Castle Hill

The phocean greeks have settled on that hill, overlooking the sea. The first inhabitants of Nice called it “Nikaia”, meaning “she through whom victory arrives” in ancient Greek! At that time, Nice was already sought after by the neighboring states, and was in constant battle with the Ligurians. Ligurians were an antique people that settled on the current North-Western part of Italy, as well as a small part of Languedoc and of South of France. The greeks were encircled, and asked the Romans for help. That’s partly how Nice became Roman. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Nice, being a frontier city, had no choice but to protect itself. It is within a citadel that Nice developed during the Middle Ages. Not much remains from that 11th century fortress. During the Siege of Nice lead by Louis 14th, during the War of Spanish Succession, Nice surrenders. However the castle, on top of the hill, stayed strong. Once victory was ensured, Louis 14, furious of this resistance decided to destroy the castle entirely, so there isnothing left from it. That operation lasted for months and wiped out 7 centuries of Nice’s history. For your information, this entire hill around you was inside of the fortress. The surrounding wall was as tall as 8 meters, and ran for over 2km! Inside, there was a secondary wall, which circled and protected the castle.Today the hill is mostly touristic. You will find a few explanatory signs throughout your stroll, retracing the hill’s history. Mosaics were installed to highlight Nice’s roman past. The ruins of the Saint- Marie Cathedral remind us that this hill was the main living center. Be sure to take a walk to the castle’s graveyard as it is considered as one of the most beautiful in France! Aside from the splendid view it unveils and the finesse of its funerary architecture, you can also pay your respects to some great historical figures, such as Léon Gambetta, who, although not native to Nice, had the honor of being buried there.