Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...

, close to the Italian border. Menton has always been a frontier town. Since the end of the 14th century, it was on the border between County of Nice, held by the

Duke of Savoy The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a Duchy of Sav ...

, and Republic of Genoa. It was an exclave of the Principality of Monaco until the disputed French plebiscite of 1860, when it was added to France. It had been always a fashionable tourist centre with grand mansions and gardens. Its temperate Mediterranean climate is especially favourable to the citrus industry, with which it is strongly identified.

Etymology

Although the name's spelling and pronunciation in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

are identical to those for the word that means "chin", there does not seem to be any link with this French word. According to the French geographer

Ernest Nègre Ernest Angély Séraphin Nègre (, born 11 October 1907 in Saint-Julien-Gaulène (Tarn), died 15 April 2000 in Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occ ...

, the name ''Menton'' comes from the Roman name ''Mento''. However, it is possible that the name of the city comes from ''Mons Ottonis'' (reconstituted) from the name of Otton II, the count of Ventimiglia from 1162-1200. In

Mentonasc Mentonasc (; Mentonasco in Italian, Mentonnais or Mentonasque in French) is a Romance dialect historically spoken in and around Menton, France. It is classified as a dialect of Occitan and a sub-dialect of Vivaro-Alpine, with some strong influen ...

, the city's name is ''Mentan'' (), and in Italian ''Mentone'' (). An inhabitant of Menton, ''un mentonnais'' or ''un mentonasque'' in French, would be ''O mentonasc'' in the local dialect.

History

The Menton area has been inhabited since the

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

era, and is the site of the original " Grimaldi Man" find of early

modern humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...

, as well as remains of Neanderthals and

Cro-Magnon Early European modern humans (EEMH), or Cro-Magnons, were the first early modern humans (''Homo sapiens'') to settle in Europe, migrating from Western Asia, continuously occupying the continent possibly from as early as 56,800 years ago. They ...

s. In Roman times, the

Via Julia Augusta The Via Julia Augusta (modern Italian Via Giulia Augusta) is the name given to the Roman road formed by the merging of the Via Aemilia Scauri with the Via Postumia. The road runs from Placentia (modern Piacenza) to Arelate (modern Arles), initial ...

, a road connecting Placentia (now Piacenza) with Arelates (now Arles) passed through Menton, running along the Rue Longue in the old town. The first major settlement occurred during the 11th century CE, when the count of Ventimiglia constructed the ''Château de Puypin'' (''Podium Pinum'') on the Pépin hill, north and west of the modern town centre. During the 13th century, the seigneury of Puypin fell to the Vento family of Genoa who built a new castle along the Roman road, now the site of the ''Vieux-Château'' cemetery, providing the core around which the current town grew. Menton was thus incorporated into the Republic of Genoa. The first mention of Menton dates from 21 July 1262, in the peace treaty between Charles of Anjou and Genoa. Its position on the border between the Angevin-ruled Provence and the Republic of Genoa, which at the time claimed Monaco as its western limit, made it a coveted location. Le comté de Nice et Oneille

Acquired in 1346 by Charles Grimaldi, Lord of Monaco, Menton was ruled by the princes of Monaco until the French Revolution. Annexed during the Revolution, Menton remained part of France through the

First Empire First Empire may refer to: *First British Empire, sometimes used to describe the British Empire between 1583 and 1783 *First Bulgarian Empire (680–1018) *First French Empire (1804–1814/1815) * First German Empire or "First Reich", sometimes use ...

. It belonged to the district of Sanremo in the department of

, which at the time included Monaco and Sanremo. In 1814, Menton was included in a reconstituted principality of Monaco which, after Napoleon's

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...

in 1815, became a protectorate of the

king of Sardinia The following is a list of rulers of Sardinia, in particular, of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica from 1323 and then of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1479 to 1861. Early history Owing to the absence of written sources, little ...

. The princes of Monaco were obliged to do

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

to the king for Menton, although not for Monaco itself. Frontiere Monaco

In 1848, Menton, along with its neighbour Roquebrune, seceded from Monaco, due at least in part to a tax imposed on lemon exports. They proclaimed themselves a "free city" during the 1848 revolutions related to the Italian Risorgimento, then two years later placed themselves under the protection of the Kingdom of Sardinia where they were administered by the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

for ten years. The Treaty of Turin concluded on 24 March 1860 between the Kingdom of Mauricio and Napoleon III's France called for the annexation of the County of Nice to France, subject to a plebiscite, as a reward for French assistance in Italy's war against Austria. The plebiscite, with universal adult male suffrage, was held on 15 and 16 April 1860, and resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of annexation (833 for versus 54 against in Menton and Roquebrune), despite complaints of rigged elections from, among others, Nice-born Italian nationalist

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, patr ...

. The County of Nice was thus annexed to France that June, and Napoleon III paid 4 million francs in compensation to the prince of Monaco, who renounced his rights in perpetuity on 2 February 1861. The publication of ''Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean'' (1861) by the English doctor

James Henry Bennett James Henry Bennet (1816–1891) was an English doctor who helped popularize the French Riviera as a Winter holiday destination in the 19th century with his 1861 book ''Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean''. Bennet has been descr ...

had a profound effect on Menton, making it a destination for sufferers of tuberculosis. By the end of the 19th century, tourism was an important factor in Menton's growth. The town was popular with British and Russian aristocrats who built many of the hotels, villas, and palaces which still grace Menton today. Many of these hotels and palaces were pressed into service as hospitals during World War I to allow injured troops to recuperate in a pleasant climate. Menton et voilier (1900s)

Menton was the only sizable settlement captured by Italy during its invasion of France in June 1940. Following the armistice of 22 June 1940, two-thirds of the territory of the commune was annexed by Italy as '' terra irredenta''. The annexation lasted until 8 September 1943. Although officially returned to Vichy France, Menton was in fact occupied by Nazi Germany until its liberation by American and Canadian troops of the First Special Service Force on 8 September 1944.

Geography

Menton, nicknamed the ''Pearl of France'', is located on the Mediterranean Sea at the Franco-Italian border, just across from the Ligurian town of Ventimiglia. Menton station has rail connections to Paris, Marseille, Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Ventimiglia. The smaller Menton-Garavan station is situated between Menton and Ventimiglia. The fishing industry was devastated in the 1980s and 1990s due to a combination of overfishing and

hypoxia Hypoxia means a lower than normal level of oxygen, and may refer to: Reduced or insufficient oxygen * Hypoxia (environmental), abnormally low oxygen content of the specific environment * Hypoxia (medical), abnormally low level of oxygen in the tis ...

in the bay. At the time, the devastation was erroneously attributed to the dubiously nicknamed "killer algae" ''

Caulerpa taxifolia ''Caulerpa taxifolia'' is a species of green seaweed, an alga of the genus ''Caulerpa'', native to tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean Sea. The species name ''taxifolia'' arises from the resemblance of its leaf-like ...

'' (a non-native Asian tropical green alga first discovered in the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in 1984) spread throughout the coastal sea floor. Later, sound scientific findings revealed that the seaweed was adept at absorbing pollutants and excess nutrients, actually aiding the recovery of native '' Posidonia'' sea grass and enhancing local fish populations and overall biodiversity.

Climate

Menton has a very mild subtropical microclimate with an average of 316 clear or partially cloudy days annually. Under the Köppen system, Menton features a hot-summer mediterranean climate (''Csa''). However, the milder winters (on average) and the warmer nights in summer (on average), compared to the rest of the French Mediterranean coastal area, provide Menton with a particular micro-climate, with significant warm-summer mediterranean climate (''Csb'') influences and characteristics, like coastal Southern California (usually experienced between Nice through Monaco and Menton, toward the Italian border town of Ventimiglia and up to San Remo) that is favourable to hardy

clementines A clementine (''Citrus × clementina'') is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange ( ''C.'' × ''deliciosa'') and a sweet orange (''C. × sinensis''), named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who fir ...

, mandarin oranges,

satsuma orange ''Citrus unshiu'' is a semi-seedless and easy-peeling citrus species, also known as miyagawa mandarin, unshu mikan, cold hardy mandarin, satsuma mandarin, satsuma orange, naartjie, and tangerine. ''Citrus unshiu'' was named after Unshu (Wenzho ...

tangerines The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...

, oranges and lemons (SRA 625 is protected Citron de Menton variety) groves, hence one of the town's symbols, the lemon. Winter frosts are extremely rare but may occasionally occur every few years at the ground level and snow falls on average once every 10 years. Likewise, summer temperatures are relatively moderate with day temperatures of 28-32, but rarely rising above 33 °C.

Townscape

File:France-Italy Border Checkpoint, Menton.jpg, The Pont Saint-Ludovic / Ponte San Ludovico border crossing point between Menton, France and Ventimiglia, Italy File:Menton vue de mer.jpg, Menton from the sea File:Menton decorated window.JPG, Menton decorated window Menton is known for its gardens, including the

Jardin Serre de la Madone Serre de la Madone (6 hectares) is a garden in France notable for its design and rare plantings. It is located at 74, Route de Gorbio, Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It is open to the public (every day except Mo ...

, the Jardin botanique exotique de Menton ('Le Val Rahmeh'), the

Fontana Rosa Fontana Rosa is a historic garden situated on the Avenue Blasco Ibáñez in Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, on the French Riviera. The Spanish writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1869–1928) began to build it from 1922 on, and he set up home here with ...

, the Maria Serena garden, and the modernist gardens of

Les Colombières Les Colombières (The Dovecote) is a villa in Menton, in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department on the French Riviera. The gardens of the villa were designed by Ferdinand Bac between 1918 and 1927. Bac also designed modernist furni ...

. Le Val Rahmeh was established in 1905 by Englishman Sir Percy Radcliffe, the first owner of the gardens, and named for his wife. Villa Fontana Rosa was built in 1922 by

Blasco Ibáñez Blasco is a surname which roots can be found it in Aragon, more specifically in the Jaca's mountains. People * Blasco de Garay, Spanish navy captain and inventor * Blasco de Grañén, Aragonese painter * Blasco Gardéliz de Ezcároz, bishop of ...

, a Spanish novelist, and the gardens of the villa are now open to the public. * The

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

basilica of Saint-Michel-Archange, with its belltower, was built in 1619 by the Genoese architect Lorenzo Lavagna. * The

Bastion Museum The Bastion Museum is a museum of works by Jean Cocteau, on the harbour wall of Menton, on the French Riviera, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. The Bastion was built in the 17th century by Honoré II, Prince of Monaco. Cocteau restored ...

, which features decoration by Jean Cocteau, is located in the Bastion of the port of Menton. The bastion, built overwater in 1636 as an advance defense for the port by the Princes of Monaco, is now located at the shoreline. * The wedding room at the Mairie (town hall) was painted in the 1950s by Cocteau, transforming it into a giant work of art. * Menton is home to at least half a dozen beaches. * Menton is notable for its

Palissy Palissy was the trade name under which the English firm of A.E. Jones and Sons, of Stoke-on-Trent, marketed their china and pottery. The name was chosen as a tribute to Bernard Palissy, the famous French potter of the 16th century, creator of ...

majolica pottery depicting lemons. File:Wall Plate, 9.6 ins., coloured glazes, Palissy style, Menton, France.jpg, * The historic covered market was built in 1898 by local architect Adrien Rey. The market is open every day from 5 am until 1 pm in the summer; in the winter, it opens at 5:30 am. Over 30 kiosks both inside and around the market sell local and imported vegetables. The

Belle Époque The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque (; French for "Beautiful Epoch") is a period of French and European history, usually considered to begin around 1871–1880 and to end with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era ...

structure was one of buildings constructed by the architect in the region. * Next to the beach and the covered market is the Jean Cocteau Museum. It opened in 2011 and is close to the Bastion Museum. * Mirazur is a French haute cuisine restaurant with three Michelin Guide stars. The World's 50 Best Restaurants list ranks Mirazur as the best restaurant in the world.

Population

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public nurseries/Preschools include:Les écoles maternelles
" Menton. Retrieved on 25 September 2018. * Centre-ville/Vieille ville area: Adrien Camaret and the Section enfantine de l'Hôtel de Ville * Borrigo: René Cassin, Germaine Coty, Robert Debré, and Manon des Sources * Careï: Careï and Saint-Exupéry * Garavan: Section enfantine Alphonse Daudet Public primary schools include:
" Menton. Retrieved on 25 September 2018. * Centre-ville/Vieille ville area: élémentaire Frédéric Mistral and primaire de l'Hôtel de Ville * Borrigo: élémentaire Anne Frank - André Guillevin, élémentaire Condamine Centenaire, and élementaire Marcel Pagnol * Careï: élémentaire Careï Jeanne d'Arc and élémentaire Saint-Exupéry * Garavan: primaire Alphonse Daudet There are two public junior high schools, Guillaume Vento and André Maurois.Les Collèges
" Menton. Retrieved on 25 September 2018. The two public sixth-form colleges/senior high schools are

Lycée Pierre et Marie Curie In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

and

Lycée Professionnel Hôtelier Paul Valéry In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

. The private Institution Notre Dame du Sacré Cœur has the Villa Blanche preschool, primary, and junior high school in the Centre-ville area.

Colleges and universities

* The Institut d'Etudes politiques de Paris, the leading French university in social and political sciences, also known as Sciences Po, hosts a regional Middle East and Mediterranean campus in Menton since 2005.

Mentonasc language

The ''

'' dialect is currently spoken by about 10% of the population in Menton, Roquebrune, and the surrounding villages. It is taught within the French educational system, as a variety of Niçard (i.e.

Provençal Provençal may refer to: *Of Provence, a region of France * Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the southeast of France *''Provençal'', meaning the whole Occitan language *Franco-Provençal language, a distinct Roman ...

and

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language Occitan (; o ...

). However, in nineteenth-century linguistic descriptions, as well as in contemporary linguistic scholarship, Mentonasc is described as an intermediate between Niçard and the Intemelio dialect of Ligurian. Some scholars insist that Mentonasc is, at its base, a Ligurian dialect, with French influences coming only later,.

Annual town events

The

Fête du Citron The Fête du Citron is a carnival event organised by the tourist office of the city of Menton, France, and held every year at the end of winter. It is also sometimes called Carnaval de Menton (Carnival of Menton). The festival celebrates the ann ...

(Lemon Festival) takes place every February. The event follows a given theme each decade; past themes include Viva

España , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, Disney, Neverland, and India. The carnival lasts a few days, with different bands passing through Menton's streets on foot or on truck trailers. The Casino Gardens in the centre of town are decorated in the theme of the festival, using lemons and oranges to cover the exhibits, and huge temporary statues are built and covered with citrus fruit. The Casino Gardens are also the location for Menton's Christmas Festival. The Menton Classical Musical Festival is also held every year in the centre of the old town. File:Menton Lemon Festival.jpg File:Menton Lemon Festival2.jpg File:Menton Lemon Festival3.jpg File:Menton Lemon Festival4.jpg

Sport and recreation

Menton has a football team,

Rapid de Menton Rapid Omnisports de Menton is a French association football club founded in 1916. They are based in the town of Menton and their home stadium is the Stade Lucien Rhein. As of the 2020–21 season, they play in the Mediterranean League of the F ...

, who play at the stadium Stade Lucien Rhein. Menton also has a rugby team, Le rugby Club Webb Ellis de Menton. There is a municipal swimming pool, Piscine Alex Jany. The town is famous in the cycling world as being the start of the climb of the Col de la Madone de Gorbio (generally shortened to Col de la Madone), which rises to 925 metres and was (in)famously used by Lance Armstrong to train for the Tour de France; many professionals based in neighbouring Monaco still use the climb for training and testing. Menton was also the location of a international tennis tournament the

Riviera Championships The Riviera Championships also known as the Championship of the Riviera and informally known as the French Riviera Championships was an open men's and women's international tennis tournament played at the Menton Lawn Tennis Club,Town and Country ...

that ran from 1902 to 1976. It was hosted by the Menton Lawn Tennis Club. The event was part of the

French Riviera circuit The French Riviera Circuit also called the French Riviera Winter Circuit was a series of international amateur tennis tournaments held on the French Riviera usually beginning at the end of the preceding year around late December through the end of ...

tour.

Notable residents

Notables who were born, lived, or died in Menton include:

Living people

Jérôme Alonzo Jérôme Sébastien Alonzo (born 20 November 1972) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Honours Nice * Division 2: 1993–94 Paris Saint-Germain * UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001 *Coupe de France The Coupe de ...

(born 1972), French first division

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

goalkeeper, born in Menton * Richard Anconina (born 1953), French actor; before his film career, he worked for several years at a holiday club for seniors in Menton *

Olivier Echouafni Olivier Echouafni (born 13 September 1972) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder for Ligue 1 team OGC Nice, among others. Coaching career Echouafni was the manager of Ligue 2 side Sochaux, before being removed ...

(born 1972), French first-division football midfielder, born in Menton *

Sébastien Gattuso Sébastien Gattuso (born 28 June 1971) is a Monegasque athlete specializing in the 100 metres. Career He was born in Menton, France. In 2006 he was banned for six months after testing positive for finasteride, a drug that can be used to mask us ...

(born 1971), Monégasque athlete specializing in

bobsledding Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Feder ...

Cédric Varrault Cédric Varrault (born 30 January 1980) is a French football defender who plays for JS Saint-Jean Beaulieu. Honours Nice * Coupe de la Ligue runners-up: 2006 References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Varrault, Cedric 1980 births Living ...

(born 1980), French first-division football defender; began his career with the Menton football club

Historical figures

Émile Appay Émile Appay (1876–1935) was a French landscape painter. He studied under Henri-Joseph Harpignies and Paul Lecomte. He was a friend of André Derain. From 1922 to 1932 he travelled around several countries in Europe, while helping to make s ...

(1876–1935), French landscape painter, spent time in Menton over the years capturing paintings of the sea. * Ferdinand Bac (1859–1952), French illustrator, lithographer, and writer; developed the house and gardens of

above Menton for Émile and Caroline Ladan-Bockairy. The house contains frescoes and modernist furniture by Bac, with a large garden set over several levels. Les Colombières is a

Monument Historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

and has been recently restored. *

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (21 August 187216 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in th ...

(1872–1898), English illustrator and author * Lesley Blanch (1904–2007), English-born writer * Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1867–1928), Spanish author; at the end of his life, lived on his estate,

, in Menton * Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881), Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher; lived at the home of

Louisa Baring, Lady Ashburton Louisa Caroline Baring, Lady Ashburton (; 5 March 1827 – 2 February 1903), was a Scottish art collector and philanthropist who had close connections with several artistic and literary figures of the period. Early life Louisa Caroline Stewart ...

from December 1866 to March 1867 following the death of his wife Jane Welsh Carlyle *

René Clément René Clément (; 18 March 1913 – 17 March 1996) was a French film director and screenwriter. Life and career Clément studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. In 1936, he directed hi ...

(1913–1996), film director * Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), French artist, spent much time in Menton over the years; the Jean Cocteau Museum is in Menton; he decorated the wedding room in Menton's town hall, and the small stone bastion in Menton's harbour wall *

Ivan Grigorovich Ivan Konstantinovich Grigorovich (russian: Ива́н Константи́нович Григоро́вич) (26 January 1853 – 3 March 1930) served as Imperial Russia's last Naval Minister from 1911 until the onset of the 1917 revolution. Ea ...

(1853–1930), Imperial Russian Navy admiral, lived in Menton after the Russian Revolution * Panait Istrati (1884–1935), Romanian writer of French and Romanian expression (friends with Romain Rolland); lived in Menton for a brief period and has a street in Menton named after him *

Joseph Joffo Joseph Joffo (2 April 1931 – 6 December 2018) was a French author. A noted autobiographer, Joffo was perhaps best known for his memoir ''Un sac de billes'' ('' A Bag of Marbles''), which has been translated into eighteen languages. Early ...

(1931–2018), French author; lived temporarily in Menton during World War II * Anatoly Lunacharsky (1875–1933), Russian Marxist revolutionary and the first Soviet People's Commissar of Enlightenment responsible for culture and education; died in Menton * George Macleay (1809–1891), Australian explorer and politician; died in Menton * Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923), New Zealand modernist short story writer who lived and worked in a street now named after her. Her former home, the ''Villa Isola Bella'' is used as the residence for New Zealand writers who receive the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship to live and write there for a year. *

James Matheson Sir James Nicolas Sutherland Matheson, 1st Baronet, FRS (17 November 179631 December 1878), was a Scottish Tai-Pan. Born in Shiness, Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland, he was the son of Captain Donald Matheson. He attended Edinburgh's Royal High Sch ...

(1796–1878), was a Scottish trader in India, co-founder of Jardine Matheson & Co., died in Menton 31 December 1878 (aged 82). *

Alfred Edersheim Alfred Edersheim (7 March 1825 – 16 March 1889) was a Jewish convert to Christianity and a Biblical scholar known especially for his book ''The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah'' (1883). Early life and education Edersheim was born in V ...

(1825–1889), Jewish Biblical scholar; died in Menton *

Charles H. Spurgeon Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He wa ...

(1834–1892), British Baptist preacher; died in Menton * Graham Sutherland (1903–1980), English painter *

Philip Meadows Taylor Colonel Philip Meadows Taylor, (25 September 1808 – 13 May 1876), an administrator in British India and a novelist, made notable contributions to public knowledge of South India. Though largely self-taught, he was a polymath, working alternat ...

(1808–1876), British Indian civil servant and author *

Hans-Georg Tersling Hans-Georg Tersling (7 December 1857 – 13 November 1920) was a Danish architect who lived and worked for most of his life on the French Riviera where he became one of the most significant and productive architects of the Belle Époque. His ...

(1857–1920),

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

architect, designed many buildings in the town * William Webb Ellis (1806–1872), inventor of

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

; lived in Menton at the end of his life and is buried in the old cemetery * William Butler Yeats (1865–1939), Irish writer and poet; died in Menton

International relations

Menton is twinned with: * Baden-Baden, Germany * Laguna Beach, United States * Montreux, Switzerland * Nafplio, Greece *

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

, Russia

References

External links

Tourist office website

City council website
{{authority control Communes of Alpes-Maritimes 1848 establishments in Europe 1861 disestablishments in Europe Former countries in Europe Former republics Former unrecognized countries States and territories established in 1848 States and territories disestablished in 1861