The City of Nice in the South of France is the site of some of the most important Jewish heritage in Europe. Not only was Nice a refuge for Jews during the Middle Ages (13th, 14th and 15th centuries) when England, France, Spain, Portugal, Provence, parts of the former Savoy and others expelled Jews, but it was also considered the last …
Some Jewish Vestiges rue de la Prefecture
For a long time, the outdoor museum of vestiges on rue de la Prefecture held a stone tablet with letters in the Hebrew language that had remained a mystery to me. I had shown this tablet to many Hebrew speakers in an effort to figure it out and they usually suggested that it was simply a fragment of something much …
Le mystère des vestiges de la rue de la Préfecture élucidé
Que signifient les inscriptions sur la tablette de pierre entreposée dans le musée à ciel de la rue de la préfecture ? Et d’où viennent ces sphinges ? Robert Levitt a mené l’enquête sur ces vestiges pour le blog du Vieux-Nice. Cela fait de longues années que le petit musée à ciel ouvert rue de la Préfecture compte parmi ses …
Jewish Tour of Nice – Burial Tombstone
On the rue de la Préfecture in Vieux Nice there is a small outdoor museum. There is a stone there with Hebrew letters. I had not been able to figure it out before, but on one of my visits, an Israel photographer suggested he could read the letters in the negative of his photo. Mystery solved: It is a burial …
Visit Nice : World Heritage Site
Visit Nice: World Heritage Site, “Winter resort town of the Riviera” every Wednesday evening walking tour with Via Nissa (25€)
Nice – World Heritage Site by UNESCO
After a campaign of 13 years, the city of Nice was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The reason for this honor is not due to Nice as we think of it today, the Capital of Summer, but as it was in the past, the Capital of Winter! “Nice, la ville de villégiature d’hiver”. To become a World …
Jewish Refugees on the French Riviera – Part I
Just after the Germans occupied Paris, and France was divided into an occupied and unoccupied zone, Nice became known as a center for Jewish refugees, and known for its relative ease to become established there. The primary reason was economic. All the cities on the Riviera were dependent on tourism, and with the war, tourism came to a halt. Therefore, …
Off-the-beaten-path – Lunch in the Vineyards
Continuing our series of “Off the Beaten Path” experiences on the Côte d’Azur, we introduce you to Lunch in the vineyards of Bellet. (Previous experiences are found on our blog). One of our favorite experiences is to have lunch in a vineyard in the wine region of Nice, Bellet, cooked by the vignerons wife while sharing a discussion of wine, …
Off-the-beaten-path – Hospitalliers de Saint Jean de Jérusalem
Our first “Off-the-beaten-path” activity in the Nice region is a visit to the Domus of the Hospitaliers de St. Jean de Jerusalem. There are many religious institutions, convents and monasteries in Nice. In fact, prior to becoming a tourist destination in the 18th century, the bulk of the visitors came for religious reasons. They all have interesting stories to tell. …
Where Does “LA BAIE DES ANGES” Come From?
We know the sea around Nice is the Mediterranean and the area between the Monument aux Morts and Cap d’Antibes is called La Baie des Anges (Angels Bay), but where does this name come from? Some believe it has a relationship with the Cathedral in Nice where the “Angels” brought the bones of St. Reparate from Palestine to Nice in …