Eze— perched like a phoenix nest |
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Photo: depositphotos( 4) |
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This place has been increasingly discovered by tourists in recent years, and is even being rediscovered by French people. The biggest fans of extreme sports and adventure climb to Eze up a steep winding path. Their perseverance, however, is well rewarded and surpasses all expectations. Travellers will be welcomed by the dizzying views of the Mediterranean and a town as picturesque as Walt Disney fairy tales. If Disney comes to mind while you are in Eze, this is not by chance. The famous cartoon maker enjoyed coming here and creating sketches for his future fairytale castles. But the history of Eze dates back to many centuries before. History of Eze
The village owes its name to an ancient Egyptian goddess, Isis. It is in her name that the ancient Phoenicians who colonized these lands consecrated |
their temple. Isis is one of the greatest goddesses of Antiquity, an Egyptian ideal of femininity and motherhood. She was a patron of all slaves and oppressed, but also listened to the prayers of the rich, the aristocrats and the rulers. Man first set foot on the territory of modern Eze in the 19-20th centuries B. C. In later times, this land was owned by the Romans and the Moors. It is believed that the town was mainly built under the reign of the Roman emperors Augustus and Flavius. The village is first mentioned in the 4th century records as « ab Avisione ». Over centuries its name took different forms of Esa, Eza, Isia, Isie. Once the territory passed under the control of the House of Savoy in 1388, it acquired its modern name in the Provençal translation. By 1383, Eze was controlled by the Savoy dynasty that secured the town with new fortifications. This precaution was justified by the proximity to the large city of Nice. At various instances of time the power of the |
Our lady of assumption church
etzsche wrote the final part of his book « Thus Spoke Zarathustra ». The path that the great philosopher took daily down to the sea now bears his name( Chemin de Nietzsche). It is only accessible by foot; the walk up will take you about an hour and a half. Travellers can leave their car at one of the two parking lots at the entrance to the town. One of them is free of charge, but is always very busy. Before venturing into the labyrinth of its narrow streets, visitors pass through the double 14th century fortress gates. This is the only entrance to the old city and the only part of the fortress that was preserved after the Louis XIV attack in the early 18th century. These picturesque streets will take you to the highest point of the town, where you’ ll find another local landmark, an exotic garden built on the ruins of an ancient castle. Its main attraction is a 13-meter cactus, with a total weight of a ton. This giant
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Hello Monaco – Winter 2018 / 95 |