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The French Riviera (French: Côte d'Azur, Occitan: Còsta Azzura) is one of the most famous resort areas in the world, extending along the Mediterranean Sea west from Menton near the Italian border, including the cities and towns of Monaco, Nice, Antibes, and Cannes. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan Menton (mɑ̃tɔ̃ Occitan: Menton in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm Italian: Mentone) is a commune For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Other sources extend the Côte d'Azur further west to include Saint-Raphaël, Sainte-Maxime, Saint-Tropez, Hyères, Toulon, and Cassis. Saint-Raphaël is a commune of the Var département and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France Sainte-Maxime is a commune of the Var département located on the French Riviera in the south of France, 90 km from San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large Cassis (kasis is a commune situated east of Marseille in the administrative department of the Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte [1]

Map of the French Riviera.
Map of the French Riviera.
The seafront of Nice.
The seafront of Nice.
Menton.
Menton.

Contents

History

From prehistory to the Bronze Age

The Côte d'Azur has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A paleolithic site of a nomad people dating to 950,000 B. The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" C. was discovered in the cave of Vallonet, near Roquebrune-Cap Martin, with stones and bones of animals, including bovines, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus. Roquebrune-Cap-Martin ( Roccabruna-Capo Martino in Italian is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France Other sites were found at the cave of L'Escale, near Saint-Estève Janson (600,000 B. C. ), and at Terra Amata (400,000 BC), where a fireplace was discovered, one of the oldest in Europe. The Cosquer Cave, an undersea cave between Cassis and Marseille discovered in 1991, has the oldest man-made art in the region: drawings of bisons, seals, horses and penguins, and outlines of human hands, dating to between 27,000 and 19,000 B. The Cosquer cave is located in the Calanque de Morgiou near Marseille, France, not very far from Cap Morgiou Cassis (kasis is a commune situated east of Marseille in the administrative department of the Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ C.

Stone dolmens, monuments from the bronze age, can be found near Draguinan. A dolmen (also known as cromlech, anta, Hünengrab, Hunebed, Goindol, quoit, and portal dolmen) is a type of The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The Valley of Marvels (Vallée des Merveilles) near Mount Bégo, at 2000 meters altitude, was apparently an outdoor religious sanctuary with over 40,000 drawing of people and animals. [2]

Greek influence

Beginning in the 7th century B. C. , Greek sailors from Asia Minor began to visit and then build trading posts (emporia) along the Côte d'Azur. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The first known settlement was at Massalia (now Marseille), with colonists from Phocaea, modern-day Foça in Turkey. Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ This article is about the ancient city For the modern city see Foça Phocaea, or Phokaia, (Φώκαια (modern-day Foça This article is about the modern city For the ancient Ionian Greek city see Phocaea Foça is a district as well as the center town of that Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Other emporia were started at Olbia (Saint-Pierre de l'Almanarre, near Hyères); Antipolis (Antibes); Nicoea (Nice); and Tauroentum and Rhodanousia (Arles). Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, These settlements, which traded with the inhabitants of the interior, became rivals of the Etruscans and Phoenicians, who also visited the Côte d'Azur. Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun Greek traders went far inland from these emporia by river (the Rhône and the Durance or overland to Burgundy and Switzerland. The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. The Durance ( Occitan: Durença in classical norm or Durènço in Mistralian norm is a 324 km long River in south-eastern France, Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation One enterprising navigator from Marseille, Pytheas, traveled as far as Cornwall in about 325 B. Dates Pliny says that Timaeus (born about 350 BC believed Pytheas' story of the discovery of Amber. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar C. in search of tin. Tin is a Chemical element with the symbol Sn (stannum and Atomic number 50

The Celto-Ligurians

At the beginning of the 4th century B. C. , the Ligurians, a nomadic Celtic people, invaded the south of France and travelled all the way to Ancient Rome. The Ligures (singular Ligus or Ligur; English: Ligurians, Greek:) were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Ligurian tribes of the Oxybii and Deceates settled in what is now the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var, building hilltop forts and settlements. Alpes-Maritimes ( Occitan: Aups Maritims) is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France. They were soon at war with the inhabitants of Massalia, and they helped the passage of Hannibal along the coast on his way to attack Ancient Rome. Hannibal (Pronounced in Phoenician: Hanniba'al means " Ba'al is my grace " or " Ba'al has given me grace " 247 BC &ndash Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC In the 2nd century B. C. , the continuous conflicts persuaded the inhabitants of Massalia to invite the Romans to be their ally against the Ligurians. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC

Roman colonization

The Trophy of Augustus at La Turbie.
The Trophy of Augustus at La Turbie.

To subdue the Ligurian tribes in the 2nd century B. C. , Roman legions entered the region three times. For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," In 181 B. C. , a Roman army defeated the Ligurians at Genoa; in 154 B. C. , the Consul Optimius defeated the Oxybii and the Deceates, who had besieged Antibes and Nice; and in 125 B. C. , another Roman army crushed a confederation of Celtic tribes and their allies. The Romans decided to establish permanent settlements, first at Aquae Sextiae (Arles) in 122 B. Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, C. , then in Narbonne (118 B. Narbonne ( Narbona in Catalan and in Occitan, the Roman Narbo) is a commune in southwestern France in the C. ). In 102 B. C. the Roman general Marius defeated a new invasion of Cimbres and Teutons, and began to build a system of Roman roads through the region to facilitate the movement of troops, as well as trade, with Rome. The Teutons or Teutones (from Proto-Germanic * Þeudanōz) were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors The Roman Roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire, by enabling the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate news In 49 B. C. , Marseille took the side of Pompey against Julius Caesar, leading to a decline in its influence, and the rise of Arles. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation Veterans of the Roman legions were settled at Arles and Fréjus. Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, Fréjus can also refer to the Fréjus Road Tunnel and the Fréjus Rail Tunnel in the Alps

In 8 B. C. , the Emperor Augustus built an imposing trophy monument at La Turbie to mark the pacification of the region. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was La Turbie (in Italian "Turbia" from tropea Latin for trophy is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France Roman towns, monuments and amphitheaters were built all throughout the region, and many still survive: the amphitheater at Cimiez, above Nice; the amphitheater and Roman walls at Fréjus; farther inland in Provence, the theater in Orange; the amphitheaters in Arles and Avignon; and the triumphal arch at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Cimiez is an Upper class neighborhood in Nice, France. The area contains the Henri Matisse Museum and the Roman Ruins (arena amphitheatre thermal Fréjus can also refer to the Fréjus Road Tunnel and the Fréjus Rail Tunnel in the Alps Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Sant Romieg de Provença in classical and Sant Roumié de Prouvènço in Mistralian norms

Barbarians and Christians

The 5th century baptistery of Fréjus Cathedral, which is still in use.
The 5th century baptistery of Fréjus Cathedral, which is still in use.

Roman Provence reached its height of power and prosperity during the 2nd and 3rd centuries A. D. In the middle of the 3rd century, Germanic peoples began to invade the region, and Roman power began to weaken. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic The Western Roman Emperor, Constantine, was forced to take sanctuary in Arles at the beginning of the 4th century. Constantine ( Latin: Cōnstantīnus, Greek:) is a given name and surname derived from the Latin word constans, meaning constant or

During the same period, Christianity became a powerful force in the region. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The first cathedrals were built in the 4th century, and bishoprics were established in Arles in 254 A. D. ; Marseille in 314 A. D. ; Fréjus at the end of the 4th century; Cimiez and Vence in 439 A. D. ; Antibes in 442 A. D. ; and Toulon in 451 A. D. The oldest Christian structure still in existence on the Côte d'Azur is the baptistery of Fréjus Cathedral, built at the end of the 5th century. Fréjus Cathedral ( Cathédrale Saint-Léonce de Fréjus) is a Roman Catholic cathedral and a national monument of France situated in the town of Fréjus The end of the 5th century also saw the founding of the first two monasteries in the region, Lerins Monastery on an island off the coast of Cannes, and Saint-Victor monastery in Marseille. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Lérins Abbey is a Cistercian Monastery on the island of Saint-Honorat, one of the Lérins Islands, on the French Riviera, with

The fall of the Western Roman Empire in the first half of the 5th century was followed by invasion of Provence by the Visigoths, the Burgundians and the Ostrogoths, followed by a long period of wars and dynastic quarrels, which in turn led to further invasions by the Saracens and the Normans in the 9th century. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East The Burgundians or Burgundes were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose The Ostrogoths (Ostrogothi or Austrogothi were a branch of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe that played a major role in the political events of the late Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France.

The Counts of Provence and the House of Grimaldi

The ruins of the Grimaldi castle at Grimaud, near Saint-Tropez.
The ruins of the Grimaldi castle at Grimaud, near Saint-Tropez.

Some peace was restored to the coast by the establishment in 879 of a new kingdom of Provence, ruled first by the Bosonide dynasty (879-1112), then by the Catalans (1112-1246), and finally by the Angevins (1246-1483). The Catalans are the people from Catalonia, an Autonomous community of Spain, including people originating in that region but living elsewhere Angevin (ˈændʒəvɪn ( French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Andegavinus from Andegavia Anjou, France) is the name applied

In the 13th century, another powerful political force appeared on the Côte d'Azur, the House of Grimaldi. Descended from a Genoese nobleman who was expelled from Genoa by his rivals in 1271, the members of the different branches of the Grimaldis took power in Monaco, Antibes and Nice, and built castles at Grimaud, Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Cagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes The present Prince of Monaco is a descendant of the Grimaldis. The Reigning Prince or Princess of Monaco is the sovereign Monarch and Head of state of the Principality of Monaco.

In 1388, the city of Nice and its surrounding territory, from the mouth of the Var River to the Italian border, was separated from Provence and came under the protection of the House of Savoy. The House of Savoy (Casa Savoia was formed in the early eleventh century in the historical Savoy region The territory was called the comté of Nice after 1526, and thereafter had a separate language, history and culture from Provence until 1860, when it was re-attached to France under Napoleon III. Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President

Provence retained its formal independence until 1480, when the last count of Provence, René I of Naples, died and left the comté of Provence to his nephew, Charles du Maine, who in turn left it to Louis XI of France. René of Anjou ( January 16, 1409 &ndash July 10, 1480) also known as René I of Naples and Good King René ( French Charles IV Duke of Anjou, also Charles of Maine Count of Le Maine and Guise (1436&ndash1481 was the son of the Angevin prince Charles of Le Maine, Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle In 1486, Provence formally became part of France.

Early 19th century; popularity among the British upper classes

Tobias Smollett.
Tobias Smollett.

Until the end of the 18th century, the Côte d'Azur was a remote and impoverished region of France, known mostly for fishing, olive groves and the making of perfume. A new phase of its history began when the coast became a fashionable health resort for the British upper classes in the late 18th century. The first British traveler to describe the benefits of the Riviera was the novelist Tobias Smollett, who visited Nice in 1763, when it was still an Italian city within the Kingdom of Sardinia. Tobias George Smollett (bapt 19 March, 1721 &ndash 17 September, 1771) was a Scottish author best known for his Picaresque Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Smollett brought Nice and its warm winter temperatures to the attention of the British aristocracy through his book Travels in France and Italy, written in 1765. At about the same time, a Scottish doctor, John Brown, became famous by prescribing what he called climato-therapy, a change to a warm climate, to cure a wide variety of diseases, including tuberculosis, known then as consumption. John Brown may refer to Politicians American (Listed in alphabetical order by state office John Y Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common The French historian Paul Gonnet wrote that as a result, Nice was filled with "a colony of pale and listless English women and listless sons of nobility near death. "

In 1834, a British nobleman and politician named Henry Peter Brougham, First Baron Brougham and Vaux, who had played an important part in the abolition of the slave trade, travelled with an ill sister to south of France, intending to go to Italy. Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778 - 1868 was a British Statesman who became Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom A cholera epidemic in Italy forced him to stop at Cannes, where he enjoyed the climate and scenery so much that he bought land and built a villa. Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur He began to spend his winters there, and because of his fame, others followed, and Cannes soon had a small British colony.

Robert Louis Stevenson was another early British visitor who came to Riviera for his health. Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850–3 December 1894 was a Scottish novelist poet and travel writer, and a representative of Neo-romanticism in In 1882 he rented a villa called La Solitude at Hyères, where he wrote much of A Child's Garden of Verses. Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France

Late 19th, early 20th centuries; railways, gambling, and royalty

The casino of Monte Carlo.
The casino of Monte Carlo.

In 1864, five years after Nice became part of France, the first railway arrived there, making Nice and the rest of the Riviera accessible to visitors from all over Europe. One hundred thousand visitors arrived in 1865. By 1874 the foreign colony in Nice, mostly British, had grown to 25,000.

In the mid-19th century, with the arrival of railways, British and French entrepreneurs began to see the potential of tourism in the South of France. At the time, gambling was illegal in both France and Italy. In 1856, the Prince of Monaco, Charles III, began constructing a casino in Monaco, which, to avoid criticism by the church, was formally called a health spa. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque The first casino was a failure. Then, in 1863, the Prince signed an agreement with an enterprising French businessman, Francois Blanc, already the operator of a very successful casino at Baden-Baden in the Grand Duchy of Baden in Germany, to build a resort and new casino. Baden-Baden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River The Grand Duchy of Baden (Großherzogtum Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Blanc arranged for steamships and carriages to take visitors from Nice to Monaco, built hotels, gardens and a new casino in an area called Speluges, which, at the suggestion of Princess Caroline, the mother of Prince Charles, was renamed Monte Carlo, after Charles. Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously When the railway finally reached Monte Carlo in 1870, hundreds of thousands of visitors began to arrive, and the population of the principality of Monaco doubled.

In the second part of the 19th century, thanks to the railway, the Riviera became a popular destination for European royalty. Just days after the railway line opened to Nice in 1864, Czar Alexander II of Russia visited on a private train, followed soon afterwards by Napoleon III and Leopold II, the King of the Belgians. Alexander II may refer to Alexander II of Russia (1818&ndash1881 the Emperor of Russia Alexander II of Macedon, King of Macedon Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President Leopold II is a human name and may refer to Leopold II Grand Duke of Tuscany (1797-1870 Archduke of Austria Leopold II Holy Roman Emperor

Queen Victoria, in 1887.
Queen Victoria, in 1887.

Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was a frequent visitor to the Riviera. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland In 1882, she stayed in Menton, near the Italian border, which had become the largest British colony in the Riviera. Menton (mɑ̃tɔ̃ Occitan: Menton in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm Italian: Mentone) is a commune In 1891, she spent several weeks at the Grand Hotel Grasse. Grasse ( Provençal Occitan: Grassa in classical norm or Grasso in Mistralian norm is a town and Episcopal see in southeastern In 1892, she stayed at the Hotel Cost-belle in Hyères. Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France From 1895 to 1899, she stayed at the Hotel Regina at Cimiez, in the hills above Nice (the Hotel Regina later became the home of painter Henri Matisse). Cimiez is an Upper class neighborhood in Nice, France. The area contains the Henri Matisse Museum and the Roman Ruins (arena amphitheatre thermal Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954 was a French Artist, known for his use of Colour and his fluid brilliant and original draughtsmanship She traveled with party of between sixty and a hundred persons, including her chef, ladies in waiting, dentist, Indian servants, her own bed and her own food.

Victoria and Albert's son, the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, was also a regular visitor to Cannes, beginning in 1872. He frequented the Club Nautique, a private club on La Croisette, the fashionable seafront boulevard of Cannes. The Promenade de la Croisette (French "Avenue of the little cross" is a prominent road in Cannes, France He visited each spring for three weeks, took part in yacht races (he watched from shore, while the royal yacht, Britannia, was sailed by a professional crew), and he had affairs with actresses, courtesans, and the wives of aristocrats in the more relaxed moral climate of the Riviera. Britannia was the term originally used by the Romans to refer first to the British Isles, and later to the island of Great Britain. After he became King in 1901, he never again visited the Riviera.

By the end of the 19th century, the Riviera also began to attract painters, who appreciated the climate, the clear light, and the bright colors. Auguste Renoir settled in Cagnes-sur-Mer, and Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso made their homes on the Riviera. Pierre-Auguste Renoir ( February 25, 1841 &ndash December 3, 1919) was a French Artist who was a leading painter in Cagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954 was a French Artist, known for his use of Colour and his fluid brilliant and original draughtsmanship Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973

World War I through World War II; American visitors

The First World War brought down many of the royal houses of Europe, and altered the calendar social structure of the visitors to the Riviera. After the war, larger numbers of Americans began to come to the Riviera, business people and celebrities began to outnumber aristocrats, and the season gradually shifted from the winter months to the summer.

Americans had begun coming to the south of France in the 19th century. Henry James set part of his novel, The Ambassadors, on the Riviera. Henry James, OM ( –) son of theologian Henry James Sr, brother of the philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James James Gordon Bennett, the son and heir of the founder of the New York Herald, had a villa in Beaulieu. James Gordon Bennett may refer to James Gordon Bennett Sr (1795&ndash1872 first publisher of the New York Herald James Gordon A herald, or more correctly a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between Pursuivant and King of arms. Industrialist John Pierpont Morgan gambled at Monte Carlo, and bought 18th century paintings by Fragonard in Grasse and shipped them to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. John Pierpont Morgan ( April 17, 1837 &ndash March 31, 1913) was an American financier banker and art collector who Jean-Honoré Fragonard ( April 5, 1732 &ndash August 22, 1806) was a French painter and Printmaker whose late Rococo Grasse ( Provençal Occitan: Grassa in classical norm or Grasso in Mistralian norm is a town and Episcopal see in southeastern The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City,

An important feature of the Riviera in the 1920s and 1930s was the Train Bleu, the all first-class sleeping train which brought wealthy passengers from Calais to the Riviera. This article is about the French luxury passenger train For the South African luxury passenger train of the same name see Blue Train (South Africa. It made its first trip in 1922, and carried such passengers as Winston Churchill, Somerset Maugham, and the future King Edward VIII to the Riviera. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 William Somerset Maugham, CH ( January 25 1874 &ndash December 16 1965) was an English Playwright,

After World War I, when Europe was recovering from the war and the American dollar was strong, more Americans, including writers and artists, began coming to the Riviera. Edith Wharton wrote The Age of Innocence (1920) at a villa near Hyères; she won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel, the first woman to do so. Edith Wharton ( January 24 1862 &ndash August 11 1937) was an American Novelist, Short story Writer Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Dancer Isadora Duncan frequented Cannes and Nice; she died in a freak auto accident in 1927, when her scarf caught in the wheel of the car in which she was a passenger and strangled her. Isadora Duncan (May 26 1877 &ndash September 14 1927 was an American dancer The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda first visited the Riviera in 1924, stopping at Hyères, Cannes and Monte Carlo, eventually staying at St. Raphaël, where he wrote much of The Great Gatsby and began Tender is the Night. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24 1896 – December 21 1940 was an American writer of Novels and Short stories, whose works are evocative of the Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously Saint-Raphaël is a commune of the Var département and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France

While American visitors were largely responsible for making summer the high season on the Riviera, a French fashion designer, Coco Chanel, was responsible for making sunbathing fashionable. Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( August 19, 1883 &ndash January 10, 1971) was a pioneering French Fashion designer She acquired a striking tan during the summer of 1923, and tans immediately became the fashion in Paris.

During the crisis of the British Monarchy in 1936, Wallis Simpson, the intended bride of King Edward VIII, was at the Villa Lou Vieie in Cannes, talking with the king by telephone each day. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy Wallis Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Spencer, then Simpson; 19 June 1895 or 1896 &ndash 24 April 1986 was an American After his abdication, the Duke of Windsor, as he became, and his wife stayed at the Villa La Croe near Antibes. The Peerage title Duke of Windsor was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1937 for The Prince Edward, formerly King of the United Kingdom Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes

The British novelist Somerset Maugham also became a resident of the Riviera in 1926, buying the Villa Mauresque near the end of Cap Ferrat, near Nice. William Somerset Maugham, CH ( January 25 1874 &ndash December 16 1965) was an English Playwright, Cap Ferrat ( Cape Ferrat) is situated in Alpes-Maritimes département, in southeastern France.

World War II through the 1950s

When Nazi Germany invaded France in June 1940, the remaining British colony on the Riviera was evacuated to Gibraltar and eventually to Britain. American Jewish groups helped some of the Jewish artists living in the south of France, such as Marc Chagall, to escape to the United States. Marc Chagall (מאַרק שאַגאַל&lrm Belarusian: Мойша Захаравіч Шагалаў Mojša Zaharavič Šagałaŭ; Russian: Марк In August 1942, six hundred Jews from Nice were rounded up by the French police and sent to Drancy, and eventually to Nazi death camps. Drancy is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. In all about five thousand French Jews from Nice perished during the war.

On August 15, 1944, American parachute troops landed near Fréjus, and a fleet landed sixty thousand troops of the American Seventh Army and French First Army between Cavalaire and Agay, east of Saint-Raphaël. German resistance crumbled in a few days.

Saint-Tropez was badly damaged by German mines at the time of the liberation. San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language The novelist Colette organized an effort to assure that the town was rebuilt in its original style. Colette was the pen name of the French Novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette ( January 28 1873 &ndash August 3

When the war ended, artists Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso returned to the Riviera to live and work. Marc Chagall (מאַרק שאַגאַל&lrm Belarusian: Мойша Захаравіч Шагалаў Mojša Zaharavič Šagałaŭ; Russian: Марк Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973

The Cannes Film Festival was launched in September 1946, marking the return of French cinema to world screens. The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice, The Festival Palace was built in 1949 on the site of the old Cercle Nautique, where the Prince of Wales had met his mistresses. The release of the French film Et Dieu… créa la femme (And God Created Woman) in November 1956 was a major event for the Riviera, making an international star out of Brigitte Bardot, and making an international tourist destination out of Saint-Tropez, particularly for the new class of wealthy international travelers called the 'jet set. Brigitte Bardot ( (born 28 September 1934 is a French actress, former fashion model, Singer and animal welfare/rights activist Jet Set was a Television programme in the UK It was presented by Eamonn Holmes, and it first started in 2001, on BBC television channel '

The marriage of American film actress Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco on April 18, 1956, attracted world attention once again to the Riviera. Grace Patricia Kelly (later Grace Princess of Monaco; November 12 1929 &ndash September 14 1982 was an Academy Award -winning American film and It was viewed on television by some thirty million people.

The 1960s through the 21st century

On May 13, 1971, Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the rock group the Rolling Stones, married Nicaraguan model Bianca Perez de Macias in Saint-Tropez, which maintained the image of the Riviera as a haven for the rich and famous. Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger, Kt (born 26 July 1943 is a Golden Globe -winning and two-time Grammy -winning English rock

During the 1960s, the Mayor of Nice, Jacques Médecin, decided to reduce the dependence of the Riviera on ordinary tourism, and to make it a destination for international congresses and conventions. Jacques Médecin (1928-1998 was a French politician A member of the Gaullist RPR, he served as mayor of the city of Nice from 1966 to 1990 He built the Palais des Congrès at Acropolis, and founded both a Chagall Museum and a Matisse Museum at Cimiez. The Palais des Congrès Acropolis (also known as Acropolis Exhibition Hall is a Convention center for Nice, France. Marc Chagall (מאַרק שאַגאַל&lrm Belarusian: Мойша Захаравіч Шагалаў Mojša Zaharavič Šagałaŭ; Russian: Марк Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954 was a French Artist, known for his use of Colour and his fluid brilliant and original draughtsmanship Cimiez is an Upper class neighborhood in Nice, France. The area contains the Henri Matisse Museum and the Roman Ruins (arena amphitheatre thermal High-rise apartment buildings and real estate developments began to spread along the Riviera.

At the end of August, 1997, Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed spent their last days together on his father's yacht anchored off Pampelonne Beach near Saint-Tropez, shortly before they were killed in a traffic accident in the Alma Tunnel in Paris. Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed ( Arabic عماد الدين محمد عبد المنعم الفايد) ( April 15, 1955 &ndash San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Today the French Riviera is not just an important tourist destination, but also a center for education, high technology, and scientific research. Nice is the fifth largest city in France, and is home of the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, with its own large technology and research park. The University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis is a university located in Nice, France and neighboring areas

Geography

Cap Ferrat; Plage la Paloma, a beach on the Côte d'Azur.
Cap Ferrat; Plage la Paloma, a beach on the Côte d'Azur.
Saint-Jeannet, in Alpes-Maritimes.
Saint-Jeannet, in Alpes-Maritimes. Alpes-Maritimes ( Occitan: Aups Maritims) is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France.
Port of Porquerolles, an island in Var.
Port of Porquerolles, an island in Var.
Courtade's Beach on Porquerolles.
Courtade's Beach on Porquerolles.

Places

Places on the French Riviera, from west to east, include:

Climate

The French Riviera has a Mediterranean climate, with sunny, hot, dry summers, and mild winters. Cassis (kasis is a commune situated east of Marseille in the administrative department of the Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language Fréjus can also refer to the Fréjus Road Tunnel and the Fréjus Rail Tunnel in the Alps Saint-Raphaël is a commune of the Var département and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Grasse ( Provençal Occitan: Grassa in classical norm or Grasso in Mistralian norm is a town and Episcopal see in southeastern Juan-les-Pins is a town in the commune of Antibes, in the Alpes-Maritimes, in southeastern France, on the Côte d'Azur, which is part Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes Biot is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in southeastern France Villeneuve-Loubet is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern Cagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern Sophia Antipolis is a Technology park northwest of Antibes and southwest of Nice, France. Saint-Paul or Saint-Paul de Vence is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Villefranche-sur-Mer ( Niçard: Vilafranca de Mar, Italian: Villafranca Marittima) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Beaulieu-sur-Mer is a seaside resort commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera, located 6 miles (10 km apart east Èze ("Eza" in Italian is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France, not far from the town of Nice Cap-d'Ail is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously Roquebrune-Cap-Martin ( Roccabruna-Capo Martino in Italian is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France Menton (mɑ̃tɔ̃ Occitan: Menton in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm Italian: Mentone) is a commune A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide Winter temperatures are moderated by the proximity to the Mediterranean; days of frost are extremely rare, and in summer the maximum temperature rarely exceeds 30º celsius. [3] Along the French Riviera there are a number of micro-climates, and there can be great differences in the weather between Nice on the east and Toulon on the west. Strong winds, such as the Mistral, a cold dry wind from the northwest or from the east, are another characteristic feature of the Riviera, particularly in the winter and between Toulon and Marseille. The Mistral in France is a fresh or cold often violent and usually dry Wind, blowing throughout the year but is most frequent in winter and spring Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ

Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes

Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes département are sheltered by the Alps, and are the most protected part of the Mediterranean coast. The winds in this area are usually gentle, blowing from the sea to the land, though sometimes the Mistral blows strongly from the northwest, or, turned by the mountains, from the east. In 1956 a Mistral from the northwest reached a speed of 180 kilometers an hour at Nice airport. [4] Sometimes in summer the Sirocco brings high temperatures and reddish desert sand from Africa. Sirocco, scirocco, jugo or rarely siroc is a Mediterranean Wind that comes from (See Winds of Provence. The Winds of Provence, the region of southeast France along the Mediterranean from the Alps to the mouth of the Rhone River are an important )

Rainfall is rare, but can be torrential, particularly in September, when storms and rain are caused by the difference between the colder air inland and the warm Mediterranean water temperature (20°C-24°C). The average annual rainfall in Nice is 767 millimeters, more than in Paris, though it rains an average of just 63 days a year.

Snow is extremely rare, usually falling once every ten years. 1956 was a very exceptional year, when 20 centimeters of snow blanketed the coast. [5] In January 1985 the coast between Cannes and Menton received 30 to 40 centimeters of snow. In the mountains, snow is present from November to May.

Nice has an average of 2694 hours of sunshine, or about 112 days, a year. The average maximum daily temperature in Nice in August is 28°C, while the average minimum daily temperature in January is 6°C. [6]

Toulon and the Var

Toulon and the département of the Var (which includes St. Tropez and Hyères) have a climate slightly warmer, dryer and sunnier than Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes, but also less sheltered from the wind. San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Toulon has an average of 2799 hours of sunshine, or about 116 days a year, making it the sunniest city in metropolitan France. [7] The average maximum daily temperature in August is 29. 1°C, and the average daily minimum temperature in January is 5. 8°C. The average annual rainfall is 665 millimeters, with the most rain from October to November.

The cold and dry Mistral wind is particularly frequent and strong in winter between Marseille and Toulon, blowing down the Rhône River Valley. Strong winds blow an average of 118 days a year in Toulon, compared with 76 days at Fréjus further east. The strongest Mistral wind recorded in Toulon was 130 kilometers an hour. [8]

Events and festivals

Several major events take place along the French Riviera at various times of the year:

Painters

Paul Signac, The Port of Saint-Tropez, oil on canvas, 1901.
Paul Signac, The Port of Saint-Tropez, oil on canvas, 1901. Paul Signac ( November 11, 1863 – August 15, 1935) was a French neo-impressionist painter who working with

The climate and vivid colors of the Mediterranean coast attracted many famous artists during the 19th and 20th centuries. Artists who painted on the coast included:


Trivia

See also

Bibliography

History

Painters

Footnotes

  1. ^ Towns and tourist offices on the coast dispute the borders of the Côte d'Azur. Some authorities (including the official tourist bodies for the Alpes-Maritimes) argue that it stops at the border with the département of the Var, after Théoule-sur-Mer. The Var is a French department in Provence in southeast France Théoule-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Others suggest it extends further along the Var coastline, at least as far as Saint-Tropez but possibly to Hyères or even the border with the Bouches-du-Rhône département. San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language Hyères ( Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm is a town and commune in the southeast of France Bouches-du-Rhône ( Occitan: Bocas de Ròse, lit "Mouths of the Rhône River" is a department in the south of France named after the
  2. ^ Aldo Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, Edition Ouest-France, 2001.
  3. ^ Internet site of Meteo-France, describing the climate of different French regions.
  4. ^ Météo-France site.
  5. ^ Meteo-France site
  6. ^ Météo-France site.
  7. ^ MSN meteo and Météo-France site.
  8. ^ Météo-France site.

External links

Dictionary

French Riviera

-noun

  1. An area of the coast in southern France, popular with holiday-makers.
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