Chapter XIII: Part I: Paris to Marseilles (11)

and dressmakers. At the east end of the Rue de France is the Croix de Marbre, a marble crucifix under a canopy on four marble columns, erected in 1568 to commemorate the visit of Charles V., Francis I., and Paul III. in 1538, and the partial reconciliation of the two potentates through the intervention of the Pope. The column opposite commemorates the visits of Pio VII. in 1809 and in February 1814. Near this is Trinity Church, and in the Rue Gioffredo the Temple Évangélique, the second Protestant church built in Nice.

André Massena.

On the arched part of the Paillon, fronting the Quai St. Jean, is the large and handsome Casino, and a little farther up the river the pretty public garden called the Square Massena, with a statue in the centre, in an animated posture, of André Massena, Prince of Essling and Marshal of France, who was born on May 7, 1758, in a house now demolished, which stood on the Quai St. Jean Baptiste. In 1810 he was chosen by Napoleon to stop the advance of Wellington in Portugal, and was commissioned “to drive the English and their Sepoy general into the sea.” But the wary strategy and imperturbable firmness of the British general proved resistless, and Massena was compelled to save his military fame by a masterly retreat. On the pedestal Clio is seen writing his name in the chronicles of his native city. This garden forms a pleasant lounge, but it is not so fashionable as the other farther down, at the mouth of the river, called the “Jardin Public,” planted with magnolias, acacias, Japan medlars, and gum, cork, camphor, and pepper trees. The band plays here in the afternoon. The most beautiful of the public gardens is on the Castlehill, intersected by footpaths and carriage-roads up to the summit. On one side of the hill is the public cemetery.

Cimiès.

All the side streets which ramify eastward from the Avenue de la Gare lead to the Quartier Carabacel, one of the most sheltered parts of Nice, and inhabited by the most delicate invalids. Above it, about 2 m. distant, or 3 from the Place Massena, is Cimiès (430 ft. above the sea), another favoured spot, frequented principally by nervous invalids requiring a sedative climate. On the top of this hill stood the Roman city Cemenelium, of which all that remains are the ruins of an amphitheatre 210 ft. long by 175 wide. Just under the Boulevard Prince de Galles are artistic ruins composed of ancient material gathered in this neighbourhood. They stand in the spacious grounds of the superb villa Val Rose, which in shape resembles Noe’s ark. Entrance from behind G. H. Windsor. The first road right from the theatre leads to a Franciscan convent built in 1543 on the site of a temple of Diana. 178

The altar-pieces of the two chapels to the right of the altar were painted by Ludovico Brea, a contemporary of Raphael, and the only artist of eminence Nice has produced. The cemetery contains some beautiful tombstones. In the centre of the “Place,” on a spiral marble column, is a crucifix with a winged J. C. Above is a pelican feeding its young, a favourite Christian symbol of charity during the Middle Ages.

A path in the corner of the “Place” leads down to St. Pons (p. 179).

At No. 6 Place Garibaldi is the Museum of Natural History. The first hall contains a collection of the fungi growing in the department; and separate, under a glass case, specimens of those allowed to be sold in the market for food.

Nice: Drives.

The best of the drives from Nice is to Menton, 20 m. east, either by the high Corniche road along the flanks of the mountains, passing above Monaco, or by the beautiful new road which seldom rises much above the coast, and passes through La Condamine to Monte Carlo. An omnibus runs daily between the Boul. du Pont Neuf and Monte Carlo by this road (see p. 187).

Cab with 1 horse and 2 seats to Villefranche and back, 5 frs.; ½ hour’s rest allowed. With 2 horses and 4 seats, 7 frs. Above the Pont Neuf, near the Place St. François, omnibuses (without fixed time) start for Villefranche, ½ fr.; St. Jean, 15 sous; and Beaulieu, 15 sous. On feast-days a steamer generally sails to Monaco. In the village of St. Jean there is a very comfortable country inn, H. Victoria, where bouillabaisse can always be had. Pension, 8½ frs. And at Beaulieu, close to the station, is the *H. et P. des Anglais, pension 9½ to 12 frs. Those who go from Nice to St. Jean with luggage should leave in the omnibus, but for Beaulieu the rail should be taken. A carriage with 2 horses to St. Jean and Beaulieu and back, 25 frs. The tour round Mt Boron, ascending by the new and descending by the old road, costs, in a coach with 2 horses, 15 frs. Time, 1½ hour.

Val-Obscur.

Nice to the Val-Obscur, 4 m. N.—Take tram from the Place Massena to St. Maurice, 2 m. N. It stops in front of the gate of the Villa Chambrun, by the side of the Octroi. For the Vallon des Fleurs ascend by the road to the right. For the Val-Obscur ascend by the road to the left, passing the Chapelle du Ray. Carriages can drive the length of the water-conduit. From this part the bed of the stream may be followed, but as it is very stony it is better to keep on the path by the side of the conduit as long as possible. The Val-Obscur is a deep ravine, 440 yards long, between cliffs of an earthy 179

conglomerate from 200 to 300 ft. high, and 7 ft. apart at their narrowest point. By continuing this path for a little distance past a house on the side of the hill, then crossing over by a path to the right, we reach the chapel of St. Sebastien, whence a road ascends to Mt. Chauve, passing by Le Ray, with an inn, 1446 ft. above the sea, or only 1324 ft. below the summit of Mt. Chauve.

The Vallon des Fleurs ou des Hepatiques is renowned for its olive trees and its wild flowers in early spring. The commencement of the valley is about 10 minutes’ walk from the St. Maurice terminus of the tram. A path leads to the top of the valley. From the summit it leads round by the head of other two vallons to the Cimiès road, which it joins nearly opposite to the observatory, only a little higher up the valley of the Paillon. The whole forms a very agreeable walk. (For Cimiès, see p. 177.)

Nice: Villa Clery. St. Pons. Grotte St. Andre.

A much-frequented drive or walk is to the Grotte St. André, about 3¾ m. N. from Nice by the west bank of the Paillon and the Vallon St. André. A cab with 1 horse and 2 seats there and back, 5 frs.; with 2 horses and 4 seats, 7 frs.; ½ hour’s stay allowed. Carriage, 15 frs. But if the return to Nice be made by Falicon, 25 frs. When about 1½ m. up the Paillon there is a large gate which gives access to the orchard of the Villa Clery, containing some orange trees above 100 years old, yet in the whole plantation there is not one well-developed specimen. The oranges are sold at from 4½ to 6 frs. the 100, and packed and despatched to order. Almost opposite, on the east side of the Paillon, are the more beautiful gardens and perfume distillery of Rimmel. On the top of the hill (430 ft.), above the Clery orchard, is seen the monastery of Cimiès, built in 1543 after the original house, which stood near the Croix de Marbre, had been destroyed by the Turks. The next large edifice passed on the west bank is the monastery of St. Pons, built in 775 by St. Syagrius, a contemporary of Charlemagne, on the spot where the Roman senator St. Pontius suffered martyrdom. The emperor is said to have spent some days here in 777 while on his way to Rome. In 890 it was destroyed by the Saracens, and in 999 rebuilt by Fredericus, Bishop of Nice. In 1388 the treaty was signed here by which Nice was annexed to the house of Savoy. A short distance beyond, at the part where the stream St. André unites with the Paillon, 3 m. from the Place Massena, is the asylum for the insane. First-class boarders pay 4 frs. per day, second 3 frs. A little higher up the stream are the village, pop. 660, and (on a hill) the château of St. André. The château is a plain house with a small chapel at the west end, 180

fronted by a terrace built by the brothers Thaon of Lantosque in 1685. Part is occupied by a school and part is let. The chapel is now the parish church. At the east end is a small petrifying spring. From the château an avenue of ill-conditioned cypresses (the best have been cut down) leads to the Grotte St. André. Fee, ½ fr. each. It is a natural tunnel, 114 ft. long and 25 ft. high, through the limestone rock, under which flows the stream St. André, dammed up at the outer end to enable the man to take visitors through it in a boat. Near it are a restaurant and shop in which petrifactions are sold.

From the “Grotte” up to the 8th kilomètre stone the ravine becomes so narrow that there is barely room between the high cliffs for the road and the stream. It is so picturesque that those who have come to visit the cave should walk up this distance, 1 mile, before returning. Those in carriages generally pass up this way and return by Falicon, a village perched on the top of a steep hill above the river St. André.

_To the Observatory_, 1215 ft. above the sea, constructed in 1881 at the expense of M. Bischoffsheim. Take the Abbatoir tram the length of the Place Risso (see plan), where take the corner to the right and ascend by the Corniche road. If on foot, on arriving at a well beside a house, ascend the hill by the mule-path. The views are charming. The establishment possesses 1235 acres of land. On the highest part are the various buildings for astronomical purposes. A few yards below, on the west side of the mountain, is a handsome building 228 ft. long and 46 broad. In the centre is the library, and the wing at each end dwelling-houses.

Nice to Cuneo by St. Martin Lantosque.

(Map, page 165, and Map of Rhône and Savoy.)

_Nice to Cuneo by St. Martin Lantosque._—Diligence from Nice to St. Martin, 37 m. N. From St. Martin to Entraque, on the north side of the Col di Finestra, 8 hrs. by mule, considered equal to 25 m. From Entraque to Cuneo by Valdieri and Dalmazzo, 24 m. N. by coach.

Levens. Lantosque.

The diligence from Nice ascends by the west side of the river Paillon, and after passing the villages of St. André (p. 179) and Tourette, near the ruins of Châteauneuf, arrives at Levens, 1826 ft. above the sea, pop. 1560, _Inn:_ H. des Étrangers, where the coach halts a short time. After Levens it crosses the Col du Dragon, and then descends into the prettiest part of the valley of the Vesubie, where it passes through the village of Duranus, 18 m. from Nice, pop. 1500. Then, after having traversed a tunnel 88 yds. long, crossed the Vesubie, and passed by the hamlet of Le Suque (Suchet), 25 m. from Nice, it reaches the village of Lantosque, 28½ m. from Nice, 1640 181

ft. above the sea, pop. 1910, _Inn:_ H. des Alpes Maritimes. On a plateau 765 ft. above Lantosque, and 1¼ m. distant, is La Bollène, with a large hotel, charmingly situated amidst hills covered with chestnut trees. The coach next halts at Roquebillère, pop. 1800, on the Vesubie, 3½ m. from Lantosque, 32 from Nice, and 1968 ft. above the sea. It is the station for the village of Belvédère, pop. 1250, with a comfortable hotel on a plateau 755 ft. above Roquebillère. St. Martin Lantosque. Col di Finestra. From Roquebillère the coach proceeds up the valley of the Vesubie by the villages of Berguerie, St. Bernard, and St. Sebastien, to St. Martin Lantosque, 37 m. from Nice, pop. 1956, and 3117 ft. above the sea. An ancient village at the junction of the Vesubie with the Salèses. In the “Place” where the diligence stops is a very good inn, the H. des Alpes. Down in the town is the Belle-Vue pension, 6 frs. Up by the side of the promenade are some good pensions. On the opposite hill, ½ hour walk from St. Martin, and 700 ft. higher, is the village of Venanson, pop. 250, commanding splendid views of the surrounding valleys. The lower parts of the mountains are covered with chestnut and cherry trees, and the higher with large firs. From St. Martin commences the bridle-path to Entraque, by the valley of the Vesubie and the Col di Finestra, 8269 ft. above the sea, called thus from a fancied resemblance of a cleft in the peak to a window. Mule and guide to Entraque, 22 frs.; time, 8 hrs. 1¼ m. up the Vesubie is the stone which marks the boundary between France and Italy, and 6¼ m. farther the inn and the chapel of the Madonna di Finestra, 6234 ft. above the sea. Many rare plants are found here, especially the remarkable _Saxifraga florulenta_, on the ridges of rock above the sanctuary. Half an hour beyond, a lake is passed among jagged peaks, and, in about another ½ hour more, the summit of the pass, 8269 ft., is attained, commanding an extensive view both towards Italy and France. At Entraque there is an inn, and a coach daily to Cuneo.

Valdieri.

A mule-path from St. Martin extends to the Baths of Valdieri, about 20 m. distant, time 7 to 8 hrs., by the Salèses, which it follows all the way to the Col de Moulières, 6890 ft. A few miles farther northward it crosses also the Col di Fremamorta, a depression between two mountains, 8745 ft. and 8964 ft. respectively above the sea. It then descends by a long dreary road to the Val di Vallaso, where it turns eastwards to the river Valletta and the Baths of Valdieri. From the baths a carriage-road extends 24 m. N.E. to Cuneo, passing by the village of Valdieri on the Gesso, 2493 ft. above the sea, 10 m. N. from the baths, and 7½ m. S. from the next village, Roccavione, in the picturesque valley of the Vermanagna. The coach then passes through the Borgo San Dalmazzo, 5 m. from Cuneo, in a well-cultivated plain at the junction of the Vermanagna with the Gesso.

A more direct but not such a good path separates from the Fremamorta road at a small hamlet about 4 m. N. from St. Martin, whence it ascends northwards by the Col de Cerise, 8500 ft., and then follows the course of the Valletta to the baths. “The Baths of Valdieri make excellent headquarters for exploring this part of the Western 182

Alps. In every village an inn of more or less humble pretensions is to be found; and, though the first impressions may be very unfavourable, the writer [Ed.] has usually obtained food and a bed such as a mountaineer need not despise. Apart also from the advantage of being accessible at seasons when travellers are shut out by climate from most other Alpine districts, this offers special attractions to the naturalist. Within a narrow range may be found a considerable number of very rare plants, several of which are not known to exist elsewhere. The geology is also interesting, and would probably repay further examination. A crystalline axis is flanked on both sides by highly-inclined and much-altered sedimentary rocks, which probably include the entire series from the carboniferous to the cretaceous rocks, in some parts overlaid by nummulitic deposits.” —_The Western Alps_, by John Ball.

Puget-Theniers. Saint Sauveur.

_Nice to Puget-Theniers_, 42 m. N.W. by the Vallon du Var, which does not become picturesque till Chaudan, 22 m. N. from Nice, at the junction of the Tinée with the Var, where the horses are changed and where the coach from St. Sauveur (18¼ m. N. from Chaudan) meets the Puget coach. Puget-Theniers (Castrum de Pogeto de Thenariis, pop. 1450, 1476 ft. above the sea, _Inn:_ *Croix de Malte) is a dirty village on the confluence of the Roudoule with the Var at the foot of bare precipitous mountains. Coach daily from the inn to Guillaumes, pop. 1300, on the Var, 22 m. N., _Inn:_ Ginié. The roads beyond are traversed by mules. Coach also to Entrevaux, 3¾ m. W. from Puget.

The banks of the Tinée are more picturesque than those of the Var. On the Tinée, 40½ m. N. from Nice, is Saint Sauveur, pop. 800, _Inn:_ Vial, with Romanesque church containing a statue of St. Paul, dating from 1309. Hot and cold sulphurous springs issue from a granite rock called the Guez. From St. Sauveur a good road extends northwards by the Tinée to St. Etienne, where there is an inn. From St. Etienne, pop. 150, a good mule-path leads by the Col Valonet to Vinadio (see map, p. 165).

Nice to Turin by the Col di Tenda.

Nice to the village of Tenda, by coach, 51 m., 11 hours, 9 frs.; Tenda to Cuneo, 29 m., 7 hours, 7 frs.; Cuneo to Turin, by rail, 3 hours (see maps, pp. 165 and 107). This is rather a fatiguing journey. The most beautiful views are seen during the descent from Tenda to the Mediterranean. Nice.—Start from the Place St. François. The road ascends the E. bank of the Paillon by the villages of Trinité-Victor, pop. 1300, and Drap, pop. 800, with a sulphurous spring called Eau de Lagarde. Beyond this it leaves the Paillon and crosses over to Escarène on the Braus, 12½ m. N.E. from Nice, pop. 1500. About 1½ m. farther is Touet, pop. 400, whence commences the tedious ascent of the Col di Braus, 3300 ft, between the Tête Lavine on the S. and Mt. Ventabren on the N. The road now descends to Sospel, 1125 ft., pop. 3500, on the Bevera, an affluent of the Roja, 25½ m. N.E. from Nice. H. Carenio; coach daily to and from Menton, 14 m. S. The 183

road now ascends the Col di Brouis, 2871 ft., whence passengers in this direction have their last view of the Mediterranean. Giandola. Saorgio. The descent is now made through bleak and barren mountains to Giandola, 39¼ m. N.E. from Nice, 1247 ft., at the base of lofty frowning rocks. _Inns:_ Étrangers, Poste. Coach daily between this and Ventimiglia. To the E., on the Roja, are Breglio, pop. 2580, and the ruins of the castle of Trivella. The road now ascends a narrow defile of the Roja, which, suddenly widening, discloses Saorgio, pop. 1600, 400 ft. above the torrent, composed of parallel rows of dingy houses among almond and olive trees. On the top of the hill is the castle of Malemort, destroyed by the French in 1792. From this the valley contracts so much that the road has repeatedly to cross and re-cross the river on its way to Fontana on the Italian frontier, 43 m. from Nice, pop. 1230. Luggage and passports are examined here. Almost the only habitat of the curious plant _Ballota spinosa_ is between Fontana and Breglio. The road from this to St. Dalmazzo, 5 m. N., passes through one of the most formidable defiles in the Alps, the Gorge de Berghe, between steep massive walls of igneous rock. “The bold forms of the cliffs, and the luxuriant vegetation which crowns every height and fills every hollow, make the scenery of this road worthy to compare with almost any other more famous Alpine pass.” —_Ball_. At St. Dalmazzo is a hydropathic establishment, pension 8 frs. Coach daily between Ventimiglia and Tenda.

Limone. Cuneo.

51 m. N.E. from Nice, 2 m. S. from the tunnel, and 12 m. S. from Limone, is the village of Tenda, pop. 1800; _Inn:_ H. National; 2680 ft. above the sea, and 1516 ft. below the tunnel; situated on the Roja at the base of a rock, on which are the picturesque ruins of the castle of Beatrice di Tenda, executed on the 13th Sept. 1418 by her jealous and tyrannical husband, Duke Fil. Maria Visconti. Many rare plants are to be found on the rocks over the village. The village church (1476-1518) is a good specimen of Lombardian architecture. The tunnel, opened in 1882—4196 ft. above the sea at the Tenda end, and 4331 ft. at the Limone end—is 9844 ft. long and 23 ft. high. The Tenda end of the tunnel is at the hamlet called La Punta, and the Cuneo end at the hamlet La Panice. From La Panice the road descends rapidly by the Vermanagna to Limone, 3668 ft., 63 m. N.E. from Nice and 17 m. S. from Cuneo; _Inn:_ H. de la Poste; pleasantly situated in the valley of the Vermanagna, from which an occasional glimpse may be had of Monte Viso, 12,670 ft. The road, after passing Robillante, Roccavione, and Borgo-San-Dalmazzo, pop. 4600, arrives at Cuneo, 80 m. N.E. from Nice, 1500 ft. above the sea, pop. 1200; _Inns:_ Barra di Ferro, Albergo di Superga; situated at the confluence of the Stura with the Gesso. 55 m. N. by rail is Turin.

Mondovi. Acqui.

The easiest way to go to Turin from Nice is to take the rail to Savona, whence rail to Turin, 91 m. N.W. by Carru, Bra, and Cavallermaggioré. On this rail, 4 m. W. from Savona, is the Santuario di Savona, a pilgrimage church with large hospice for poor devotees (p. 210). From Carru station, 50 m. N., a branch line extends 8 m. S. 184

to Mondovi, pop. 17,000, on the Ellero. _Inns:_ Croce di Malta; Tré Limoni d’Oro. From Mondovi is visited the Cave of Bossea, about 15 m. S., in the valley of the Corsaglia. Each seat in the conveyance, 8 frs.; cave, 2½ frs. each, shown from June to October. 12 m. S.W. from Mondovi, and about the same S.E. by coach from Cuneo, is the Certosa di Val Pésio, formerly a monastery, founded in 1173, now a hydropathic establishment, open from 1st June to 30th September. Pension, 8 to 10 frs. It is well managed, and well situated for botanists, fishers, and sketchers.

At the station S. Giuseppe di Cairo, 13 m. W. from Savona, is the junction with line to Alessandria, 52 m. N., by Acqui, 31 m. N., traversing a picturesque country, between S. Giuseppe and Acqui, where it passes down the beautiful valley of the Bormida.

Acqui, pop. 8000, on the Bormida, and 21 m. S. by rail from Alessandria. _Hotels:_ Italia; Moro. The town is partly on and partly round the Castello. On the other side of the river is the bathing establishment, a large building with abundant accommodation. The pension price per day is from 9 to 12 frs., including the use of the water, which, besides being drank, is employed both in water and in mud baths. The waters are sulphurous and alkaline, temp. 120°, and were known to the Romans under the name of the Aquæ Statielæ, yet of their times nothing exists but the ruins of an aqueduct. The mud-baths of Acqui are remedies of considerable power. The patient remains immersed for about half an hour in the humus or mineralised mud of a temperature as hot as he can bear. Immediately after he receives a warm mineral water bath. “The therapeutic influence of this application is most evident in chronic articular enlargements, rheumatic arthritis, some indolent tumours, intractable cases of secondary syphilis, and rheumatism.” —Dr. Madden’s _Health Resorts_.

Villefranche.

MARSEILLES MENTON 142½ 12½ VILLEFRANCHE, pop. 3500. Approached by omnibuses from the Pont Vieux at Nice, also by rail. Station at the head of the bay. _Hotel:_ Marine. Pleasant boating excursions may be taken here to the peninsulas of St. John and the Hospice. The climate of Villefranche resembles that of Cimiès and Carabacel. 2 m. E. from Nice, at the head of a deep narrow bay, 2 m. long, are the arsenal, fortress, and port of Villefranche, founded in the 13th cent. by Charles II., King of Naples. The bay is a favourite place of anchorage of the French squadron, as well as of other ships of war and yachts. Boat from the mole to the little pier on the peninsula of St. Jean, 1 fr. each person. From Villefranche commences the splendid Road to Monaco, 8 m. long and 18 ft. wide, exclusive of the space for foot-passengers. This most enjoyable carriage-drive skirts with the railway the base of the precipitous cliffs which rise from the sea. 1 m. from Villefranche by rail, or 1¾ by road, is

opp. 185 THE CORNICHE ROAD NICE to MENTON

see caption

Beaulieu.

MARSEILLES MENTON 143½ 11½ BEAULIEU, famed for its large olive trees. A little above 185

the station is one of the oldest trees, and near it the H. des Anglais among “countless terraces, where olives rise unchilled by autumn’s blast or wintry skies.” Down towards the village is another old olive tree, not far from a restaurant. Near the Church on the Monaco road is the Restaurant Beau-Rivage, where a Bouillabaisse lunch can be had. In the creek below are small boats for hire. Beaulieu is really a beautiful place. It is situated in one of the most sheltered nooks of the Riviera, at the foot of gigantic cliffs with patches of strata of reddish sandstone. The edges of this grand precipice are fringed with trees, which in the bright atmosphere look almost as if they were transparent; while below, groves of stately olive trees cover the base and struggle as far up as they can by the fissures in the rocks. Behind the olives, and intermixed with them, are orchards of orange and lemon trees, bending under the weight of their beautiful fruit. Trees and tall shrubs hang over the edges of the abrupt banks, which enclose the tiny creeks and bays bordered with diminutive sandy beaches, or with long ledges of marble rocks, dipping gradually down into the deep-blue water, carpeted in some places with the thin flat siliceous leaves of the Posidonia Caulini, a Naiad not an alga, which covers the shore of the Mediterranean, and of which great accumulations are seen thrown up at various parts. It makes a poor manure, but prevents in some degree evaporation.

Port of St. Jean.

A charming road, at some parts rather narrow for a carriage, leads from Beaulieu round by the edge of the bay and east side of the peninsula to the Port of St. Jean. The real carriage-road commences at the railway bridge, goes round by the west side of the peninsula, and descends to St. Jean, a little before reaching the chapel of St. Francis. The continuation past the chapel, of the road, extends to the lighthouse, passing the signal-tower to the right.

The port of St. Jean, _Inn:_ H. Victoria, is used principally by the tunny fishing-boats from February to April. It makes a very pleasant residence for artists and naturalists. It is situated among creeks and bays, gardens, orchards, villas, and woods, in the most fertile part of the peninsula. Beyond, on the highest point of the peninsula of St. Hospice, is a round tower, the remains of the fortifications razed by the Duke of Berwick in 1706. The more ancient crumbling masonry around belonged to a stronghold of the Saracens, whence they were driven in the 10th cent. “A fir-clad mound amid the savage wild bears on its brow a village, walled and isled in lone seclusion round its ancient tower. It was a post of Saracens, whose 186

fate made them the masters for long years of lands remote and scattered o’er a hundred strands.” —_Guido and Lita_, by the Marquis of Lorne. Below, towards the point, are a cemetery, a church, 11th cent., visited by Victor Emmanuel in 1821, and a battery.

Lighthouse.

At the south extremity of the peninsula of St. Jean is the lighthouse (second-class), built in the 17th cent., but repaired, and the top story added, in 1836. It is 98 ft. high, or 196 ft. above the sea, and is ascended by 120 steps. The light is white and revolving, and is seen at a distance of 20 m. The Antibes light is fixed, and is of the first-class. By the east side of the lighthouse is the grave of Charles Best, who died at Tenda, on the 30th day of July 1817, aged 38. The tomb is hewn in the rock and arched over. His friends have laid him in a grand place to await the call of the resurrection trumpet. Large euphorbias and myrtles cover this stony part of the peninsula.

Petite Afrique. Eze.

EZE.

The most picturesque part of the Monaco road is between Beaulieu and Eze, the next station, 2 m. distant by road, but only 1½ by rail. The steep flanks of the mountains between Beaulieu and Cape Roux are so exposed to the sun, and so protected from the cold, that this region has been called the Petite Afrique. Cape Roux itself, the abrupt termination of a lofty ridge, looks as if it would topple over into the sea, to which it is so close that both the rail and the road have to pass through it by tunnels. On the eastern side of this cape is the equally picturesque and sheltered bay, the Mer d’Eze, backed by a phalanx of lofty stalwart cliffs and mountains. On the peak (1300 ft. high) of one of this confused assemblage of lofty calcareous rocks is the nearly deserted village of Eze, pop. 770, with the ruins of its castle founded by the Saracens in 814, and its small church, recently restored, built on the foundations of a temple of Isis, whence the name Eza or Eze is said to be derived. From the floor of rock of the castle, under the remains of a vaulted roof, a charming marine landscape displays itself, while inland is seen the Pass or highest part (1750 ft.) of the Corniche road, which here crosses the ridge terminated by Mt. Roux. At the Pass are an inn and a few houses. The road up to Eze commences near the station. In some parts it is steep, and much exposed to the sun, and throughout very picturesque and stony, passing through plantations of firs, olives, and carouba or locust trees. The ascent requires, doing it leisurely, 75 minutes. From Eze a road ascends to the Corniche road, and another descends to St. Laurent, on the road to Monaco. A little beyond Eze is the station for La Turbie.

187

Monaco.

100 min. from Cannes, 35 from Nice, and 44 from Menton, is

MARSEILLES MENTON 149 6 MONACO station, situated in La Condamine. At the station (6) an omnibus awaits passengers for Monaco on the top of the S.W. promontory, 195 ft. above the sea. For Monte Carlo, on the top of the N.E. promontory, alight at the next station, 1¼ m. N.E.

Monaco proper, pop. 1200. Hôtel de la Paix, 7½ frs., splendid view from the square. Pharmacies under the direction of MM. Cruzel and Muratore. Till the arrival of F. Blanc in 1860, Monaco was a poor place, where the Prince and his subjects had to maintain themselves from the produce of a few small vineyards and orchards scattered over patches of scanty soil on the slopes of the mountains. But now that the gambling-tables have brought a flood of gold into the principality, wealth has taken the place of poverty, the palace has been furnished anew, the humble Grimaldi church, 13th cent., thrown down, and in its stead a majestic cathedral erected, the barns have been filled with plenty, costly roads have been cut through the cliffs, the formerly arid hills clothed with exuberant verdure, and beautiful villas have been built in the midst of enchanting gardens, in places where, only a few years ago, hardly enough of short wiry grass could grow to feed a goat. The gambling establishment of Monaco was opened in 1856 by a company with the sanction of Prince Charles III. The first house was in the Place du Château; whence, after sundry changes, the company commenced to build a house in 1858 on Monte Carlo. Becoming short of funds, they sold their rights and property in 1860 to François Blanc.

The Grimaldi family have been in possession of this small territory since 968, when the Emperor Otto I. gave it to Grimaldi I., Lord of Antibes and father of Giballin Grimaldi, who drove the Saracens from the Grand-Fraxinet of St. Tropez (p. 145). The greatest length of the principality, from the cemetery wall at the western extremity to the brook St. Roman at the eastern, is (including curves) 3½ m., and the greatest breadth, from Point St. Martin northwards, 1 m. Population 10,000, distributed among four different centres—the city, or Monaco proper; the port, or La Condamine; Monte Carlo; and Les Moulins. They are all united excepting the city, which, like an eagle’s nest, occupies its own isolated rock, and is the one clean old town on the whole coast of the Mediterranean, and, although about 200 ft. above the sea, is most easily accessible by well-planned and gently-sloping roads. Monaco: The Palace. At the landward or north end of the promontory is the palace, of which the rooms in the upper floor on the west side are shown to the public on 188

certain days. The earliest parts, including the crenellated towers, date from the commencement of the 13th cent., but the rest is much more modern and of different dates. It is in the form of an oblong rectangle, the south small side being occupied by the entrance and the north by the chapel, sumptuously decorated with marble, gilding, and mosaics. Within the entrance is the Cour d’Honneur, decorated on the east side with friezes and designs in fresco by Caravaggio, retouched in 1865, representing the triumphal procession of Bacchus. On the opposite side a horse-shoe marble staircase, of 30 steps in each branch, leads up to an arcaded corridor. Under the 12 inner arches are frescoes by Carloni, representing the feats of Hercules. The rooms shown are to the left and right of the entrance passage, at the north end of the corridor. To left the first room is the usher’s room. The second is in blue satin; hangings and furniture in style Louis XV.; some family portraits on the walls. 3. Reception-room in red; handsome chimney-piece of one stone. Bust and full-length portrait of Charles III., Prince of Monaco. Ceiling painted in fresco by Horace Ferrari. 4. Room with brown hangings and green furniture. On the walls are some indifferently executed pictures representing the exploits of the Grimaldis. 5. Bedroom with red furniture; style Louis XIII.

Rooms on right hand of passage. 1. Sitting-room of the Duke of York, brother of George III.; red furniture and hangings; family portraits, some very good, and frescoes by Annibale Carracci. 2. The bedroom in which he died, 1760; the walls hung with rich embroidered scarlet satin; ceiling painted in fresco by Ann. Carracci. Table in mosaic. Elegant bedstead, shut off by a richly-gilt banister or low screen. 3. Sitting-room in pale yellow; style Louis XV. 4. Bedroom. Furniture and walls covered with white satin richly embroidered.

The door in the N.W. corner of the court gives access to a very pretty garden, 130 ft. above the sea, full of palms, orange trees, and flowers. Below, near the beach, is the kitchen garden.

At the southern part of the town is the cathedral, built with money bequeathed by Blanc. It is placed from north to south, is 75 yards long, and at the transepts 32 yards. In front, handsome terrace and good view. Northward, in the Rue de Lorraine, is the Church des Penitents Noirs, and a little way farther down the same street are the Église de la Visitation, founded in 1663, its schools, and the Hôtel Dieu. Down on the face of the southern cliffs is the domain of the washerwomen. They spread their clothes to dry on the hot rocks, or 189

over the prickly pear plants, here very abundant. At this end is also the Jardin St. Martin, a very pretty promenade, with charming views. 500 yards west from the foot of the Monaco rock, on the splendid road to Villefranche, is the cemetery, whose wall forms the western limit of the principality. Among the many tombs there is a beautiful marble monument to Pierre and Modestine Neri, brother and sister.

La Condamine. St. Devota.

On the little plain between the promontories of Monaco and Monte Carlo is La Condamine, whose handsome houses extend, where practicable, a considerable way up the surrounding mountains. In the picturesque gully, entered from beneath the railway viaduct, is the parish church, on the spot where the body of Santa Devota, a Roman martyr, the patroness of Monaco, was washed ashore. In 1070 Hugues, Prince of Monaco, caused the nose and ears of Captain Antinopes to be cut off for having stolen the relics of St. Devota. La Condamine contains the harbour and the principal railway station, as well as the less expensive hotels, such as the G. H. des Bains between the sea and the gas-works, and the Bristol on the terrace. Within the town, the Condamine; Étrangers; Angleterre; Beau-Séjour; Beau Site; France; Marseille; in all, board and lodging from 8 to 10 frs. At the station the H. Nice and Des Voyageurs. On the road up to Monte Carlo are the first-class hotels: Princes; *Beau Rivage; *Monte Carlo, occupying the house the late Madame Blanc built for herself. On Monte Carlo are the first-class houses: the Paris; the *Grand Hotel; *Des Anglais; Russie; Londres; Colonies; still higher up, the *Victoria in the principality, but on the confines of France; in all, 15 to 20 frs. per day. Behind the Londres a narrow lane leads up to the Corniche road by the village of Le Carniet. Those hotels marked in this instance with an asterisk do not receive promiscuous company. Abundance of excellent restaurants, cafés, and furnished rooms. English chapel in France, above the Hôtel Victoria. Mean winter temperature, 49°.3. _Cabs._—The course, within the principality, 1½ fr.; the hour, 3 frs. To Menton and back, 15 frs. The omnibus that runs between Monte Carlo and Nice by the new road starts from the Casino (see page 178).

Monte Carlo. Gambling-Rooms.

Monte Carlo is not an isolated rock like Monaco, but the abrupt termination of a ridge sloping upwards from Point Focinana to the Corniche road and the Château Mountains, both a considerable way beyond the territory of Monaco. On the face of Monte Carlo, or rather of Focinana Point, is the Casino, a large and showy building, erected in 1862 by F. Blanc (d. 1877), a native of Avignon, and formerly the 190

proprietor of the Cursaal of Homburg. To the right of the entrance into the Casino are the cloak-rooms, the ladies’ (dames) and gentlemen’s (hommes) lavatories, and the reading-room. Fronting the entrance is the concert-room—a superb rectangular hall profusely decorated with gilt ornaments intermingled with paintings in fresco representing the Muses and mythological subjects. It is furnished with 600 cushioned arm-chairs covered with scarlet velvet. The stage, or the part occupied by the orchestra, is less ornamented, and the colours are more subdued. Directly opposite is a sumptuous gallery for the use of the prince and his suite, entered from the large door at the west side of the Casino. The orchestra consists of nearly 80 first-class musicians, of whom about three-fourths play on stringed instruments. To the left of the entrance are the gambling-rooms and the office where visitors give their names and addresses before entering. In the first three rooms are the tables for roulette, which is played with one zero, and at which the smallest sum admitted is 5 frs., and the largest 6000 frs. or £240. The fourth room, ornamented with panel paintings by Clairin and Boulanger, representing young lady riders, croquet-players, fencers, fishers, archers, mountaineers, shooters, and sailors, is devoted to trente-et-quarante, at which the smallest sum admitted is 20 frs., and the largest 12,000 frs. or £480. Only French coin and notes taken at the tables.

Les Moulins.

Charming gardens and lawns with exquisite turf surround the Casino, and under it, at the foot of the cliff, is a large pigeon-shooting gallery. Entrance, 5 frs. Well-constructed carriage-drives and footpaths ramify in all directions, up the hill to the Corniche road, and along the coast either to Menton or to Nice by the magnificent coast-road to Villefranche (see p. 184). The whole hill itself, or rather slope, is studded, even beyond the boundaries of Monaco, with beautiful villas, partially hidden among orange, lemon, and olive trees. On the eastern side of Monte Carlo is Les Moulins, now quite a town, with shops, hotels, restaurants, and furnished lodgings. Up on the main road is the Hôtel de la Terrasse, 20 frs., dear. Down below on the coast-road, fronting the sea, is a small house, the Hôtel du Parc.

At the Casino it is not necessary to gamble, while those inclined to that horrid vice will find more dangerous traps laid to catch them in the clubs of the principal towns on the Riviera. In Monte Carlo no one can gamble on credit. Lemons. About a quarter of an hour eastward from Moulins by the main road is the valley of 191

St. Roman, with some very large olive and locust trees. In the principality are also large groves of lemon trees. They flower and bear fruit throughout the whole year. The lemons, which ripen in spring, are called graneti, and those which ripen in summer verdami. They are the juiciest, and as they keep longest, are the most suitable for exportation. The best paper for wrapping them in is that made from old tarry ropes. The manure preferred for the lemon and olive trees is composed of the waste of horns, woollen rags, and refuse.

_Excursions._—1640 feet above Monaco is La Turbie, ascended by a road containing 860 terraced steps, of which the best are 14 feet long by 9 feet wide, but a great many are smaller, and the most are in bad condition. The ascent, walking leisurely, requires one hour. It commences from the Rue de Turbie, the second street left from the railway station. At Turbie, pop. 2400, there are three restaurants—the France, Paris, and Ancre; the first is the most frequented. Bedrooms, 2 frs. Delicious lemonade, most grateful after a hot climb. When up at La Turbie ascend by the tower of Augustus to the little knoll close by and take a seat under the rock at the top, whence “From ancient battlements the eye surveys a hundred lofty peaks and curving bays.” But the one great view, which excels all the others, is from the

Tête de Chien.

Tête de Chien.

The road to it ramifies from the Corniche road at the west end of La Turbie. Carriages drive all the way. As there is a Fort on the top, permission must be procured from the captain to approach the brow of the mighty projecting precipice, which by its position commands a splendid uninterrupted view east and west, but spoils that from the other places. From the Tête de Chien eastward are seen every mountain, town, village, cape, creek, and bay the length of San Remo. On the western side the view is much more extensive, reaching to St. Tropez and the Maure mountains. The east side embraces Monaco, Monte Carlo, Les Moulins, Mt. de la Justice, Mt. Gros, Roquebrune, Cape St. Martin, Menton, Ventimiglia, Braja and Bordighera on the Cape San Ampeglio, which conceals San Remo, but not the entrance into the bay. The western side embraces Eze, Cape Roux, Beaulieu, the whole of the peninsula of St. Jean, a piece of Villefranche, the greater part of Nice, Antibes, the lighthouse and peninsula, the Lerins islands, the Esterel mountains, and the Maures above Saint Tropez, which close the view. A good opera-glass should be taken. A stony road leads down the west side of the Tête, through a plantation of firs, to the Monaco road, which it joins near the battery (see map, p. 185).

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La Turbie.

La Turbie, the ancient Trophræa Augusti station, on the Via Julia, is a poor village, composed of narrow streets, old houses, and gateways close to the massive Roman fort, which, after having stood nearly intact for 1700 years, was reduced to its present dilapidated condition by a prince of Monaco in the reign of Louis XIV. The village is supplied with excellent water from a spring to the N.W. of Mt. Agel. To the west of Turbie, at the Colonna del Ré, a road descends northwards to the sanctuary of Notre Dame de Laguet, at the foot of Mt. Sembole, 13 m. from Nice, but scarcely 2 from La Turbie.

The conical hill, rising over La Turbie, is Mt. la Bataille, and the long ridge farther east, leading up to Mt. Agel, 3771 ft., are the Château mountains. The view from none of these mountains equals that from the Tête de Chien; moreover, the ascent is uninteresting, by stony paths. Ascend by the first road east from Turbie, and when at the Turbie reservoir turn to the left for the Montagne de la Bataille; but for the Chateau mountains take the path to the right. This path leads round into a narrow ascending valley, at the top of which is the summit of the Château mountains, and the commencement of the peak of Mt. Agel, one half-hour higher. The mountain immediately over Monte Carlo and Les Moulins is La Justice, 911 ft., used as a quarry. On the top is a pillar of rough stones, rudely plastered together. By the side of it are the remains of a similar column. At the chapel of St Roch a road leads up to the Corniche road (see map, page 185).

MARSEILLES MENTON 150¼ 4¾ MONTE CARLO station. Alight here for the Casino, for the hotels on Monte Carlo, and for Les Moulins and its hotels.

Roquebrune.

MARSEILLES MENTON 152½ 2½ ROQUEBRUNE station, where the Corniche road from La Turbie joins the low road from Menton.

Roquebrune, pop. 1080, is 150 ft. above the station and the sea, among great masses of brown conglomerate rocks. From the main road a series of paved steps leads up to the village through a plantation of lemon trees. The streets are steep and narrow, but the houses are better and more comfortable than those of the villages similarly situated in the neighbourhood of Menton, Bordighera, and San Remo. Near the terrace is a small restaurant. On the summit of the hill are the ruins of the great castle built by the Lascaris of Ventimiglia, who, in 1363, ceded it to Charles Grimaldi. On a lintel on the eastern square tower is the almost defaced sculpture representing a bishop’s mitre, with the armorial bearings of the Grimaldis, and the date August 17, 1528. This bishop is supposed to have been Augustine 193

Grimaldi, councillor to Francis I. of France, who repaired this castle in 1528. A broken staircase leads up to the top. “No warrior’s tread is echoed by their halls, no warder’s challenge on the silence falls. Around, the thrifty peasants ply their toil, and pluck in orange groves the scented spoil from trees that have for purple mountains made a vestment bright, of green and gold inlaid.” —_Guido and Lita_, by the Marquis of Lorne.

Menton. Hotels.

699 m. S.E. from Paris, 155 m. N.E. from Marseilles, 34½ m. N.E. from Cannes, and 15½ m. N.E. from Nice, is

MENTON,

population 11,100, 16 miles S.W. from San Remo. _Hotels and Pensions._—Commencing with those at the west end of the Promenade du Midi, near the Gorbio, and going eastward through the town to the Garavan. Those hotels with ² prefixed have a front to the sea and esplanade, and another to the Avenue Victor Emmanuel II. The asterisk signifies recommended. W signifies bottle of wine, and the price given that of the cheapest quality. P signifies pension or boarding-house. At the west end of the esplanade the ²H. du Pavilion; the H. St. George, 9-12 frs., W 1½ fr., by the side of the Borrigo; ²*P. Condamine; *H. et P. Londres. These 4 houses charge from 9 to 12 frs., W from 1½ to 2 frs. Near the Carrei and the Episcopal Church of St. John are the *H. Splendide, 9-12 frs., W 1½ fr.; the Parc, 8-10 frs., W 1½ fr.; and the ²*Russie, 9-12 frs., W 1½ fr. Now cross the Carrei, on which is a very sheltered promenade up the eastern bank. By the side of the Place (where the band plays), built over the mouth of the torrent, is the ²*H. de Paris, 10-14 frs., W 1½ fr. Same side, ²H. et P. d’Angleterre, 9-12 frs. Opposite, the H. Camous, 9-12 frs.; and the Banque Bottini. Situated in the busiest part of Menton are the *P. and H. Méditerranée, 9-12 frs., W 1½ fr. Next it the house agencies of Amaranté et Cie and Tonin-Amaranté; and a little farther, the Menton Bank of Biovès et Cie. Opposite, the ²H. Westminster, ²H. Victoria, and ²*H. de Menton, all large good houses, charging 9-15 frs. The H. Menton is patronised by Messrs. Cook. Nearer the harbour, but with a front only to the sea, is the Midi, same price. We now enter the eastern or most sheltered quarter, called the Garavan. The hotels are large and first-class, and charge from 10 to 20 frs., and wine from 1½ to 2½ frs. The most westerly is the H. Italie, and, about 100 feet up the bank behind, the principal house of the hotel. A little farther east, on the same eminence, is the *Belle-Vue. Near the Belle-Vue, and on 194

the same level, is the Villa Helvetia, a benevolent home for ladies not younger than 18 nor older than 40, who are received for 20s. a week, which includes everything “except laundress and fire in bedroom.” For conditions of admission apply to Ransom, Bouverie, and Co., bankers, London; Mrs. Seton Karr, 30 Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park; or Miss Mackenzie, 16 Moray Place, Edinburgh. Below, on the terrace along the beach, is Christ Church, and adjoining is the Paix, a well-furnished house. Then follow the *H. des Anglais, the H. et P. Santa Maria, *Beau Rivage, Grand Hotel, Beau Site, Britannia. Queen Victoria spent the spring of 1882 in the Châlet des Rosiers, about 200 yards from the H. des Anglais.

Inland, on the east side of the Carrei, in a warm nook, under the shelter of a high hill, is a cluster of large and small hotels, just behind the busiest part of the town. Of these the most prominent are the first-class houses of the *H. des Iles Britanniques (expensive), *H. National, *Orient, *Louvre, and Princes. Rather lower down are the Ambassadeurs, Turin, Venise, Malte, Alpes, 9-15 frs., W 1-2 frs.; the last five being less costly. Up the west side of the Carrei is the P. des Orangers, pleasantly situated. On the road down from the station, on the right or west bank of the Carrei, is the H. de l’Europe, 9-14 frs., W 2 frs. Almost adjoining is a second-class house, the H. and P. des Deux-Mondes, 6-7 frs. The above prices include service, coffee in the morning, and meat breakfast and dinner, but never wine, excepting the G. H. de Menton, whose price includes wine but not coffee.

Menton has certainly some very sheltered nooks, but this only renders the more exposed parts the more dangerous. The distinguishing feature of the neighbourhood is the abundance of lemon trees in the small valleys watered by mountain streams. The annual yield of the trees amounts to 30 million lemons, of which the minimum price is from 12 to 15 frs. the thousand.

Menton: Bankers. Churches. Conveyances.

_Bankers._—Bank of France, Maison Palmaro. In the Av. Victor Emmanuel are: Biovès et Cie, Credit Lyonnais, A. Bottini, and Credit de Nice. In 17 R. St. Michel, the Palmaro Bank and the English Consulate. _House Agents._—G. Amaranté and T. Amaranté, 12 and 19 Av. V. Emmanuel; Willoughby, R. St. Michel. English doctors, chemists, and grocers.

_Protestant Churches._—Christ Church, adjoining the H. de la Paix; St. John’s, near the Pont Carrei; Presbyterian, above H. Italie; Vaudois, R. du Castellar; German Church, R. Partouneaux.

_Cabs._—One-horse cab—the course, 1 fr. 25 c.; the hour, 2¾ frs. Two-horse cab—the course, 1 fr. 75 c.; the hour, 3 frs. 75 c. A one-horse cab for the whole day costs 20 frs.; a two-horse cab, 25 frs. Donkey for the whole day, 5 frs.; gratuity, 1 fr. Boats, 2 frs. the hour.

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