Garibaldi Square

Nice’s history is closely intertwined with that of Italy. In 1780, the King of Sardinia, Victor Amadeus III, decided to build a road from Turin to Nice. He requested a great square to welcome the travelers that used this royal road. Garibaldi Square is the oldest plaza in town. The architect, Antoine Spinelli, got his inspiration from San Carlo Square in Turin. You will notice the typical Northern Italian architecture, with elegant arches and harmonious façades, adorned with trompe l’oeil decors, a type of visual trick. In the middle, stands a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi,a hero of the italian unification,considered to be a founding father of the country. He is depicted wearing his famous shirt, which one can imagine to be red, with a tight and determined stance. By his feet, there are the allegorical bronzes of France and Italy, who are looking over Garibaldi’s cradle. Look up at the top of each flag, you will see the Roman wolf and the French rooster, that will help you determine which is which. Garibaldi is looking straight ahead, in the direction of the old road that lead to Turin, which ultimately became “Republique Avenue”, one of Nice’s main streets. Until 1848, a huge baroque gate stood here, marking the end of the street and promising a triumphant entrance into Nice. Behind the monument is the Saint-Sépulcre Chapel, which is also called the Chapel of Blue Penitents. It was designed at the same time as the square, which is why it has this somewhat strange characteristic of being integrated into residential buildings.The imposing balcony is wearing the crown of the House of Savoy, who reigned over Nice until 1860. The balcony was built at their request and used as a public stand fro them to address the Niçois. When the town of Nice started to dig under the square to build its tramway line, they found over 2,000 squaremeters of antique vestiges! It seems we always find things from the past when seeking to modernise, isn’t it marvelous?! You can now visit the crypt, which is similar to that of the Louvre, and learn a lot about the city’s history by inquiring the Heritage Center.