The Cannonball

Pay close attention to the corner of “rue Droite” and “Rue de la Loge”. Behold, what you witness before you is an authentic cannonball firmly lodged within the wall. It was fired during the Siege of Nice by the Turkish fleet in 1543. In memory of this battle, there are numerous cannons spread out across the city . You may have seen that there were 3 on the wall of the Saint Sepulcre Chapel, on Garibaldi Square. The Siege of Nice is a major historical event for the city, amidst the turmoil of the Italian Wars. It’s important to understand that during this period, Charles III of Savoy reigns over Nice, which is essentially all he has left after losing the majority of his lands. Also, two powerful lords closely covet the County of Nice, curiously, both are part of his family. These are his brother-in-law Charles V, with whom he has allied, and his nephew Francis I, whose mother Louise of Savoy believes she also has rights to the lands of her ancestors.. The two of them were also part of Europe’s most powerful lords and had signed the Nice Treaty, supposed to bring a 10 year truce,. Ultimately it only lasted 4 years as Francis I of France betrayed his oath, by forming an alliance with the Ottoman Empire and planning a spectacular attack on Nice. On the 5th of August, hundreds of ships came from Marseille, with about 30,000 french and turkish soldiers on board. Barbarossa and the Duke of Enghien commanded this attack. Many lords from the County of Nice tried to take this opportunity to switch sides, and form an alliance with the assailants. Encircled and with only 100 soliders at disposal, the Nicois resisted as much as they could in a siege that lasted 10 days. On August 15th, 975 cannonballs were fired on the city! They were aimed towards the Sincaire Bastion, on Garibaldi Square. This is where fiction meets reality and legends interwines with history. Enters Catherine Segurane! It is said that this brave Nicoise heroine, whose name you see on the plaque, knocked out one of the turkish standard-bearer with her clothes beater, and took his flag down. It is that symbolic gesture that gave courage to the Nicois and allowed them to repel the assault. Meanwhile, Charles V, who reigned over half the world, raised an army, and came to the rescue. Let me paint you the picture : allies come from all directions and succeed in repelling every enemy, and taking back control over Nice. The city is looted and burned down but most of all, triumphant. That’s how much this little cannonball symbolizes, a silent witness to a spectacular siege that played a lasting role in forging Nice’s identity.