!!!Nice

by Stas Sedov and
Sergey Shandin,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

12 November 2015

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Since the end of the 19th century, the southeast coast of France on the
Mediterranean Sea has been called the French Riviera (Cote d'Azur). The
breathtaking beauty in combination with the mild climate of this place
attracts the amateurs of luxurious recreation. Nice, being the vacation
and resort capital, is the biggest city of the coast and the fifth
largest city of the country. As far as it is protected from winds by the
Alps, Nice has around 300 sunny days a year, and rare rainfalls on hot
days make the weather practically perfect.

[{Image src='01_Nice, France.jpg' caption='Nice, France' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='381'}]

Quite long ago this territory was the area that many armies were
fighting for due to the advantageous geographical position. One of the
episodes of the eventful history found its place among the sights of
Nice. In 1543 the city was attacked by the Algerian pirate fleet headed
by Barbarossa. The local garrison was not numerous, and the citizens had
to cope with the adversaries by themselves. One of the most bravest
locals was Catherine Ségurane, who courageously fought the attacking
sailors and even killed one of them with a washing roller. Then the
woman raised the flag and led the resistance. And thus, with the flag in
her hands, Catherine Ségurane is represented on the bas-relief erected
in the Old-town centre in 1923.

[{Image src='02_Nice, France.jpg' caption='Nice, France' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

Though, some people consider this story to end in a different way. To be
exact, having hit the pirate, Catherine turned her back upon the others
and lifted the skirt showing her back part. Bewildered, the enemies
could not fight any more, and the defenders could not help taking
advantage of that. No matter whether this story is real or not, the end
of the battle is a historical fact: invaders wavered and fled to their
ships. Thus, one of the streets took the name of the local Jeanne d'Arc
and the first monument in her honour was built in the 16th century.

[{Image src='03_Nice, France.jpg' caption='Nice, France' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='408'}]

Before the 18th century the coast of Nice had been occupied by huts of
fishermen and dockers, meanwhile comfortable houses for well-off people
were built on the highlands far from the shore. Nowadays, all the
seaside of the city is occupied by the pompous eclectic buildings of the
19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The Promenade des Anglais
(Promenade of the English) in Nice follows the curve of the bay, which
bears the beautiful name of Baie des Anges (the Bay of the Angels). The
famous Negresco hotel, which was listed as an Historical Monument of
France in 2003, also stands here.

[{Image src='04_Nice, France.jpg' caption='Nice, France' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

There are many cathedrals, churches and palaces of the 17th-18th
centuries, created in the Italian Baroque style. In addition, Nice also
has a lot of museums of all kinds: museums of archaeology, natural
history and fine arts, naval museum, Musée Matisse and many others. In
1930 Nice hosted international car racing in the Formula Libre —
predecessor to Formula One.

[{Image src='05_Nice, France.jpg' caption='Nice, France' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='509'}]

But, undoubtedly, in the first place Nice is famous for being the
luxurious resort, and in many aspects it owes this to the members of the
Russian Imperial Family. The Empress Alexandra Feodorovna arrived in
Nice on 26 October 1852, and it was a key decision for the future of all
the French Riviera.

In Villefranche Bay, situated several kilometers away from Nice, some
lands were purchased and then a house for the Imperial Family was built.
Later, around 400 Russian families purchased the property, and by 1913
the number of Russians had reached around 3,500 among 150,000 residents
of the city. By this time the construction of the St Nicholas Orthodox
Cathedral had been completed, which is presently one of the most famous
landmarks of Nice and the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in Western
Europe.

[{Image src='06_Nice, France.jpg' caption='Nice, France' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='801'}]

Some people say that rumors of the luxurious Nice are exaggerated:
millionaires do not stand at every corner and, in fact, the inhabitants
of the city lead quite a modest life. But, at the same time, the hotels
of Nice are ones of the most expensive in the world, and some travel
amateurs can not afford a walk in the streets of the French Riviera
capital... Though, actually, can — by means of our panoramas.

\\ \\
[16 Panoramas of Nice|Geography/Europe/France/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Nice]










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