Menton | French Riviera - Cote d'Azur

Menton: (Occitan: the same in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm; Italian: Mentone) a town which has been called the most beautiful town on the French Riviera and its nickname is La perle de la France ("The pearl of France").

The local dialect is traditionally assigned to the Occitan language (Provençal Niçard dialect) but it shows some transition features to Ligurian (Northern Italian) dialects spoken near Ventimiglia, San Remo (intemelio) and the Upper Roya Valley (royasque/roiasc).

It is spoken by a minority in the town and surrounding villages.

The town was founded by the Count of Ventimiglia as Château de Puypin (ca. 1000) and inhabited by Ligurian people.

It was owned by the Grimaldi family from 1346 until 1848, before departing from the principality of Monaco and officially becoming French in 1861.

During the 19th century, the town was popular because of its warm climate and many famous people chose to take their vacation in the town.

Annexed by the Italians during World War II, Menton enjoyed a steady flow of goods and services during this period as an example of the benefits of Italian government but French residents were forced to live as Italians, like the majority of local people.

Germans in turn occupied the town during the latter part of the war.

The town was regained on September 8, 1944 and was devastated.

It was not until the 1960s that the re-building of the town was concluded.

It then regained its appeal as a tourist destination.

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Geography

The town is located on the Franco-Italian border, within the confines of the French Riviera and the Ligurian Alps.

It boasts a warm micro-climate favourable to lemon, tangerine and orange groves.

The fishing industry was devastated in the 1980s and 1990s when the "killer Algae" Caulerpa taxifolia, a non-native Asian tropical green algae first discovered in the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in 1984).

Introduced to the local environment it spread throughout the coastal sea floor decimating the local fish life.

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Sights

Perhaps the most famous aspect the town is its world-renowned gardens, including the Serre de la Madone, Le Val Rahmeh, the Fontana Rosa, and the Maria Serena garden.

Le Val Rahmeh, meaning "Valley of the Cat" in Hindi, was established in 1905 by Englishman Lord Radcliffe, the first owner of the gardens. Villa Fontana Rosa was built in 1922 by Blasco Ibanez, a Spanish novelist and the gardens of the villa are now open to the public.

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Events

Every year in February the "Lemon Festival" takes place in the town.

There are huge temporary statues built and covered with citrus fruit (lemons and oranges) and every year the festival follows a given theme.

Past themes include Viva Espana, Disney, Neverland, India.

For 2009: Islands of the World - Les Îles du monde.

The festival lasts for a few days during winter with different bands passing through the streets on foot or truck trailers.

My daughter loves it and our family goes there every year, we do not want to miss it as it is one of the major events on the French Riviera for locals and tourists.

The Casino gardens in the centre of the town are decorated in the theme of the festival using the celebrated fruit to cover the exhibits.

The Casino Gardens are also the location for the Christmas Festival.

The Classical Musical Festival is held every year in the heart of the atmospheric old town.

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Twin Towns

Menton is twinned with:

• Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
• Sochi, Russia.

Virtual Tours

Choose your viewer, Quicktime or Java by clicking on the corresponding logo.

• Pedestrian Streets


• Town Center


• Church Plaza


• Cathedral


• Panorama


• Old Town


• Bastion

Virtual tours courtesy of Philippe Laval for this page.

• Bastion (and other different locations on the French Riviera)

Virtual tours courtesy of VRMAG Project for this page.

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Useful Links and Resources

• City Council and Tourism Official Website.
• The Riviera Times Website (English newspaper).
• The Riviera Reporter Website (English magazine).
• Riviera Radio Website (English radio).
• International Radio Website (English radio).

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Weather Watcher Live

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