Retrieved 19 January 2016 (French).
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed.(1911). "article name needed". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles,ed. (1913). "Nice". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.
External linksNice : between sea and mountains (http://www.france.fr/en/regions-and-cities/nice-between-sea-and-mountains) – Official French website (English)Official website of the City of Nice (https://www.nice.fr/) (French)Official website of Nice Metropolis (http://nicecotedazur.org/) (French)Visitors and Convention Bureau Nice (http://en.nicetourisme.com/) (French) (English)Nice (https://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/France/Regions/Provence-Alpes-Cote_d'Azur/Alpes-Maritimes/Localities/Nice) at DMOZ
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nice&oldid=721808358"
Categories: Nice Communes of Alpes-Maritimes Prefectures in France Massalian colonies
This page was last modified on 24 May 2016, at 05:24.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms mayapply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registeredtrademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
