Culture of Nice. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The center of Nice is the location of one of its main attractions - La place Massena. In the center of the square is installed a very unusual monument in the shape of an arc. Quite a notable fact - each guide and local resident has different explanations of the purpose and meaning of the arc. The reason for this is in the absence of legends about the origin of the monument. Besides the mysterious monument the square is full of beautiful fountains, amazing flower beds and cozy alcoves, in which it is so pleasant to stay in a hot day.

Not far away from the square are located beautiful historic buildings, which are also important sightseeing objects. Russian quarter is home to various religious sites and attractions of Nice. Here you will find Cathedral of St. Nicholas, a memorial chapel and a beautiful church located nearby. You should definitely not forget to walk along the boulevard of Nicholas II, which is also home to a beautiful church and several mansions. Among the cultural institutions that are worth visiting is Le Musee Matisse, which exhibits a rich collection of paintings of the great artist. Your visits to Museum of Fine Arts (Le Musee des Beaux-Arts) and Museum of New and Modern Art (Le Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain) will be no less unforgettable.

Chapel of Mercy Fortress is one of the most important architectural landmarks of the city. The construction of the fortress took place during the second half of the 18th century. The main decoration of the chapel is a skillful painting "Mercy of God" which, by assumption of historians, has been made by Louis Brea. It is also worth visiting the ancient Saint Reparata Abbey, the building of which was completed in 1576. Saint Reparata was the patroness of Nice. According to an ancient legend, she was brought to the city by angels. The name of another landmark of the city landmarks – the Bay of Angels – is connected with this beautiful legend. A beautiful park of Albert I remains the favorite place of rest for both locals and tourists. Beautiful architectural buildings, fragrant flowerbeds, mighty trees, ancient monuments and spacious terraces – you will simply not find a better place for evening walks. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

A walk in the cemetery is just as pretty as a walk in the park. This is no joke – the statement is true if the cemetery is a kind of masterpiece. Such is Cimetière du Monastère de Cimiez, which is located next to the Musee Matisse and Ancien Hôtel Régina. Many well-known and outstanding personalities have found rest here, and all the tombstones themselves are excellent examples of great taste. By the way, in addition to the Musee Matisse, in the home town of Giuseppe Garibaldi, you can stopover at the museum of another famous painter – Marc Chagall.

Nearby is another place that must be visited by all lovers of anthropology and history. We are talking about Musee Archeologique de Nice-Cimiez, where you can see the ruins of the amphitheater, baths, and fragments of streets. This place brings to mind the Roman period in Nice – the fact is that on the site of this area stood the Roman settlement of Cemenulum. Also in the museum you can look at traditional household items from that period. Crypte Archéologique – another place for lovers of anthropology – is located next to the Museum of Modern Art. Here you can see the ruins of the fortress towers and walls. Among other museums we will recommended for visiting, it is worth noting Palais Lascaris. The palace once belonged to the Laskaris-Ventimiglia dynasty and was built in the 18th century. The Genoese style was chosen. The first floor is used as a museum with a huge collection of pharmaceutical instruments and old musical instruments. Palais de Justice, looks striking with its neoclassical architecture. The thing is that there is something off about its exterior when it comes to the style of the entire ensemble, but in no way contrasts with the rest of the city. In its place at some point, was the Dominican monastery, which was destroyed in the year 1882.

The pearl of modern architecture is considered to be La Tête Carrée. This is perhaps, one of the most unusual buildings, not only in Garibaldi’s hometown, but all over the world. It is a library, but a very unusual one. The thing is that the building is built in the form of a square head, and is a living embodiment of the saying “If you read too much, your head will explode”. Another amazing creation of the architectural genius located in Nice, is Palais de l’Agriculture which was built in the early 20th century. In the pearl of the French Riviera you can find a building completely uncharacteristic for the European city, that is the Cathédrale Orthodoxe Russe St-Nicolas. The church was built in the year 1912 and is a wonderful example of Orthodox architecture, being a kind of “exoticism” in the hometown of Michelle Mercier.