History French Riviera

1 history

1.1 prehistory bronze age
1.2 greek influence
1.3 roman colonization
1.4 barbarians , christians
1.5 counts of provence , house of grimaldi
1.6 popularity british upper class in 18th , 19th centuries
1.7 railway, gambling, , royalty
1.8 inter-war period, american visitors , decline of aristocracy
1.9 second world war
1.10 post-war period , late 20th century

history

from prehistory bronze age

the côte d azur has been inhabited since prehistoric times. primitive tools dating between 1,000,000 , 1,050,000 years ago discovered in grotte du vallonnet, near roquebrune-cap-martin, stones , bones of animals, including bovines, rhinoceros, , bison. @ terra amata (380,000 230,000 years ago), near nice port, fireplace discovered 1 of oldest found in europe.

stone dolmens, monuments bronze age, can found near draguignan, while valley of marvels (vallée des merveilles) near mount bégo, @ 2,000 m (6,600 ft) elevation, presumed have been outdoor religious sanctuary, having on 40,000 drawings of people , animals, dated 2000 bc.

greek influence

beginning in 7th century bc, greek sailors asia minor began visit , build trading posts (emporia) along côte d azur. emporia started @ olbia (saint-pierre-de-l almanarre, near hyères); antipolis (antibes) , nicaea (nice). these settlements, traded inhabitants of interior, became rivals of etruscans , phoenicians, visited côte d azur.

roman colonization

in 8 bc emperor augustus built imposing trophy monument @ la turbie (the trophy of alps or trophy of augustus) mark pacification of region.

roman towns, monuments , amphitheatres built along côte d azur , many still survive, such amphitheatre , baths @ cimiez, above nice, , amphitheatre, roman walls , other remains @ fréjus.

the 5th-century baptistery of fréjus cathedral, still in use.


barbarians , christians

roman provence reached height of power , prosperity during 2nd , 3rd centuries ad. in mid-3rd century, germanic peoples began invade region, , roman power weakened.

in same period, christianity started become powerful force in region. first cathedrals built in 4th century, , bishoprics established: in fréjus @ end of 4th century, cimiez , vence in 439, , antibes in 442. oldest christian structure still in existence on côte d azur baptistery of fréjus cathedral, built @ end of 5th century, saw founding of first monastery in region, lerins monastery on island off coast @ cannes.

the fall of western roman empire in first half of 5th century followed invasions of provence visigoths, burgundians , ostrogoths. there long period of wars , dynastic quarrels, in turn led further invasions saracens , normans in 9th century.

the counts of provence , house of grimaldi

some peace restored coast establishment in 879 of new kingdom of provence, ruled first bosonids dynasty (879–1112), catalans (1112–1246), , angevins (1246–1382, elder branch, 1382–1483 (younger branch).

the ruins of grimaldi castle @ grimaud, near saint-tropez.

in 13th century, powerful political force appeared, house of grimaldi. descended genoese nobleman expelled genoa rivals in 1271, members of different branches of grimaldis took power in monaco, antibes , nice, , built castles @ grimaud, cagnes-sur-mer , antibes. albert ii, current prince of monaco descendant of grimaldis.

in 1388, city of nice , surrounding territory, mouth of var italian border, separated provence , came under protection of house of savoy. territory called comté de nice after 1526, , thereafter language, history , culture separate of provence until 1860, when re-attached france under napoleon iii.

provence retained formal independence until 1480, when last comte de provence, rené of naples, died , left comté nephew, charles du maine, in turn left louis xi of france. in 1486, provence formally became part of france.

popularity british upper class in 18th , 19th centuries

until end of 18th century, area later known côte d azur remote , impoverished region, known fishing, olive groves , production of flowers perfume (manufactured in grasse).

a new phase began when coast became fashionable health resort british upper class in late 18th century. first british traveller describe benefits novelist tobias smollett, visited nice in 1763 when still italian city within kingdom of sardinia. smollett brought nice , warm winter climate attention of british aristocracy travels through france , italy, written in 1765. @ same time, scottish doctor, john brown, became famous prescribing called climato-therapy, change in climate, cure variety of diseases including tuberculosis, known consumption. french historian paul gonnet wrote that, result, nice filled colony of pale , listless english women , listless sons of nobility near death .

in 1834, british nobleman , politician named henry peter brougham, first baron brougham , vaux, had played important part in abolition of slave trade, travelled unwell sister south of france, intending go italy. cholera epidemic in italy forced him stop @ cannes, enjoyed climate , scenery bought land , built villa. began spend winters there and, owing fame, others followed: cannes had small british enclave.

robert louis stevenson later british visitor came health. in 1882 rented villa called la solitude @ hyères, wrote of child s garden of verses.

railway, gambling, , royalty

the monte carlo casino.

in 1864, 6 years after nice became part of france following second italian war of independence first railway completed, making nice , riviera accessible visitors on europe. 1 hundred thousand visitors arrived in 1865. 1874, residents of foreign enclaves in nice, of whom british, numbered 25,000.

the villa ephrussi in cap-saint-jean-ferrat, built in 1905–1912 beatrice de rothschild, of rothschild family.

in mid-19th century british , french entrepreneurs began see potential of promoting tourism along côte d azur. @ time, gambling illegal in france , italy. in 1856, prince of monaco, charles iii, began constructing casino in monaco, called health spa avoid criticism church. casino failure, in 1863 prince signed agreement françois blanc, french businessman operating successful casino @ baden-baden (southwestern germany), build resort , new casino. blanc arranged steamships , carriages take visitors nice monaco, , built hotels, gardens , casino in place called spélugues. @ suggestion of mother, princess caroline, charles iii renamed place monte carlo after himself. when railway reached monte carlo in 1870, many thousands of visitors began arrive , population of principality of monaco doubled.

the french riviera became popular destination european royalty. days after railway reached nice in 1864, tsar alexander ii of russia visited on private train, followed afterwards napoleon iii , leopold ii, king of belgians.

monument queen victoria in cimiez, in hills above nice, regular winter visitor.

queen victoria frequent visitor. in 1882 stayed in menton, , in 1891 spent several weeks @ grand hotel @ grasse. in 1892 stayed @ hotel cost-belle in hyères. in successive years 1895 1899 stayed in cimiez in hills above nice. first, in 1895 , 1896, patronised grand hôtel, while in later years , staff took on entire west wing of excelsior hôtel régina, had been designed needs in mind (part of later became home , studio of renowned artist henri matisse). travelled entourage of between sixty , hundred, including chef, ladies in waiting, dentist, indian servants, own bed , own food.

the prince of wales regular visitor cannes, starting in 1872. frequented club nautique, private club on croisette, fashionable seafront boulevard of cannes. visited there each spring two-month period, observing yacht races shore while royal yacht floated, britannia, sailed professional crewmen. after became king in 1901, never again visited french riviera.

by end of 19th century côte d azur began attract artistic painters, appreciated climate, bright colors , clear light. among them auguste renoir, settled in cagnes-sur-mer , in mougins, henri matisse , pablo picasso.

inter-war period, american visitors , decline of aristocracy

the first world war brought down many of royal houses of europe , altered nature , calendar of french riviera. following war, greater numbers of americans began arriving, business moguls , celebrities outnumbering aristocrats. high society scene moved winter season summer season.

americans began coming south of france in 19th century. henry james set part of novel, ambassadors, on riviera. james gordon bennett jr, son , heir of founder of new york herald, had villa in beaulieu. industrialist john pierpont morgan gambled @ monte carlo , bought 18th-century paintings fragonard in grasse – shipping them metropolitan museum in new york.

a feature of french riviera in inter-war years train bleu, first-class sleeper train brought wealthy passengers down calais. made first trip in 1922, , carried winston churchill, somerset maugham, , future king edward viii on years.

while europe still recovering war , american dollar strong, american writers , artists started arriving on côte d azur. edith wharton wrote age of innocence (1920) @ villa near hyères, winning pulitzer prize novel (the first woman so). dancer isadora duncan frequented cannes , nice, died in 1927 when scarf caught in wheel of amilcar motor car in passenger , strangled her. writer f. scott fitzgerald first visited wife zelda in 1924, stopping @ hyères, cannes , monte carlo – staying @ saint-raphaël, wrote of great gatsby , began tender night.

while americans largely responsible making summer high season, french fashion designer, coco chanel, made sunbathing fashionable. acquired striking tan during summer of 1923, , tans became fashion in paris.

during abdication crisis of british monarchy in 1936, wallis simpson, intended bride of king edward viii, staying @ villa lou vieie in cannes, talking king telephone each day. after abdication, duke of windsor (as became) , new wife stayed @ villa la croe near antibes.

the english playwright , novelist somerset maugham became resident in 1926, buying villa mauresque toward tip of cap ferrat, near nice.

the second world war

when germany invaded france in june 1940, remaining british colony evacuated gibraltar , britain. american jewish groups helped of jewish artists living in south of france, such marc chagall, escape united states. in august 1942, 600 jews nice rounded french police , sent drancy, , death camps. in 5,000 french jews nice perished during war.

on 15 august 1944, american parachute troops landed near fréjus, , fleet landed 60,000 troops of american seventh army , french first army between cavalaire , agay, east of saint-raphaël. german resistance crumbled in days.

saint-tropez badly damaged german mines @ time of liberation. novelist colette organized effort assure town rebuilt in original style.

when war ended, artists marc chagall , pablo picasso returned live , work.

post-war period , late 20th century

the cannes film festival launched in september 1946, marking return of french cinema world screens. festival palace built in 1949 on site of old cercle nautique, prince of wales had met mistresses in late 19th century. release of french film et dieu… créa la femme (and god created woman) in november 1956 major event riviera, making international star of brigitte bardot, , making international tourist destination of saint-tropez, particularly new class of wealthy international travellers called jet set.

the marriage of american film actress grace kelly prince rainier of monaco on 18 april 1956, attracted world attention once again. viewed on television 30 million people.

during 1960s, mayor of nice, jacques médecin, decided reduce dependence of riviera on ordinary tourism, , make destination international congresses , conventions. built palais des congrès @ acropolis in nice, , founded chagall museum , matisse museum @ cimiez. high-rise apartment buildings , real estate developments began spread.

at end of august, 1997, princess diana , dodi fayed spent last days on father s yacht off pampelonne beach near saint-tropez, shortly before killed in traffic accident in alma tunnel in paris.