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onjour!
this month we have chosen the easternmost city of the French Riviera. Just a stone's throw
away from Italy, ten minutes from Monaco, and little more than an hour away from
the first ski slopes, Menton enjoys such an exceptional amount of sunshine that
winter is barely noticed when it comes around. Its subtropical microclimate is
so gentle that the most exotic plants and fruits do extremely well there. If you
would like to discover the beautiful French Riviera region, we urge you to include
in your travel plans this charming place where the lemon is king.
But before continuing, please remember that you can access and read all the newsletters already
published at http://www.francemonthly.com/
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The Origins of Menton
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The very first written evidence of the existence of Puypin, a small fortified town perched
on a mountain 738 feet above the sea, appeared in the mid 12th century. Starting in 1249,
the city's inhabitants progressively moved closer to the sea and settled on a neighboring
hill next to the ancient Roman way from Italy. Indeed, the danger of pirate attacks had
subsided and this move would facilitate trade.
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Menton, View from the Harbour
(Click photo to enlarge)
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Over a couple of decades, the entire population of Puypin migrated and became concentrated
on the “Mont d'Othon” which would eventually become “Menton”. In the middle of the 13th
century, Menton belonged to a wealthy family from Genoa, the lords of Vento. However, as
the law of primogeniture (the right of the first-born to inherit the entire estate) was
not enforced, all the deceased's children would split up the inheritance every time a
lord died. In less than 50 years, 180 direct and indirect heirs shared this tiny piece
of land. In 1346, Charles 1er Grimaldi took advantage of the endless squabbles dividing
the Vento families to buy the city shares back from those relatives more concerned with
turning a quick profit than keeping Menton in the family nest. The lordship then became
Monegasque and would remain so for five centuries, though not without difficulties, up
until the final unification with France on February 2, 1861.
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The Historic Center of the Town
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One legend has it that Menton was founded by pirates who came from Lampedusa (a small
island located between Malta and Tunisia). These bandits would have purposely laid out
tiny winding streets to lead any possible attackers astray. Specifically, the Capodanna,
Mattoni and Aquassoma streets would have been the very first three built, and named after
their own families. However, it really isn't hard to imagine that since the town was built
hanging off the mountainside, the people didn't have much choice; they had to make do and
adapt to the lay of a rather inhospitable land. It is also probable that this maze of
narrow and winding streets more than once allowed the inhabitants of Menton to flee either
the enemy or the police. Today, you can take a leisurely stroll down these streets to reach
the Place de la Conception and discover the impressive Basilica St Michael the Archangel
and the elegant Chapel of the White Penitents. Complete with a square decorated with 250,000
pebbles and open like a balcony overlooking the sea, the whole constitutes a beautiful baroque
architecture ensemble. Every summer this setting, blessed with natural acoustics, transforms
itself into an open-air theater where enthusiastic music lovers from all over the world come
listen to international musicians perform.
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Recipe for April 2010
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Zucchini "Tian"
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The Chapel of the Black Penitents
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As early as the 12th century, penitents arrived wanting to be granted absolution for
their sins and those of mankind by doing good deeds around them. They wore huge cloth
robes with cowls as an act of humility and to underline the equality of all men in the
face of death. In addition to caring for the sick and the destitute, the Black Penitents
also took care of the prisoners and dealt with their funeral arrangements. In 1808, they
were entrusted with the old chapel of the Capuchins' convent, which had been converted
into a salt storage warehouse during the French Revolution. It became, and still remains
today, the seat of their brotherhood.
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Small Fort in Menton
(Click photo to enlarge)
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The Black Penitents enjoyed a unique privilege in Menton. Every year, on August 29,
they were allowed to pardon a prisoner as long as he had only been found guilty of
a petty offense. This event became the occasion for a huge ceremony and a joyous party.
The Penitents would dress in their traditional robe and cowl, and go pick up the lucky
elected prisoner. They would then march in procession to reach the chapel, to the sound
of tambourines and tossed coins. The Great Prior would come out of the sacred building
with great pomp, an axe in his hand, and would solemnly cut off…the prisoner's chains!
Much to the chagrin of the captives, this tradition was prohibited after the final
unification of Menton with France in 1861.
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Lemon Week
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There is another lovely legend tied to the origin of the city: "Eve, chased away from
the Garden of Eden with Adam, took a golden fruit with her. Adam, fearing Divine wrath,
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Made with Lemons !
(Click photo to enlarge)
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asked her to throw away the piece of fruit. After having crossed mountains, valleys,
and plains, they spotted the Bay of Garavan. The shape of the bay, the gentle climate,
the luxuriant vegetation…all reminded Eve of the relaxed life in Eden. She buried the
lemon there, and in that spot came to life a small paradise: Menton...". Lemons originated
from China and India, and were introduced to Menton in the 15th century. The gentle climate
and generous amount of sunshine allowed the fruit to become perfectly well acclimated, and
the growing of citrus fruits quickly became an important source of income for the city. Lemons
from Menton were shipped all over the world. They were used, among others, to prevent scurvy,
the terrible blight that was decimating crews on ships. Even today, it seems like every tree
in every garden is packed with this golden fruit which gives the city its very particular charm.
It is easy to see why each year in February Menton throws a spectacular party in honor of its
symbolic fruit.
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A New Kind of Tourism
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In 1859, Queen Victoria's physician, James Henry Bennett, was suffering from tuberculosis.
He left England to have a rest in Menton, where a miracle happened: his disease was cured
in just a few months. The doctor then decided to open an office to help the young English
aristocrats who were suffering from respiratory diseases. It wasn't long before aristocratic
clientele from all over northern Europe poured into Menton from October until about mid-May.
But far from leading a calm and sound life as their health condition would have dictated,
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The Winter Palace
(Click photo to enlarge)
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these “winterers” also came to have some fun and were determined to party all night. They
would go out during hours when the humidity in the air was certainly not suitable for
their health problems. Another doctor even recommended sea bathing, so they would go
running into the water as well. However, for these tuberculosis sufferers, bathing in
the middle of December only led to catastrophic results and many deaths. In addition to
this, it was out of the question for this young aristocracy to mingle with the local
population, less they be contaminated by the people of Menton! And so these people who
had originally come for hydrotherapy built themselves large palaces not on the sea front
but rather up on the hills, where the air was the purest.
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A Garden Paradise |
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The arrival of this extremely wealthy population in such great numbers caused the city
to develop its infrastructure. More and more luxury grand hotels were built, the port
was developed, and finally, in 1869, the railroad reached the town. Whereas in the past
it would take 20 days to arrive from Paris by horse-drawn carriage, now the trip took
only... 14 hours, which was quite a revolution! The English found the setting dreamy
and the weather delightful. Little by little, they started coming not for health reasons
but to enjoy the area and also, as botany lovers, to conduct plant experiments and
introduce exotic plants brought back from their colonies. They bought up plots of land
put aside for the growing of citrus fruits, where they built magnificent - if ostentatious -
villas and developed plantations. All these palaces were based on the same design and were
always surrounded by gardens. These residences were built as close as possible to the
railroad tracks for the most convenient access. All social activities were organized to
supply what this rich clientele was demanding, whether casinos, libraries, or concert
halls. Menton even boasted three Anglican churches at the time.
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The Herb Market
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The herb market was a lively trade center, as it had always been the place where farmers
set up for the day to sell their fruits and vegetables. But towards the end of the 19th
century, the winterers found it absolutely shocking that this foodstuff was spread out
in the open air.
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Covered Food Market in Menton
(Click photo to enlarge)
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Mindful of what it would take to satisfy this wealthy and demanding clientele, the city
council decided to build a covered market and hired an architect from Menton, Adrien Rey,
to do the job. The young man had worked in Paris with Gustave Eiffel, so it was no surprise
that he designed a steel-structured building. But he added an awning to all the facades of
this essentially commercial building to give it some charm and character, and played with
color and material variations to cheer it up. In September 1898, the food market opened its
doors and the winterers were pleased, as most of the farmers could finally now offer their
goods under cover. All except for one category, the fish vendors, who were forbidden access
because their product smelled bad. We highly recommend a visit to this market hall, as it
is a real pleasure for the eyes as well as the taste buds. The only fish vendor allowed on
the premises only got the official authorization to sell his fresh and delicious merchandise
there in... 2008!
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An Invitation to Travel... |
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We strongly recommend that you make a stop in Menton, as it is such a charming and
delightful small town (however, you might want to avoid going there in July and August!).
There you will find an enchanting setting, nestled between mountain and sea, with gardens
that display thousands of colors and delicate scents. Of course, you will also be able to
admire thousands of lemons, the golden fruit symbolic of the city. Finally, Menton is much
appreciated by vacationers as an affordable starting point for their visit to Monaco, Nice
and eastern Provence.
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