Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; ; ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the France–Italy border, Italian border and Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'A ...

department in France. The Nice

agglomeration Agglomeration may refer to: * Urban agglomeration, in standard English * Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as "city cluster". * Economies of agg ...

extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionDemographia: World Urban Areas
, Demographia.com, April 2016 on an area of . Located on the

French Riviera The French Riviera, known in French as the (; , ; ), is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is considered to be the coastal area of the Alpes-Maritimes department, extending fr ...

, the southeastern coast of France on the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

, at the foot of the

French Alps The French Alps are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such a ...

, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and second-largest city in the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

after

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

. Nice is approximately from the

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchy, monarchical state or feudalism, feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "prin ...

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

and from the French–Italian border. Nice's airport serves as a gateway to the region. The city is nicknamed ( in Niçard), meaning 'Nice the Beautiful', which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written by Menica Rondelly in 1912. The area of today's Nice contains Terra Amata, an archaeological site which displays evidence of a very early use of fire 380,000 years ago. Around 350 BC, Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it ''Nikaia'', after

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

, the goddess of victory. Through the ages, the town has changed hands many times. Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength. From 1388, it was a dominion of

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

, then became part of the

French First Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted un ...

between 1792 and 1815, when it was returned to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, the legal predecessor of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

, until its annexation by France in 1860. The natural environment of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families began spending their winters there. In 1931, following its refurbishment, the city's main seaside promenade, the

Promenade des Anglais The ''Promenade des Anglais'' (; Niçard: ''Camin dei Anglés''; meaning "Walkway of the English") is a promenade along the Mediterranean coast of Nice, France. It extends from the airport on the west to the ("United States Quay") on the eas ...

("Walkway of the English"), was inaugurated by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught; it owes its name to visitors to the resort. These included

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

along with her son

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

who spent winters there, as well as

Henry Cavendish Henry Cavendish ( ; 10 October 1731 – 24 February 1810) was an English experimental and theoretical chemist and physicist. He is noted for his discovery of hydrogen, which he termed "inflammable air". He described the density of inflammable a ...

, born in Nice, who discovered hydrogen. The clear air and soft light have particularly appealed to notable painters, such as

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...

Niki de Saint Phalle Niki de Saint Phalle (; born Catherine Marie-Agnès Fal de Saint Phalle; 29 October 193021 May 2002) was a French sculptor, painter, filmmaker, and author of colorful hand-illustrated books. Widely noted as one of the few female monumental sculp ...

, and

Arman Arman (November 17, 1928 – October 22, 2005) was a French and American artist. Born Armand Fernandez in Nice, France, Arman was a painter who moved from using objects for the ink or paint traces they leave (''cachets'', ''allures d'objet'') t ...

. Their work is commemorated in many of the city's museums, including Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts. International writers have also been attracted and inspired by the city.

Frank Harris Frank Harris (14 February 1856 – 26 August 1931) was an Irish-American editor, novelist, short story writer, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United State ...

wrote several books, including his autobiography '' My Life and Loves'', in Nice.

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

spent six consecutive winters in Nice, and wrote ''

Thus Spoke Zarathustra ''Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None'' (), also translated as ''Thus Spake Zarathustra'', is a work of philosophical fiction written by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche; it was published in four volumes between 1883 and 1885. ...

'' there. Additionally, Russian writer

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

completed his play '' Three Sisters'' while living in Nice. Nice's appeal extended to the Russian upper classes. Prince Nicholas Alexandrovich, heir apparent to

Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...

, died in Nice and was a patron of the Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Nice where Princess Catherine Dolgorukova,

morganatic Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...

wife of the

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Grand Du ...

, is buried. Also buried there are General Dmitry Shcherbachev and General Nikolai Yudenich, leaders of the anti-Communist

White Movement The White movement,. The old spelling was retained by the Whites to differentiate from the Reds. also known as the Whites, was one of the main factions of the Russian Civil War of 1917–1922. It was led mainly by the Right-wing politics, right- ...

. Those interred at the Cimetière du Château include celebrated jeweler Alfred Van Cleef, Emil Jellinek-Mercedes, founder of the Mercedes car company, film director

Louis Feuillade Louis Feuillade (; 19 February 1873 – 25 February 1925) was a French filmmaker of the silent film, silent era. Between 1906 and 1924, he directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the crime serial film, serials ''Fantômas (1913 ser ...

, poet Agathe-Sophie Sasserno, dancer Carolina Otero, ''

Asterix ''Asterix'' ( or , "Asterix the Gauls, Gaul"; also known as ''Asterix and Obelix'' in some adaptations or ''The Adventures of Asterix'') is a Franco-Belgian comics, French comic album book series, series about a Gaulish village which, thanks ...

'' comics creator

René Goscinny René Goscinny (; ; 14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was a French comic editor and writer, who created the ''Asterix, Astérix'' comic book series with illustrator Albert Uderzo. Born in France to a Jewish family from Poland, he spent his chil ...

, ''

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

'' author

Gaston Leroux Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (; 6 May 186815 April 1927) was a French journalist and author of detective fiction. In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (, 1909), which has been made int ...

, French prime minister

Léon Gambetta Léon Gambetta (; 2 April 1838 – 31 December 1882) was a French lawyer and republican politician who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870 and played a prominent role in its early government. Early life and education Born in Cahors, ...

, and the first president of the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...

José Gustavo Guerrero José Gustavo Guerrero (26 June 1876 – 25 October 1958) was a Salvadoran diplomat and jurist who served as the last president of the Permanent Court of International Justice from 1937 to 1946 and the first president of the International Court ...

. Because of its historical importance as a winter resort town for the European aristocracy and the resulting mix of cultures found in the city,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

proclaimed Nice a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 2021. The city has the second largest hotel capacity in the country, and it is the second most visited metropolis in

Metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...

, receiving four million tourists every year. It also has the third busiest

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

in France, after the two main Parisian ones. It is the historical capital city of the

County of Nice The County of Nice (; ; Niçard ) was a historical region of France and Italy located around the southeastern city of Nice and roughly equivalent to the modern arrondissement of Nice. It was part of the Savoyard state within the Holy Roman Emp ...

(, Niçard: ). Nice will be the main venue for the

2030 Winter Olympics The 2030 Winter Olympics (), officially known as the XXVI Olympic Winter Games 2030 () and branded as French Alps 2030 (), is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 1 to 17 February 2030 in the French Alps reg ...

History

Foundation

The first known hominid settlements in the Nice area date back about 400,000 years (''

Homo erectus ''Homo erectus'' ( ) is an extinction, extinct species of Homo, archaic human from the Pleistocene, spanning nearly 2 million years. It is the first human species to evolve a humanlike body plan and human gait, gait, to early expansions of h ...

''); the '' Terra Amata'' archeological site shows one of the earliest uses of fire, construction of houses, as well as flint findings dated to around 230,000 years ago. Nice was probably founded around 350 BC by colonists from the Greek city of

Phocaea Phocaea or Phokaia (Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek: Φώκαια, ''Phókaia''; modern-day Foça in Turkey) was an ancient Ionian Ancient Greece, Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia. Colonies in antiquity, Greek colonists from Phoc ...

in western

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

. It was given the name of ''Níkaia'' () in honour of a victory over the neighbouring Ligurians (people from the northwest of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, probably the Vediantii kingdom);

() was the Greek goddess of victory. The city soon became one of the busiest trading ports on the Ligurian coast; but it had an important rival in the Roman town of Cemenelum, which continued to exist as a separate city until the time of the Lombard invasions. The ruins of Cemenelum are in

Cimiez Cimiez (; Italian: ''Cimella'') is an upper-class neighborhood in Nice, Southern France. The area contains the Musée Matisse and the ruins of ''Cemenelum'', capital of the Ancient Roman province Alpes Maritimae on the Ligurian coast. ''Ceme ...

, now a district of Nice.

Early development

In the 7th century, Nice joined the Genoese League formed by the towns of

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

. In 729 the city repulsed the

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

; but in 859 and again in 880 the Saracens pillaged and burned it, and for most of the 10th century remained masters of the surrounding country. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Nice participated in the wars and

history of Italy Italy has been inhabited by humans Prehistoric Italy, since the Paleolithic. During antiquity, there were many ancient peoples of Italy, peoples in the Italian peninsula, including Etruscan civilization, Etruscans, Latins, Samnites, Umbri, Cisal ...

. As an ally of

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

it was the enemy of

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, and both the

King of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I, king of the Fra ...

and the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

endeavoured to subjugate it; despite this, it maintained its municipal liberties. During the 13th and 14th centuries the city fell more than once into the hands of the Counts of Provence, but it regained its independence even though related to Genoa. Italy 1494

The medieval city walls surrounded the Old Town. The landward side was protected by the River

Paillon The Paillon ( Nissard Occitan: ''Palhon'') is a coastal river of the Alpes-Maritimes that flows into the Mediterranean Sea in Nice, near the old district. It is long. Its drainage basin is .Castle Hill. Another river flowed into the port on the east side of Castle Hill. Engravings suggest that the port area was also defended by walls. Under

Monoprix Monoprix S.A. () is a major French retail chain with its headquarters in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, near Paris. The company's stores combine food retailing with fashion, beauty and home products. History The company was founded in 19 ...

in Place de Garibaldi are excavated remains of a well-defended city gate on the main road from

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Duchy of Savoy

In 1388, the commune placed itself under the protection of the Counts of Savoy. Nice participated – directly or indirectly – in the history of

until 1860. The maritime strength of Nice now rapidly increased until it was able to cope with the

Barbary pirates The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...

; the fortifications were largely extended and the roads to the city improved. In 1561

Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy Emmanuel Philibert (; ; 8 July 1528 – 30 August 1580), known as (; "Ironhead", because of his military career), was Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 17 August 1553 until his death in 1580. He is notably remembered for resto ...

abolished the use of Latin as an administrative language and established the

Italian language Italian (, , or , ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. It evolved from the colloquial Latin of the Roman Empire. Italian is the least divergent language from Latin, together with Sardinian language, Sardinian. It is ...

as the official language of government affairs in Nice. During the struggle between Francis I and

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

great damage was caused by the passage of the armies invading

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

; pestilence and famine raged in the city for several years. In 1538, in the nearby town of

Villeneuve-Loubet Villeneuve-Loubet (; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, at the mouth of the river Loup, ten kilometres west of ...

, through the mediation of

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

, the two monarchs concluded a ten years' truce. In 1543, Nice was attacked by the united Franco-Ottoman forces of Francis I and Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha, in the

Siege of Nice The siege of Nice occurred in 1543 and was part of the Italian War of 1542–46 in which Francis I and Suleiman the Magnificent collaborated as part of the Franco-Ottoman alliance against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and Henry VIII of ...

; though the inhabitants repulsed the assault which followed the terrible bombardment, they were ultimately compelled to surrender, and Barbarossa was allowed to pillage the city and to carry off 2,500 captives. Pestilence appeared again in 1550 and 1580. In 1600, Nice was briefly taken by the

Duke of Guise Count of Guise and Duke of Guise ( , ) were titles in the French nobility. Originally a Fiefdom, seigneurie, in 1417 Guise was erected into a county for René I of Naples, René, a younger son of Louis II of Anjou. While disputed by the House of ...

. By opening the ports of the county to all nations, and proclaiming full freedom of trade (1626), the commerce of the city was given great stimulus, the noble families taking part in its mercantile enterprises. Captured by

Nicolas Catinat Nicolas Catinat (, 1 September 1637 – 22 February 1712) was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. Life The son of a magistrate, Catinat was born in Paris on 1 September 1637. He entered the Gardes Française ...

in 1691, Nice was restored to

in 1696; but it was again besieged by the French in 1705, and in the following year its

citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...

and ramparts were demolished.

Kingdom of Sardinia

The

Treaty of Utrecht (1713) The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne of ...

once more gave the city back to the Duke of Savoy, who was on that same occasion recognised as King of Sicily. In the peaceful years which followed, the "new town" was built. From 1744 until the

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) The 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, sometimes called the Treaty of Aachen, ended the War of the Austrian Succession, following a congress assembled on 24 April 1748 at the Free Imperial City of Aachen. The two main antagonists in the war, B ...

the French and Spaniards were again in possession. In 1775 the king, who in 1718 had swapped his sovereignty of Sicily for the Kingdom of Sardinia, destroyed all that remained of the ancient liberties of the commune. Conquered in 1792 by the armies of the

First French Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted u ...

, the County of Nice continued to be part of France until 1814; but after that date it reverted to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia.

French annexation

After the Treaty of Turin was signed in 1860 between the Sardinian king and

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

as a consequence of the

Plombières Agreement The Plombières Agreement (, ) of 21 July 1858 was a secret verbal agreement which took place at Plombières-les-Bains between the chief minister of Kingdom of Sardinia, Piedmont-Sardinia, Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, and the Emperor of the ...

, the county was again and definitively ceded to France as a territorial reward for French assistance in the

Second Italian War of Independence The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Sardinian War, the Austro-Sardinian War, the Franco-Austrian War, or the Italian War of 1859 (Italian: ''Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana''; German: ''Sardinischer Krieg''; French: ...

against

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, which saw

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

united with Piedmont-Sardinia. King Victor-Emmanuel II, on 1 April 1860, solemnly asked the population to accept the change of sovereignty, in the name of Italian unity, and the cession was ratified by a regional

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

. Italophile manifestations and the acclamation of an "Italian Nice" by the crowd are reported on this occasion. A plebiscite was voted on 15 and 16 April 1860. The opponents of annexation called for abstention, hence the very high abstention rate. The "yes" vote won 83% of registered voters throughout the county of Nice and 86% in Nice, partly thanks to pressure from the authorities. This is the result of a masterful operation of information control by the French and Piedmontese governments, in order to influence the outcome of the vote in relation to the decisions already taken. The irregularities in the plebiscite voting operations were evident. The case of Levens is emblematic: the same official sources recorded, faced with only 407 voters, 481 votes cast, naturally almost all in favor of joining France. The Italian language, which was the official language of the County, used by the Church, at the town hall, taught in schools, used in theaters and at the Opera, was immediately abolished and replaced by French. Discontent over annexation to France led to the emigration of a large part of the Italophile population, also accelerated by Italian unification after 1861. A quarter of the population of Nice, around 11,000 people from Nice, decided to voluntarily exile to Italy. The emigration of a quarter of the

Niçard Italians Niçard Italians ( ) are Italians who have full or partial County of Nice, Nice heritage by birth or ethnicity. History Niçard Italians have roots in Nice and the County of Nice. They often speak the Ligurian language after Nice joined the Genoa ...

to Italy took the name of Niçard exodus. Many Italians from Nizza then moved to the Ligurian towns of

Ventimiglia Ventimiglia (; , ; ; ) is a resort town in the province of Imperia, Liguria, northern Italy. It is located west of Genoa, and from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia river, w ...

Bordighera Bordighera (; , locally ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Imperia, Liguria (Italy). Geography Bordighera is located from the land border between Italy and France, the French coast is visible from the town. Having the Capo Sant'Ampel ...

and Ospedaletti, giving rise to a local branch of the movement of the Italian irredentists which considered the re-acquisition of Nice to be one of their nationalist goals.

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as (). In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as () or (). 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. H ...

, born in Nice, strongly opposed the cession to France, arguing that the ballot was rigged by the French. Furthermore, for the niçard general his hometown was unquestionably Italian. Politically, the liberals of Nice and the partisans of Garibaldi also appreciated very little Napoleonic authoritarianism. Elements on the right (aristocrats) as on the left (Garibaldians) therefore wanted Nice to return to Italy. Savoy was also transferred to the French crown by similar means. In 1871, during the first free elections in the County, the pro-Italian lists obtained almost all the votes in the legislative elections (26,534 votes out of 29,428 votes cast), and Garibaldi was elected deputy at the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

. Pro-Italians took to the streets cheering ''"Viva Nizza! Viva Garibaldi!".'' The French government sent 10,000 soldiers to Nice, closed the Italian newspaper ''Il Diritto di Nizza'' and imprisoned several demonstrators. The population of Nice rose up from 8 to 10 February and the three days of demonstration took the name of " Niçard Vespers". The revolt was suppressed by French troops. On 13 February, Garibaldi was not allowed to speak at the French parliament meeting in Bordeaux to ask for the reunification of Nice to the newborn Italian unitary state, and he resigned from his post as deputy. The failure of Vespers led to the expulsion of the last pro-Italian intellectuals from Nice, such as Luciano Mereu or Giuseppe Bres, who were expelled or deported. The pro-Italian irredentist movement persisted throughout the period 1860–1914, despite the repression carried out since the annexation. The French government implemented a policy of

Francization Francization (in American English, Canadian English, and Oxford English) or Francisation (in other British English), also known as Frenchification, is the expansion of French language use—either through willful adoption or coercion—by more an ...

of society, language and culture. The toponyms of the communes of the ancient County were francized, with the obligation to use French in Nice, as well as certain surnames (for example the Italian surname "Bianchi" was francized into "Leblanc", and the Italian surname "Del Ponte" was francized into "Dupont"). Italian-language newspapers in Nice were banned. In 1861, ''La Voce di Nizza'' was closed (temporarily reopened during the Niçard Vespers), followed by ''Il Diritto di Nizza'', closed in 1871. In 1895 it was the turn of ''Il Pensiero di Nizza'', accused of irredentism. Many journalists and writers from Nice wrote in these newspapers in Italian. Among these are Enrico Sappia, Giuseppe André, Giuseppe Bres, Eugenio Cais di Pierlas and others. During the

repression of January and February 1894 The repression of January and February 1894 was an episode of the Ère des attentats (1892–1894), during which France engaged in significant Political repression, state repression against Anarchism, anarchists. The passage of the lois scélérat ...

, the police conducted raids targeting the Italian

anarchists Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or hierarchy, primarily targeting the state and capitalism. Anarchism advocates for the replacement of the state w ...

living there, without much success.

20th century

In 1900, the

Tramway de Nice The Nice tram ( ) is a , four-line tram system in the city of Nice in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It is operated by the ''Société nouvelle des transports de l'agglomération niçoise'', a division of Transdev, under the name ''Lignes ...

electrified its horse-drawn streetcars and spread its network to the entire ''département'' from

Menton Menton (; in classical norm or in Mistralian norm, , ; ; or depending on the orthography) is a Commune in France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italia ...

Cagnes-sur-Mer Cagnes-sur-Mer (, literally ''Cagnes on Sea''; ) is a French Riviera town near Nice that is in the Alpes-Maritimes department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in southeastern France. Geography Cagnes-sur-Mer is a town in southeaste ...

. By the 1930s more bus connections were added in the area. In the 1930s, Nice hosted international car racing in the

Formula Libre Formula Libre, also known as Formule Libre, is a form of automobile racing allowing a wide variety of types, ages and makes of purpose-built racing cars to compete "head to head". This can make for some interesting matchups, and provides the oppo ...

(predecessor to

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

) on the so-called Circuit Nice. The circuit started along the waterfront just south of the Jardin Albert I, then headed westward along the

followed by a hairpin turn at the

Hotel Negresco The Hotel Negresco is a luxury hotel and site of the restaurant ''Le Chantecler'', located on the Promenade des Anglais on the Baie des Anges in Nice, France. It was named after Henri Negresco (1868–1920), who had the palatial hotel construct ...

to come back eastward and around the Jardin Albert I before heading again east along the beach on the Quai des Etats-Unis. As war broke out in September 1939, Nice became a city of refuge for many displaced foreigners, notably Jews fleeing the Nazi progression into Eastern Europe. From Nice many sought further shelter in the

French colonies From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire existed mainly in the Americas and Asia. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the second French colonial empire existed mainly in Africa and Asia. France had about 80 colonie ...

, Morocco and North and South America. After July 1940 and the establishment of the

Vichy Regime Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

aggressions accelerated the exodus, starting in July 1941 and continuing through 1942. On 26 August 1942, 655 Jews of foreign origin were rounded up by the Laval government and interned in the Auvare barracks. Of these, 560 were deported to

Drancy internment camp Drancy internment camp () was an assembly and detention camp for confining Jews who were later deported to the extermination camps during the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, German occupation of France duri ...

on 31 August 1942. Due to the activity of the Jewish banker

Angelo Donati Cavalier Angelo Donati (3 February 1885 – 30 December 1960) was an Italian banker and philanthropist, and a diplomat of the San Marino Republic in Paris. Biography Donati was born in Modena to a Sephardi Jewish family. Himself a Jew, he ...

and of the Capuchin friar Père Marie-Benoît the local authorities hindered the application of anti-Jewish Vichy laws. The first ''résistants'' to the new regime were a group of high school seniors of the Lycée de Nice, now , in September 1940, later arrested and executed in 1944 near

Castellane Castellane (; Provençal dialect, Provençal Occitan language, Occitan: ''Castelana'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region ...

. The first public demonstrations occurred on 14 July 1942 when several hundred protesters took to the streets along the Avenue de la Victoire and in the Place Masséna. In November 1942 German troops moved into most of unoccupied France, but Italian troops moved into a smaller zone including Nice. A certain ambivalence remained among the population, many of whom were recent immigrants of Italian ancestry. However, the resistance gained momentum after the Italian surrender in 1943 when the German army occupied the former Italian zone. Reprisals intensified between December 1943 and July 1944, when many partisans were tortured and executed by the local

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

. American paratroopers entered the city on 30 August 1944 and Nice was finally liberated. The consequences of the war were heavy: the population decreased by 15% and economic life was totally disrupted. In the second half of the 20th century, Nice enjoyed an economic boom primarily driven by tourism and construction. Two men dominated this period: Jean Médecin,

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

for 33 years from 1928 to 1943 and from 1947 to 1965, and his son

Jacques Jacques or Jacq are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over one hundred identified noble families related t ...

, mayor for 24 years from 1966 to 1990. Under their leadership, there was extensive urban renewal, including many new constructions. These included the convention centre, theatres, new thoroughfares and expressways. The arrival of the

Pieds-Noirs The (; ; : ) are an ethno-cultural group of people of French and other European descent who were born in Algeria during the period of French colonial rule from 1830 to 1962. Many of them departed for mainland France during and after the ...

, refugees from Algeria after 1962 independence, also gave the city a boost and somewhat changed the make-up of its population and traditional views. By the late 1980s, rumors of political corruption in the city government surfaced; and eventually formal accusations against Jacques Médecin forced him to flee France in 1990. Later arrested in

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

in 1993, he was extradited back to France in 1994, convicted of several counts of corruption and associated crimes and sentenced to imprisonment. On 16 October 1979, a

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...

and an undersea slide caused two

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...

s that hit the western coast of Nice; these

events Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...

killed between 8 and 23 people.

21st century

In February 2001, European leaders met in Nice to negotiate and sign what is now the

Treaty of Nice The Treaty of Nice was signed by European leaders on 26 February 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003. It amended the Maastricht Treaty (or the Treaty on European Union) and the Treaty of Rome (or the Treaty establishing the European C ...

, amending the institutions of the European Union. In 2003, local Chief

Prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in Civil law (legal system), civil law. The prosecution is the ...

Éric de Montgolfier Éric de Montgolfier (born 11 August 1946) is a French attorney and state prosecutor (''procureur de la République''). When head prosecutor in Valenciennes, he became famous for prosecuting the businessman-cum-politician Bernard Tapie for r ...

alleged that some judicial cases involving local personalities had been suspiciously derailed by the local judiciary, which he suspected of having unhealthy contacts through

Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

lodges with the defendants. A controversial official report stated later that Montgolfier had made unwarranted accusations. On 14 July 2016, a truck was deliberately driven into a crowd of people by Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel on the

. The crowd was watching a fireworks display in celebration of

Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as () in French, though ''la fête nationale'' is also u ...

. A total of 87 people were killed, including the perpetrator, who was shot dead by police. Another 434 were injured, with 52 in critical care and 25 in intensive care, according to the Paris prosecutor. On 29 October 2020, a stabbing attack killed three people at the local Notre-Dame de Nice. One of the victims, a woman, was beheaded by the attacker. Several additional victims were injured. The attacker, who was shot by the police, was taken into custody. The

Islamic state The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

claimed responsibility for both attacks. In 2021, the city was proclaimed a

as "Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera". On 18 July 2024, seven people from the same family, including three young children, three adults and a teenager were killed in an arson attack. The fire also critically injured one other person and caused thirty other people to suffer from

smoke inhalation Smoke inhalation is the breathing in of harmful fumes (produced as by-products of combusting substances) through the respiratory tract. This can cause smoke inhalation injury (a kind of acute inhalation injury) which is damage to the respirator ...

Architecture

The

("Walkway of the English") is a promenade along the Baie des Anges ("Bay of the Angels"), which is a bay of the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

in Nice. Before Nice was urbanised, the coastline at Nice was just bordered by a deserted stretch of

shingle beach A shingle beach, also known as either a cobble beach or gravel beach, is a commonly narrow beach that is composed of coarse, loose, well-rounded, and waterworn gravel, called ''shingle''. The gravel (shingle) typically consists of smooth, sphero ...

(covered with large pebbles). The first houses were located on higher ground well away from the sea, as wealthy tourists visiting Nice in the 18th century did not come for the beach, but for the gentle winter weather. The areas close to the water were home to Nice's dockworkers and fishermen. In the second half of the 18th century, many wealthy English people took to spending the winter in Nice, enjoying the panorama along the coast. This early aristocratic English colony conceived the building of a promenade with the leadership and financial support of Rev. Lewis Way. With the initial promenade completed, the city of Nice, intrigued by the prospect, greatly increased the scope of the work. The Promenade was first called the ''Camin dei Anglès'' (the English Way) by the Niçois in their native dialect Nissart. In 1823, the promenade was named ''La Promenade des Anglais'' by the French, a name that would stick after the annexation of Nice by France in 1860. The

on the Promenade des Anglais was named after Henri Negresco who had the palatial hotel constructed in 1912. In keeping with the conventions of the time, when the Negresco first opened in 1913 its front opened on the side opposite the Mediterranean. Beginning at Place Masséna, heading east and parallel to the Promenade des Anglais, there is a "Zone Piétonne", or "Pedestrian Zone". Cars are not allowed (with the exception of delivery trucks), making this avenue a popular walkway. Old Nice is also home to the Opéra de Nice. It was constructed at the end of the 19th century under the design of François Aune, to replace King Charles Félix's Maccarani Theater. Today, it is open to the public and provides a regular program of performances. Other sights include: *Palais communal de Nice * Palais de la Méditerranée *Palais de l'agriculture * Gare du Sud *Jardin Albert-Ier * Castle of Nice *Colline du Château

Religious buildings

Religious buildings in the city include: *

Nice Cathedral Nice Cathedral () is a Catholic cathedral located in the city of Nice in southern France. The cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Nice. The construction of the main part of the current cathedral's body started in 1650 and finished in 1685. F ...

* Notre-Dame de Nice *

Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice The St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, Nice (, ) is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral located in the French city of Nice. Property of the Russian Federation, it is recognized as a national monument of France, and it currently belongs to the jurisdiction ...

*Église Notre-Dame-du-Port de Nice * Church of Gesù, Nice *

Museums

* *

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice in Nice, France at 33 av. des Baumettes was built in the former private mansion built in 1878 by the Russian Princess, . Named for the artist Jules Chéret who lived and worked in Nice during his final years, th ...

* Musée Matisse * Musée Marc Chagall *

Squares

Place Masséna

The ''Place Masséna'' is the main square of the city. Before the

Paillon The Paillon ( Nissard Occitan: ''Palhon'') is a coastal river of the Alpes-Maritimes that flows into the Mediterranean Sea in Nice, near the old district. It is long. Its drainage basin is .Italian architecture Italy has a very broad and diverse architectural style, which cannot be simply classified by period or region, due to Italy's division into various small states until 1861. This has created a highly diverse and eclectic range in architectural de ...

. The recent rebuilding of the tramline gave the square back to the pedestrians, restoring its status as a real Mediterranean square. It is lined with palm trees and stone pines. Since its construction, the Place Masséna has been the spot for public events. It is used for concerts, the summer festivals, the '' Corso carnavalesque'' (carnival parade) in February, the military procession on the 14th of July (Bastille Day) and other traditional celebrations and banquets. The Place Masséna is a two-minute walk from the

, old town, town center, and Albert I Garden (''Jardin Albert Ier''). It is also a large crossroads between several of the main streets of the city:

avenue Jean Médecin The Avenue Jean Médecin is a street located in the center of Nice, one of the city's main north-south traffic arteries. In Niçard, it is officially named the "avenguda Jouan-Medecin, consòu de Nissa". It constitutes the city's main shopping str ...

, ''avenue Félix Faure'', ''boulevard Jean Jaurès'', ''avenue de Verdun'' and ''rue Gioffredo''. File:Placemassena1.JPG, View of the Place Masséna File:Place Massena by night.jpg, Place Masséna by night, 2012

Place Garibaldi

The ''Place Garibaldi'' also stands out for its architecture and history. It is named after

, hero of the

Italian unification The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...

(born in Nice in 1807 when Nice was part of the Napoleonic Empire, before reverting to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia). The square was built at the end of the 18th century and served as the entry gate to the city and end of the road from Turin. It took several names between 1780 and 1870 (Plaça Pairoulièra, Place de la République, Place Napoléon, Place d'Armes, Place Saint-Augustin, Piazza Vittorio) and finally Place Garibaldi in September 1870. A statue of Garibaldi, who was fiercely in favour of the union of Nice with Italy, stands in the centre of the square. The rebuilding of the area to accommodate a new tramway line gave almost the entire square to pedestrians. The architecture is in line with the Turin model, which was the norm of urban renewal throughout the entire realm of the House of Savoy. Nice tramway place Garibaldi

It is a crossroads between the ''Vieux Nice'' (old town) and the town center. Place Garibaldi is close to the eastern districts of Nice, ''Port Lympia'' (Lympia Harbour), and the TNL commercial centre.

Place Rossetti

Entirely enclosed and pedestrianised, this square is located in the old town. With typical buildings in red and yellow ochres surrounding the square, the ''cathédrale Sainte-Réparate'' and there is a fountain in the center. By day, the place is filled by the terraces of traditional restaurants and ice-cream makers. By night, the environment changes radically, with tourists and young people flocking to the square. Place Rossetti is in the centre of the old town, streets ''Jesus'', ''Rossetti'', ''Mascoïnat'' and the ''Pont-vieux'' (old bridge).

Cours Saleya

The Cours Saleya is situated parallel to the ''Quai des États-Unis''. In the past, it belonged to the upper classes. It hosts a daily market with flowers, art vendors, and antiques.

Place du Palais

The ''Place du Palais'' is where the ''Palais de la Justice'' (Law courts) of Nice is located. On this square, there also is the ''Palais Rusca'', which also belongs to the justice department (home of the ''tribunal de grande instance'').

Administration

Located in the

, Nice is a commune and the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

(administrative capital) of the

département. However, it is also the largest city in France that is not a regional capital; the much larger

is its regional capital.

Christian Estrosi Christian Paul Gilbert Estrosi (born 1 July 1955) is a French sportsman and politician and the Mayor of Nice since 2017, previously holding the office from 2008 to 2016. A former professional motorcyclist, he served as a government minister und ...

, its mayor, is a member of Horizons (formerly a member of The Republicans). He has been incumbent since 2017. The city council is based at the Hôtel de Ville. The city is divided into nine

cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, th ...

: Nice-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Nice appeared for the first time in a copy of the ''Regulations'' of Amadeus VIII, probably written around 1430.Ralph Schor (Edited by), ''Dictionnaire historique et biographique du comté de Nice'' (''Historical and biographical dictionary of the County of Nice''), Nice, Serre, 2002, , pp.22–23 The Nice is symbolised by a red eagle on silver background, placed on three mountains, which can be described in French

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

language as "d'argent à une aigle de gueule posée sur trois coupeaux". ("Upon silver a red eagle is displayed, posed upon three mounds.") The arms have only undergone minor changes: the eagle has become more and more stylised, it now "wears" a coronet for the

, and the three mountains are now surrounded by a stylised sea. The presence of the eagle, an imperial emblem, shows that these arms are related to the power of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

. The eagle standing over the three hills is a depiction of Savoy, referring to its domination over the country around Nice. The combination of silver and red (argent and gules) is a reference to the colours of the

flag of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy (; ) was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for ...

. The three mountains symbolise a territorial honour, without concern for geographic realism.

Geography

Nice consists of two large bays.

Villefranche-sur-Mer Villefranche-sur-Mer (, ; ; ) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera and is located southwest of the Principality of Monaco, which is just west of the French-Italian ...

sits on an enclosed bay, while the main expanse of the city lies between the old port city and the Aeroport de Côte d'Azur, across a gently curving bay. The city rises from the flat beach into gentle rising hills, then is bounded by surrounding mountains that represent the Southern and nearly the Western extent of the

Ligurian Alps The Ligurian Alps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. A small part is located in France. They form the south-western extremity of the Alps, separated from the Apennine Mountains, Apennines by the Colle di Cadibona. The Col de Tende and the ...

range.

Flora

The natural vegetation of Nice is typical for a Mediterranean landscape, with a heavy representation of broadleaf evergreen shrubs. Trees tend to be scattered but form dense forests in some areas. Large native tree species include evergreens such as holm oak,

stone pine The Italian stone pine, botanical name ''Pinus pinea'', also known as the Mediterranean stone pine is a tree from the pine family (''Pinaceae''). The tree is native to the Mediterranean region, occurring in Southern Europe and the Levant. The ...

and

arbutus ''Arbutus'' is a genus of 12 accepted speciesAct. Bot. Mex no.99 Pátzcuaro abr. 2012.''Arbutus bicolor''/ref> of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to temperate regions of the Mediterranean, western Europe, the Canary Islands a ...

. Many introduced species grow in parks and gardens. Palms,

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

and

citrus fruit ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Mandarin orange, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, ...

s are among the trees which give Nice a subtropical appearance. But there are also species familiar to temperate areas around the world; examples include

horse chestnut The genus ''Aesculus'' ( or ), with notable species including buckeye and horse chestnut, comprises 13–19 species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. They are trees and shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with ...

, linden and even

Norway spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very clo ...

Climate

Nice has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csa''), enjoying mild winters with moderate rainfall. It is one of the warmest Mediterranean climates for its latitude. Summers are warm to hot, dry, and sunny. Rainfall is rare in this season, and a typical July month only records one or two days with measurable rainfall. The temperature is typically above but rarely above . The climate data is recorded from the airport, located just metres from the sea. Summer temperatures, therefore, are often higher in the city. The average maximum temperature in the warmest months of July and August is about . The highest recorded temperature was on 1 August 2006. Autumn generally starts sunny in September and becomes more cloudy and rainy towards October, while temperatures usually remain above until November where days start to cool down to around . Winters are characterised by mild days (), cool nights (), and variable weather. Days can be either sunny and dry or damp and rainy. The average minimum temperature in January is around . Frost is unusual and snowfalls are rare. The most recent snowfall in Nice was on 26 February 2018. Nice also received a dusting of snow in 2005, 2009 and 2010. Spring starts cool and rainy in late March, and Nice becomes increasingly warm and sunny around June.

Economy and tourism

Nice is the seat of the

Chambre de commerce et d'industrie Nice Côte d'Azur Chambre (French for ''chamber'') may refer to: * Chambre des Pairs * Chambre des Députés * Chambre de bonne * Chambre introuvable * Valet de chambre * Chambre Ardente People with the surname * Alan Chambré * Calcot Chambre See also ...

, which manages the Port of Nice. Investors from France and abroad can benefit from the assistance of the Côte d'Azur Economic Development Agency Team Côte d'Azur. Nice has one conference centre: the

Palais des Congrès Acropolis The Palais des Congrès Acropolis (formerly known as Parc Expo) was a convention center located in Nice, France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions ...

. The city also has several business parks, including l'Arenas, Nice the Plain, Nice Méridia, Saint Isidore, and the Northern Forum. In addition, the city features several shopping centres such as Nicetoile on Avenue Jean Médecin, Cap3000 in

Saint-Laurent-du-Var Saint-Laurent-du-Var (; Occitan: ''Sant Laurenç de Var'', Italian: ''San Lorenzo del Varo'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera. History The town was founded in the ...

(the 5th-biggest mall in France by surface area), Nice TNL, Nice Lingostière, Northern Forum, St-Isidore, the Trinity (around the

Auchan Auchan () is a French multinational retail group headquartered in Croix, France. It was founded in 1961 by Gérard Mulliez and is owned by the Mulliez family, who has 95% stake in the company. With 354,851 employees, of which 261,000 have 5% ...

hypermarket A hypermarket or superstore is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full grocery lines and general merchandise. In ...

) and Polygone Riviera in

Sophia Antipolis Sophia Antipolis is a 2,400 hectare technology park in southeast France, and as of 2021 home to 2,500 companies, valued today at more than 5.6 billion euros and employing more than 38,000 people counting more than 80 nationalities. The park is ...

is a technology park northwest of

Antibes Antibes (, , ; ) is a seaside city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in Southeastern France. It is located on the French Riviera between Cannes and Nice; its cape, the Cap d'Antibes, along with Cap Ferrat in Saint-Jean-Ca ...

. Much of the park is within the commune of

Valbonne Valbonne (; ) is a commune near Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Valbonne means "the good valley" in Provençal and translates to "Vaubona" in Occitan. The commune i ...

. Established between 1970 and 1984, it primarily houses companies in the fields of computing, electronics, pharmacology and biotechnology. Several institutions of higher learning are also located here, along with the European headquarters of W3C. It is known as "Europe's first science and technology hub" and is valued at more than 5 billion euros. The Nice metropolitan area had a GDP amounting to $47.7 billion, and $34,480 per capita, slightly lower than the French average.

Infrastructure

Transport

Port

The main port of Nice is also known as Lympia port. This name comes from the Lympia spring which fed a small lake in a marshy zone where work on the port was started in 1745. Today this is the principal harbour installation of Nice – there is also a small port in the Carras district. The port is the first port cement manufacturer in France, linked to the treatment plants of the rollers of the valley of Paillon. Fishing activities remain but the number of professional fishermen is now less than 10. Nice, being the point of continental France nearest to

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

, has ferry connections with the island developed with the arrival of NGV (''navires à grande vitesse'') or

high-speed craft A high-speed craft (HSC) is a high-speed water vessel for civilian use, also called a fastcraft or fast ferry. The first high-speed craft were often hydrofoils or hovercraft, but in the 1990s catamaran and monohull designs become more popu ...

. The connections are provided by Corsica Ferries – Sardinia Ferries. Located in front of the port, the Place Cassini has been renamed Place of Corsica.

Airport

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport , also known as Roissy Airport, is the primary international airport serving Paris, the capital city of France. The airport opened in 1974 and is located in Roissy-en-France, northeast of Paris. It is named for ...

and

Orly Airport Paris Orly Airport (, ) is one of two international airports serving Paris, France, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris. It serves as a sec ...

, both near Paris. It is on the

, near l'Arénas and has two terminals. Due to its proximity to the Principality of

, it also serves as that city–state's airport. A helicopter service provided by Heli Air Monaco and Monacair links the city and airport. It is run by the ACA (Aéroports Côte d'Azur), which includes Cannes – Mandelieu Airport and La Môle – Saint-Tropez Airport. Public transportation into the city proper is serviced by the Tramway line 2 (T2).

Rail

The main railway station is Nice-Ville, served both by high-speed

TGV The TGV (; , , 'high-speed train') is France's intercity high-speed rail service. With commercial operating speeds of up to on the newer lines, the TGV was conceived at the same period as other technological projects such as the Ariane 1 rocke ...

trains connecting Paris and Nice in less than 6 hours and by local commuter TER services.

is reached in 2.5 hours. Nice also has international connections to Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and Russia. Nice is also served by several suburban stations including Nice St-Augustin, Nice St-Roch, Nice Pont-Michel and Nice Riquier. Nice is also the southern terminus of the independently run Chemins de Fer de Provence railway line which connects the city with

Digne Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte ...

in approximately 4 hours from the Nice CP station. A metro-like suburban service is also provided on the southern part of the line.

Tram

began operating horse-drawn trams in 1879. Electrified in 1900, the combined length of the network reached by 1930. The replacement of trams with

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

es began in 1948 and was completed in 1953. In 2007, the new Tramway de Nice linked the northern and eastern suburbs via the city centre. Two other lines are currently operating. The second line runs east–west from Jean Médecin to the

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Cagnes-sur-Mer Cagnes-sur-Mer (, literally ''Cagnes on Sea''; ) is a French Riviera town near Nice that is in the Alpes-Maritimes department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in southeastern France. Geography Cagnes-sur-Mer is a town in southeaste ...

Road

The

A8 autoroute The A8 autoroute, also known as La Provençale, is a -long highway in France that runs between Aix-en-Provence and the A7 to the Côte d'Azur. Route The A8 is an extension of the A7 starting to the west of Aix-en-Provence at La Fare-les-Oli ...

and the

Route nationale 7 The Route nationale 7, or ''RN 7'', is a trunk road ( nationale) in France between Paris and the border with Italy. It was also known as ''Route des vacances'' (The Holiday Route), ''Route bleue'' (The Blue Route), and — sarcastically, dur ...

pass through the Nice agglomeration.

Sports and entertainment

* Stade du Ray (demolished) *

Allianz Riviera Allianz Riviera (also known as Grand Stade de Nice and Stade de Nice due to UEFA, FIFA, and IOC sponsorship regulations) is a multi-use stadium in Nice, France, used mostly for Association football, football matches of host OGC Nice and also for ...

Stade Charles-Ehrmann Stade Charles-Ehrmann is a multi-use stadium in Nice, France. For sporting events it seats 8,000 spectators. It is sometimes used by the OGC Nice, for practice or friendly matches, and by their reserves team the Eaglets. For large concerts, it is ...

* Stade Marcel-Volot * Palais Nikaïa * Nice Jazz Festival * Nice Carnival *

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

Summer Olympics

Major infrastructure projects

Promenade du Paillon Extension: The city has been working on extending the Promenade du Paillon, an urban park that enhances green spaces and offers recreational areas for residents and visitors. MEET IN NICE CÔTE D'AZUR Éco-Vallée: This project focuses on sustainable urban development in the Var plain, aiming to create a model for ecological urbanism. Grand Arénas Multimodal Transport Hub: A new transport hub is being developed to improve connectivity, integrating various modes of transportation for better accessibility. New Conference Area at the Port of Nice: In preparation for the Oceans Summit in June 2025, Nice is inaugurating a new events center on the Quai Amiral Infernet, featuring a 2,400-seat amphitheater and additional reception rooms.

Sport

* The city's major

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club is

OGC Nice Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice (), commonly referred to as OGC Nice or simply Nice, is a French professional association football, football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of Footb ...

. They play in

Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...

(the top division in France). * The Olympic Nice swimming club () is also notable;

Camille Muffat Camille Muffat (; 28 October 1989 – 9 March 2015) was a French Swimming (sport), swimmer and three-time Summer Olympic Games, Olympic Olympic medal, medalist. Swimming for the Olympic Nice Natation club, she specialised in the individual medl ...

and

Yannick Agnel Yannick Agnel (born 9 June 1992) is a French former competitive swimmer who specialized in freestyle events, and is a three-time Olympic medalist. In his Olympic debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he won gold in the 200-meter frees ...

trained there. * Nice hosts the finish of the annual

cycling race Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling sports in ...

Paris–Nice Paris–Nice is a professional road bicycle racing, cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the ...

. * The Nice Hockey Élite club play in

Ligue Magnus The Ligue Magnus, currently known as Synerglace Ligue Magnus for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's division of the French ice hockey pyramid, established in 1906. The league operated under a variety of names before taking that of its champio ...

, the top men's division of the French ice hockey pyramid. * The Stade Niçois is a rugby club playing in

Fédérale 1 The championnat de France de rugby à XV de 1re division fédérale (), a.k.a. Fédérale 1 (), is a French rugby union club competition, it is the elite of amateur rugby in France. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Français ...

Population

, the urban area ('' unité urbaine'') of Nice, defined by INSEE, was home to 944,321 inhabitants (seventh most populous in France) and its

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

(''

aire urbaine An ''aire urbaine'' (literal and official translation: "urban area") is an INSEE (France's national statistics bureau) statistical concept describing a core of urban development and the extent of its commuter activity. It was replaced by the c ...

'') totaled 609,695 inhabitants, which made it the 13th largest in France.Comparateur de territoire: Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Nice (017), Unité urbaine 2020 de Nice (06701), Commune de Nice (06088)
INSEE, retrieved 20 June 2022. Part of the urban area of Nice belongs to the metropolitan area of Cannes–Antibes. Since the 1970s, the number of inhabitants has not changed significantly; the relatively high migration to Nice is balanced by a natural negative growth of the population.

Observatory

The ''Observatoire de Nice'' (

Nice Observatory The Nice Observatory () is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mount Gros. The observatory was founded in 1879, by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier (architect), Charles Garnier, ...

) is located on the summit of Mont Gros. The observatory was established in 1879 by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier;

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel ( , ; Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway net ...

designed the main dome. The 76-cm (30-inch)

refractor telescope A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens (optics), lens as its objective (optics), objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptrics, dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope d ...

that became operational in 1888 was at that time the world's largest telescope.

Culture

Terra-Amata, an archaeological site dating from the Lower Palaeolithic age, is situated near Nice. Nice itself was established by the ancient Greeks. There was also an independent Ancient Rome, Roman city, Cemenelum, near Nice, where the hill of Cimiez is located. Since the 2nd century AD, the light of the city has attracted painters and sculptors such as Chagall, Matisse,

, Yves Klein, Klein,

and Sacha Sosno, Sosno. Nice inspired many composers and intellectuals in different countries e.g. Hector Berlioz, Berlioz, Rossini, Friedrich Nietzsche, Nietzsche, etc. Nice also has numerous museums of all kinds: Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée international d'Art naïf Anatole Jakovsky, Musée Terra-Amata, Museum of Asian Art, Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain (which devotes much space to the well-known ''École of Nice ''"), Museum of Natural History, Musée Masséna, Naval Museum and ''Galerie des Ponchettes''. Being a vacation resort, Nice hosts many festivals throughout the year, such as the Nice Carnival and the Nice Jazz Festival. Nice has a distinct culture due to its unique history. The local language ''Niçard (Nissart)'' is an Occitan language, Occitan dialect (but some Italian scholars argue that it is a Ligurian language (Romance), Ligurian dialect). It is still spoken by a substantial minority. Strong Italian culture, Italian and (to a lesser extent)

n influences make it more intelligible to speakers of Italian than other extant Provençal dialects. In the past, Nice has welcomed many immigrants from

(who continue to make up a large proportion of the population), as well as Spaniards and Portuguese people, Portuguese. In the past few decades immigration has been opened to include immigrants from all over the world, particularly those from former North Africa, Northern and West Africa, Western African colonies, as well as Southeast Asia. Traditions are still alive, especially in folk music and dances, including the farandole – an open-chain community dance. Since 1860 a cannon (based at the Château east of Old Nice) is shot at twelve o'clock sharp. The detonation can be heard almost all over the city. This tradition goes back to Sir Thomas Coventry, who intended to remind the citizens of having lunch on time. ''Hôtel du Couvent:'' A 17th-century monastery in Nice was transformed into a five-star hotel, opening its doors in June 2024. This project blends historical architecture with modern luxury, contributing to the city's hospitality offerings. LE MONDE

Cuisine

The cuisine of Nice is especially close to those of Provençal cuisine, Provence but also Ligurian cuisine, Liguria and Piemontese cuisine, Piedmont and uses local ingredients (olive oil, anchovies, fruit and vegetables) but also those from more remote regions, in particular from Northern Europe, because ships which came to pick up olive oil arrived full of food products, such as dried haddock. The local cuisine is rich in around 200 recipes. Most famous include the local tart made with onions and anchovies (or anchovy paste), named "Pissaladière" and derived from the ligurian pissalandrea, a sort of pizza. ''Farinata, Socca'' is a type of pancake made from chickpea flour. ''Farcis niçois'' is a dish made from vegetables stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs, meat (generally sausage and ground beef), and herbs; and ''salade niçoise'' is a tomato salad with baked eggs, tuna or anchovies, olives and often lettuce. Green peppers, vinaigrette, and other raw green vegetables may be included. Potatoes and green beans are not traditional components. Local meat comes from neighbouring valleys, such as the sheep of Sisteron. Local fish, such as mullets, bream, sea urchins, anchovies and poutine/gianchetti are used to a great extent, so much so that it has given birth to a proverb: "fish are born in the sea and die in oil". Examples of Niçois specialties include: *Salade niçoise *Pan-bagnat *Ratatouille *Daube *Pissaladière *Farinata, Socca *Barbajuan *Tapenade *Fougasse (bread), Fougasse Bataille de fleurs

Education

* Côte d'Azur University * Institut Eurécom * École des hautes études commerciales du nord * École pour l'informatique et les nouvelles technologies * Villa Arson * Ecole Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle, ESRA film school * Institut supérieur européen de formation par l'action * IPAG Business School * Supinfo * Skema Business School * Lycée Masséna * Lycée Albert-Calmette

International relations

Nice is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with: * Alicante, Spain * Antananarivo, Madagascar * Astana, Kazakhstan * Can Tho, Vietnam * Cartagena, Colombia * Cuneo, Italy * Edinburgh, UK * Gdańsk, Poland * Hangzhou, China * Houston, Texas, Houston, United States * Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura, Japan * Laval, Quebec, Laval, Canada * Libreville, Gabon * Locarno, Switzerland * Louisiana (state), United States * Manila, Philippines * Miami, Florida, Miami, United States * Netanya, Israel * Nouméa, New Caledonia * Nuremberg, Germany * Papeete, France * Phuket (city), Phuket, Thailand * Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * Saint-Denis, Réunion, Saint-Denis, France * Saint Petersburg, Russia * Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain * Sorrento, Italy * Szeged, Hungary * Thessaloniki, Greece * Xiamen, China * Yalta, Ukraine * Yerevan, Armenia

Notable people

* Nicholas Alexandrovich (1843–1865) – Tsesarevich, the heir apparent, of Imperial Russia died in Nice and was patron of the Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Nice * Louis Aragon (1897–1982) – Poet and novelist and his wife, the Russian-born writer Elsa Triolet, lived clandestinely in Nice during World War II * The Avener (born 1987) – musical artist and DJ, born in Nice * Jean Behra (1921–1959) – racing driver, born in Nice * Elliot Benchetrit (born 1998) – tennis player * Freda Betti (1924–1979) – opera singer * Henri Betti (1917–2005) – composer and pianist * Priscilla Betti (born 1989) – singer and actress * Jules Bianchi (1989–2015) – Formula 1 Driver * Surya Bonaly (born 1973) – figure skater * Jean-Philippe Bonardi (born 1970 – French and Swiss university professor * Alexy Bosetti (born 1993) – footballer * Loïc Bruni (born 1994) professional Downhill mountain biking, downhill mountain biker * Albert Calmette (1863–1933) – physician, bacteriologist and immunologist * René Cassin (1887–1976) – jurist, law professor and judge, former student of Nice's Lycée Massena, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968 *

(1731–1810) – British scientist noted for his discovery of hydrogen * Éric Ciotti (born 1965) – politician, born in Nice * Alfred Van Cleef – jeweler buried in Nice at the Cimetière du Château * Alizé Cornet (born 1990) – tennis player * Joseph Dadoune (born 1975) – visual artist * Marc Duret (born 1957) – French-American actor and director, starring in ''The Big Blue'', ''La Femme Nikita (film), La Femme Nikita'', ''La haine'', ''Borgia (TV series), Borgia'', ''Outlander (TV series), Outlander'', born in Nice *

(born 1955) – born in Nice, mayor from 2008 to 2016 and again since 2017 * Jacqueline Eymar (1922–2008) – classical pianist * Feder (DJ), Feder (born 1987) – musical artist and DJ, born in Nice *

(1838–1881) – politician, buried in Nice *

(1807–1882) – Italian general, politician and patriot, a founding father of Italy, born in Nice *

(1926–1977)– ''

'' creator, buried in Nice *

(1876–1958) – first president of the International Court of Justice buried in Nice at Cimetière du Château * Emily Hallifax (born 2005) – diver * James Charles Harris, James C Harris (1831–1904) – 19th century British consul at Nice; painted many scenes in and around the city * Dominic Howard (born 1977) – drummer for Muse (band), Muse currently lives in Nice * Cyprien Iov (born 1989) – known simply as Cyprien, comedian and actor with a large Youtube channel, born in Nice * Dominique Jean-Zéphirin (born 1982) – footballer * Emil Jellinek-Mercedes (1853–1918) – General Counsel for Austria-Hungary, and founder of Mercedes car company buried in Nice at Cimetière du Château * Elton John (born 1947) – singer, owned a house in Mont Boron on the hills of Nice * David Kadouch (born 1985), pianist and chamber musician * Alexis Kossenko (born 1977) – classical flautist and conductor * Georges Lautner (1926–2013) – director born in Nice, buried in the cemetery of the Castle * J. M. G. Le Clézio (born 1940) – author and professor, was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature * Hugo Lloris (born 1986) – French international footballer, born in Nice * Jacques Loew (1908–1999) – French worker-priest, born and raised in Nice * Heinrich Mann (1871–1950) – German novelist (and brother of Thomas Mann) lived in Nice * André Masséna (1758–1817) – 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling, one of the original 18 Marshals of the Empire, French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, his nickname was l'Enfant chéri de la Victoire ("the Dear Child of Victory") * Jean-Pierre Mocky (1929–2019) – film director, actor, screenwriter and producer * Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920) – lived for a few months in Nice with his companion Jeanne Hébuterne; she gave birth to their daughter Jeanne Modigliani, Giovanna in 1918. * Mohammed VI of Morocco, Mohammed VI (born 1963) – king of Morocco, obtained the title of Doctor of Law at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis * Jacques Ochs (1883–1971) – artist and Olympic fencing champion * Clairemarie Osta (born 1970) – ballet dancer, ''Danseur étoile, étoile'' at Paris Opera Ballet * Pino Presti (born 1943) – Italian bassist, arranger, composer, conductor and record producer, lived in Nice * Fabio Quartararo (born 1999) – French MotoGP World Champion * Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) – had his studio in Nice from 1911 to 1919 at the corner of the Rue Alfred Mortier and the Quai St Jean Baptiste. A commemorative plaque is affixed to it. * Dick Rivers (1945–2019)– born Hervé Forneri, rock singer, born in Nice * Ken Samaras (born 1990) – known as Nekfeu, French rapper, born in the suburbs of Nice * Robert W. Service (1874–1958) – poet and writer of the Klondike Gold Rush lived in Nice during the summers from 1916 to 1940 * Joann Sfar (born 1971) – comics artist, comic book creator and film director * Michel Siffre (born 1939) – adventurer and scientist * Gilles Simon (born 1984) – tennis player * Michael Sinterniklaas (born 1972) – voice actor * Aimé Teisseire (1914–2008) – French Army officer, lived in Nice after his retirement from the military until his death at the age of 93Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération
"Aimé Teisseire"
. Retrieved 19 January 2016 . * Ben Vautier (1935–2024) – artist * Simone Veil (1927–2017) – lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Health, President of the European Parliament and member of the Constitutional Council of France; survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, born in Nice *

(1819–1901) – Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, stayed many winters in Nice * Valérie Zenatti (born 1970) – writer * Nguyễn Văn Xuân (1892–1989), French Army general and Vietnamese politician, lived in France in later life until he died in Nice at the age of 96

Honorary citizens

Charles III, then Prince of Wales, received honorary citizenship of Nice on 8 May 2018.

Notes

References

External links

Official website of the City of Nice

Official website of Nice Metropolis

Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera
– UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture {{Authority control Nice, Communes of Alpes-Maritimes Prefectures in France World Heritage Sites in France Massalian colonies Cities in France