History of Cannes

In the beginning, modest Mediterranean village of fishermen and monks, his history is indissociable those of the islands Holy-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat who are with some blows of oars of the shores. Also, it is impossible to speak about the history of Cannes without evoking that of the islands of Lérins. Appeared only with the Middle Ages the modest village of Cannes develops very modestly during the Old Mode while being pilot Franco-English and Franco-Spanish fights which are exerted primarily on the islands of Lérins. It is only with XIXe that the city takes truly its rise, grace in particular to Lord Henry Brougham and Vaux, large Chancellor of England which while settling, attracts the English aristocracy and European which builds splendid secondary residences for the winter. Like the majority of the station of the littoral of the Riviera and Riviera, the city knows, thanks to this population of prestige, a development without preceding. Its statute of international repute is acquired only in the middle of the XXe century by the Festival of Film. Cannes quickly became a city on-médiatisée. She exerts still today the same power of attraction on customers French and foreign fascinated by its town of star will have. Of this intense tourist activity, the ultra sectors developed of hotel trade, restoration and luxury trades offer, between sea and sun, a prestigious window of the French luxury.

Origin

A protohistoric occupation of the site of the Suquet?

The origin of the city is the piton of the Suquet, an excellent headland to supervise the surroundings and effective natural defensive site to answer the attacks.

The theory according to which Cannes was the Aegitna evoked by Polybe is completely isolated today. According to the local tradition, the first men to have occupied the site seem to be the Ligures. They are judicious to have built a oppidum (a strengthened camp). Unfortunately no archaeological vestige discovered forever on the site coming to attest this legend. The first evocation of Cannes in the texts goes back to XIe S. It returns to a castrum " marcellini" (castle of Marcellin). If the term is not clear, it does not re-examine to in no case with a " castle of Marseillais" or or a fortified town of the phocéens of Marseilles, like affirmed it certain local scholars in a completely abusive way.

Ancient occupation of the Holy-Marguerite islands

Actually in fact the islands interested particularly the ancient authors. This tiny archipelago with the crossroads of the sea routes offered some remarkable assets. For the navigators with veils coming from the west, the islands constituted a sure damping before Antipolis (Antibes), the only true city of the area after Fréjus.

Archaeological excavations in the Royal Fort highlighted a true urbanized habitat equipped with cryptoportic a tonic at the time republican (IIe front S.J. - C. - beginning of Ier front S.) and probably abandoned at the time tiberienne (second quarter of Ier S. a. J. - C.). It seems that the site is occupied before IIe front S.J. - C., as the presence of some amphoras massaliètes shows it, but it is difficult of cartériser and to date this protohistoric occupation precisely. The sources evoke an occupation as of the Neolithic but this one is not shown to date.

The underwater discoveries and in the sector of the pond of Bataiguier make it possible to define an occupation until during late Antiquity, as soon as possible.

The archaeological traces go in the direction of the texts of the ancient authors like Strabon or even Pline Old the. The archipelago is evoked like a big step in the maritime circuits of the time. Strabon, traveller and Greek geographer, evokes the name of largest islands under the name of Lero (from where the islands of Lérins). It mentions sanctuary where one dedicated a worship with a demigod which the Greeks named Hero and whose most known name is Héraclès or Hercules . The Roman author Pline Old the also mentions in his writings the name of the two islands and like that of the fortification on cliff: “Lero and Lerina (smallest) opposite Antipolis (Antibes) where one remembers the oppidum of “Vergoanum”.

Archeology, texts ancient as well as the name of the place (" Ler" - of Lero and in " Verg" - to Vergoanum of the roots Gallic) testify to the importance brought by the ligure communities to this site. This maritime colony, doubled of a place of famous worship probably was very animated. This geostrategic position aroused the interest of the Romans who, as of the republican time, seized the island and strengthened the agglomeration which is currently under the Royal Fort. It is extremely probable which the Romans built of the flanked ramparts of turns in the west of the island. One can still admire some vestiges while following the historical course.

AD Horrea-Saint-Cassien

One of the ancient sites more important of the commune of Cannes east without possible dispute that of Saint-Cassien, with the limit of the commune of Mandelieu. Many discoveries followed one another since XIXe S. on the Saint-Cassien hillock, in the sector of the aerodrome and the sports grounds which is in fact on the territory of the commune of Mandelieu.

The oldest traces of occupation go back to the first age of Iron. They were put at the day in the years 1970 on the slopes of the hillock and at the foot of the latter at the time of the installation of cisterns. It is about a great number of modelled ceramics of beautiful invoice belonging to a cultural facies of Provence, associated with some rare ceramics imported (amphoras massaliètes and punic) going up in Ve front S.J. - C. It are not unfortunately related to any preserved structure, but one guesses a habitat of outdoor to the foot of the hillock.

Under the sports grounds, at the West of the aerodrome, were put at the day the traces of an ancient agglomeration. The architectural element most spectacular is a vast warehouse of 1000m2 which seems to be built in the current of Ier S. a. J. - C. the site seems occupied until the Life S. and delivered important quantities of objects which show the vitality of the site until this time as soon as possible. With the foot of the hillock one discovered important a necropolis of Roman epoch with burials dating from Ier in IVe S. a. J. - C.

One can halfway bring closer these discoveries to the small agglomeration of AD Horrea between Forum Iulii (Frejus) and Antipolis (Antibes) on the Table of Peutinger. The presence of a small town connected well to the communication network antiques on this site explains the presence of a community of monks coming from the four corners of the empire on the islands of Lérins.

Other ancient vestiges in the commune of Cannes

The whole of the littoral is strongly occupied at the time Roman, in particular around the Via Julia Augusta built during the period augustéenne which skirts the coast since Itale until the VAr while passing through Antibes and Saint-Cassien in particular. Some ancient traces of occupation were identified on the territory of the commune of Cannes.

The downtown area, street of the Republic, work of boring of penetrating allowed the setting the day of an ancient ceramics workshop which seems to have functioned between the end of Ier front S.J. - C. and the medium of Ier S. a. J. - C. It produced crockery of table initially, then amphoras intended to condition the local wine production.

Bocca, under the Saint Nicolas's Day Vault, of the old excavations allowed the discovery of oil lamps of late antiquity which imply the presence of burials of this period.

Installation of the monks on the island of Saint-Honorat

During the " Pax romana ", the Christian Church extends its evangelization in Europe. One attends the appearance and the organization of évêchés as with the development of Monastère S. more the small island of the archipelago called also Planasia (the island punt) sees the foundation of the Monastère of Lérins thanks to the monk Honorat coming from the Grotte of the Cape Roux.

In company of his friend Macaire it chooses the life of Ermite but its will have is such as many Anachorètes, from all the corners of the occident, came to join it and this, lasting nearly two centuries. It builds there seven vaults surrounded by some cells. In 426 Saint Honorat had to accept the Archevêché of Arles and died in 429. The Abbaye became a Christian spiritual center which will train many prelates who will leave évangéliser the Christian occident, to manage the incipient Church, and which for some of them will become saints (according to certain chroniclers Saint Patrick, Saint Wolf, Saint Vincent de Lérins, Saint Salvien, Saint Césaire). The Christian poet Sidoine Apollinaire will say this island: “This island punt from where so many tops had reached the sky”.

Cannes with the the Middle Ages

Early middle ages: Castrum d' Arluc

At the end of the late Antiquity, the Roman Empire disaggregates gradually. The Provence, far away from the theater of the operations of the invasion cruel, into sudden little the consequence. It passes under the relatively theoretical domination of the Visigoths, the Byzantine Empire, the Francs and knows a certain prosperity between Ve and VIIe S which one notes by the blossoming of large monasteries, like that of Lérins and maintains the intense commercial links with the whole of the Mediterranean, in particular Italy, North Africa, the Aegean Sea, Syria, as the made discoveries with Saint-Cassien show it. It should be noted that the majority of the monks of Lérins are originating in the Eastern Mediterranean. They arrive by regular sea routes. They settle in Lérins, near a still attended Roman way (the Via Julia Augusta) and of a small prosperous urban center, AD Horrea . The most recent furniture put at the day under the stage of Saint-Cassien dates from VIIe S. It acts of ceramics sigillée produced in North Africa (in current Tunisia) and the area of Phocée (in Turkey).

At the beginning of VIIe, the monks invest the Saint-Cassien hillock. According to the tradition lérinienne, Saint-Nazaire builds there a convent dedicated to Saint-Etienne after having destroyed a temple " there; païen". This convent becomes the center of an agglomeration, Castrum Arluc , related to the monastery of Saint-Honorat and who replaces AD Horrea .

Arluc seems to thrive until XIe S. in spite of a fire of the convent in VIIIe S. and the setting with bag by Sarazins with Xe S. After the resumption in hand of Provence by Guillaume the liberator, who under the pretext of drive out Buckwheats of the Fraxinet benefits from it to impose the feudal capacity to which the populations and the local nobility had been always opposed, a competitor with Arluc causes by privileging the very modest castum of Suquet and its extension, Cannes.

In XIIIe S. the village of Arluc seems to have disappeared. There does not remain any more but the Saint-Cassien vault which will be destroyed in XIVe rebuilt and again burnt during the war of succession of Austria. The current building dates with XVIIIe S.

Cannes: revival and stronghold of the abbey of Lérins

The capacity of the counts de Provence is pressed on the fortifications which are used as much to guarantee attacks come from the sea that to show its power with the populations and the local nobility, not very inclined to accept the feudal order. Among these fortified towns, Castellum Marcellini (the castle of Marcellin) is, at the top of the hill of Suquet which it gives to Rodoard, chief of a branch of the powerful family of the Maison of Fatty, the stronghold of Antibes whose Cannes makes party, to reward it for its fidelity.

About the year 1030, the elder one of Rodoard is made monk with Lérins and yields Cannes to the abbey. As from this moment and until the day before Revolution, Cannes and its soil will remain the property of the abbey of Lérins. In 1131, the donation is confirmed by the Count de Provence, act that the Pape will seal itself. “The Count declares our city: free and free from all loads, It became a ground " franche". That wants to say that it does not have to pay the taxes nor the comtaux taxes… it will pay the others”. During this period, the Château of Marcellin took the name of frank castle (1178), Castellum Francum . One sees developing a true feudal habitat with a castle, houses, a hospital, churches (Notre Dame of Puy which, after the construction of Notre Dame of the Hope, will become the Chapelle Holy-Anne. This site constitutes a castrum consequently, i.e. a strengthened village, grouped around the castle (it is today about the Place of Castrates).

It is as with the Middle Ages as the name of Cannes appears. A deed of gift of 1030 of the son of Rodoard to the abbot, refers to the port which was actually only one beach. One can read: De Portu Canue (the most authentic form). This name will reappear then with various alternatives such as Canoa , Canoas , Canois, Cano…

Towards the end of the Moyen-âge Cannes is a populated cosmopolitan village of Ligurians, Latin. One observes a frame gathered around the castle and the church, on the peak and along the slopes in the east and north especially, with the shelter of the ramparts: “bàrri”. Only one source of fresh water runs with the foot of Suquet. The Residents of Cannes carry out a relatively peaceful communal life.

The activities of the village are agriculture (corn, olive-tree), strictly regulated fishing and a certain commercial dynamism which is closely related on the port activity and the rich person and commercial town of Grasse which exports there its fabric S and its Cuir S.

At the 14th century and the 15th century, Cannes is touched by the large plagues which are the epidemics of plagues, the wars and the bad climatic conditions. In 1520, the plague will make disappear half of its population. Cannes will be also affected by the conflicts between the local lords, the kingdoms… When Cannes passed under the authority of the dynasty of the Counts Catalans it was one period of peace and expansion. A little later the Angevins, connects junior by the Kings de France, recovered Provence. Cannes was found in the middle of the conflict (Aragonese pirates drew from the broadsides along the shores) which opposed Angevins, Counts de Provence and kings de Naples, with the Royaume of Aragon.

After a series of wars for the succession of the Jeanne queen, the Comté of Nice became possession of the Duc of Savoy in 1388. As from this moment the river Var became a natural border, Cannes became a frontier town and was found exposed with the terrestrial and maritime conflicts between the powerful ones. In 1481 Provence is integrated into the kingdom of France.

Cannes under the Old Mode

During the Old Mode, Cannes continued to suffer from the conflicts between the monarchical and imperial powers European.

the war between François I {{er}} and Charles Quint.
In 1635, the Spaniards took possession of the islands. They build a fortification there and settle there. A battle bursts on the islands between French and Spanish and the French fleet drives out the occupants by the force of the guns. On this occasion one employed, for the first time, of the flat-bottomed boats able to transport the horses. They was the ancestors of the barges of unloading. Vauban made strengthen the island Holy-Marguerite thanks to her modern and effective defense system
the Duc of Savoy at the time of the “Guerre Thirty Year old”
the Prince Eugene and the king Victor-Amédée II of Sardinia at the 17th century,
the war of succession of Austria at the 18th century,
the marshal Croatian Brown and its .
the English benefitted from it besides to occupy the islands but they remained there very little of time. The Chevalier of Beautiful-Isle restores the order by driving out them.
In the same way, the city was exposed to the raids of the Pirates and Corsaires of all nationalities which sold their catches on the markets to the slaves.

Under the Old-Mode the fort becomes a prison of State used by all the modes. Several " illustres" prisoners remained there:

In 1687, the mysterious Mask of iron. There remained eleven years there.
In 1689, six Protestant pastors who died there.
In 1772, one locks up there Claude Jouffroy d' Abbans, the inventor of the paddle boat with paddles.
In 1758, the Count de Monteil which at the end of 32 years refused its release by pretexting that it was there well.

At the end of the Old Mode, in 1777, Louis XVI granted to the Cannet to separate from the town of Cannes. At the same time, the rigorous winters and the high price of the bread involved the anger of the villagers who became threatening. At the time of the war of independence of the United States soixante-treize marine residents of Cannes under the orders of the Admiral de Grasse helped the Americans to recover their freedom. Some paid it of their life. The weight of the taxes and the inequalities in front of justice strongly dissatisfy the population. The maritime trade supported the economic life of the village, but the sea, which overflowed of its bed, threatened the residences of the inhabitants. In 1838, the alteration work of a pier begins in Cannes and the community accommodates with much enthusiasm this new installation; new trade and new houses develop.

Cannes during the revolutionary period

Cannes crossed the revolutionary events without suffering from it too much. The revolution affected primarily the budget of the commune. Under the Ancien Mode the three municipal officials carried as attribute of the capacity a Chaperon which was removed and replaced by the tri-colored scarf.

The ecclesiastical goods of the municipality of Cannes were liquidated in 1791. The abbey was acquired 37 000 pounds by Jean-Honore Alziary which reassigned it with his/her daughter, a famous actress known under the pseudonym of Miss de Sainval. She settled there while bringing a personal decoration profane quite far away from the artistic codes of the Church. The bishop of Frejus repurchased the abbey in 1859. The sale of the Chapelle Saint-Cassien caused a violent one dash protestor on behalf of the population. Saint-Cassien is located on a hill at the west of Cannes charged. This place was in the beginning a strengthened city medieval rival of Cannes (the Castrum d' Arluc ) which disappeared, at the 13th century. Later, the Residents of Cannes built on its site a vault dedicated to Saint Cassien. It was about a place of worship particularly venerated where the Residents of Cannes were accustomed to having fun the festival. The population opposed the sale vigorously and succeeds in preserving this ecclesiastical good coveted by notable of Fatty.

Under the Revolution, one débaptisé the islands of Lérins of their name of holy and saint of the Christianisme to call them islands Marat and Lepeletier, two Martyr S of the novel ideas which have both perished assassinated.

Cannes during the Napoleonean period

If the royalist population of tradition, favorably accommodated the Empire at her beginnings, the ceaseless wars changed her position radically. March 1st 1815, Napoleon i, escaped on the isle of Elba and after having unloaded with Gulf-Juan decided to bivouac in Cannes. With its small troop, it gained Cannes where it arrived late and from where it set out again early.

The contemporary period

The fort

In 1843, the Smala of Abd El-Kader was assigned there with residence.
In 1873, under the Third Republic the Maréchal Bazaine was condemned for treason to 20 years of prison in the fort. He escaped.

Cannes vacation resort of large of this world… of the village at the city

In December 1834, Lord Henry Brougham and Be worth, large Chancellor of England, decided to take along his/her Eleonore-Louise daughter to visit the Italy. However, the king of the Piedmont made close his border with the France because of an epidemic of Choléra. Obliged to make half-turn, Lord Brougham decided to move towards Grasse. With fallen the night, it stopped with the inn of Pinchinat Master, in the current street of the Port, in Cannes. Charmed by the site, the reception, the Bouillabaisse and the Wine of Pinchinat Master, Lord Brougham, who was to remain only a few days, decided to be made build a residence in this village. Two years later, all the London high society was pressed in Cannes for the inauguration of vast and superb residence, the Villa Eleonore.

Into a few years, the small fishing port was transformed and the new districts were built with villas and castles, and Cannes seemed “the aristocratic city then par excellence” according to the expression of Gabriel Charmes. As of 1837, the British general John Taylor made build the Château St-Georges. In 1838, one launched work of the first port and one widens the path which curved along the littoral. Baptized “way of the small cross”, it will become then very famous “the Walk of the Croisette”. In 1848, Alexandra Feodorovna Skr ypitzine, the woman of the consul of France to Moscow - Eugene Tripet - fell in love with Cannes and involved with its continuation the Russian aristocracy. In 1858, the first building rose on the Small cross: " Gonnet" who became later, the hotel " Gonnet and of Reine". Cannes was launched. April 10th 1863, the railway line the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean reached Cagnes-sur-Mer. From now on, Paris is not any more that at 10 p.m. 20 minutes of Cannes. April 10th at May 31st 1883, one already counted with Cannes a movement of 19 430 travellers. At the end, one sees it appearing the trams and of the projects are under development such as the boulevard Carnot, the street of Antibes, or hotel Carlton celebrates it on the Croisette. One builds an establishment of luxury for the rich person customers of winter; the municipal casino is built. These establishments are the heart of the " evenings mondaines" in Cannes, it is held all the demonstrations of prestige there. The beginning of accommodates new de luxe hotels of dream like the Miramar, the Martinez… the city is modernized with the construction of the Sport hall, the installation of trams, the opening of post offices, the appearance of schools. These great projects will not be possible that after the terrible war of 14-18.

During this period, the village becomes city and increases towards the west with the district of the Bocca. Its population passes from 3 000 inhabitants in 1814 with 30 000 in 1914 to reach approximately 72 today; 400.

The Great War puts a crushing argument at the urban development. The hotels are transformed into hospital. In 1919, the League of the Companies of the Croix-Rouge (today International federation of the Companies of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent) was founded in this city.

After war, it is the time of the " Mad years ". All that account Europe of fashionable glories and majesties in exile, or simply of holiday, côtoient there in a friendly way: king de Suède, king de Portugal, Shah of Persia and a multitude of Russian princes. The noisy beauties of All-Paris make procession to the kings to brighten the sleepless nights and to cause some scandals from which feeds the Parisian press. The artists are also present to fix the features at the mode. Van Dongen watch then the way with Jean-Gabriel Domergue. In parallel, in the middle of all this ostentation, Cannes, station of winter, develop its vocation of station of summer with the vogue of the sea bathings and the fashion of bronzing. Thanks to paid vacations of 1936, the “popular” tourists come to be added to the easy holiday makers within the seaside resort, which is not without causing dissatisfactions.

Cannes of the middle of the 20th century to the 21e century

In 1939, the French government decided the instigation of a International festival of the film. The town of Cannes was selected for “its sunning and its framework enchanter”. The war differed its first edition. During the second world war Cannes knew the restrictions. After the Italian occupation then German it was released in August 1944 by the Allies. In 1945, the French Association of artistic action again accepted the mission of preparing for the following year a Festival under the aegis of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the minister of education main road and, starting from 1946, of the National center of cinematography lately created. In spite of the difficulties of the time, the Cannes festival was the first great international cultural event according to war. Except for 1948 and 1950, the festival became an annual appointment initially in September then, starting from 1951, in May. Continuing like the privileged meeting place of the world cinema, the demonstration acquired a notoriety being based on balance between the artistic quality of films and their commercial impact.

Cannes quickly became the médiatisée city of the world. She exerts still today the same power of attraction on customers French and foreign fascinated by its town of star will have. Of this intense tourist activity, the ultra sectors developed of hotel trade, restoration and luxury trades offer, between sea and sun, the most prestigious window of the French luxury.

In addition, a space Industrie there of first European level was established, on the Space center of Cannes Mandelieu, who makes the first company of the Alpes-Maritimes of it.

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