Roquebrune-Cape-Martin is a common French, located in the department of the the Alpes-Maritimes and the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure.

Its inhabitants is called the Roquebrunois .

Geography

The commune is bordering on the principality of Monaco.

This perched village, crowned by its keep, with 225 meters of altitude, in a mountainous circus that dominates the Agel mount, is remarkable. Moreover, the whole of Roquebrune constitutes the only specimen, existing in France, of the castles known as Carolingiens, embryos of those high two centuries later and which marked the apogee of feudality.

History

Based in 970 by the count of Vintimille, Conrad Ier, in particular to reinforce the protection of its Western border, on the only road (of Roman origin, the via Julia Augusta ) then existing. Its name of origin is Roccabruna (and mentonnais Roucabruna of it). Its population is initially of origin Ligure as for its Monaco neighbor even if, with time, of the populations speaking the nissart (Occitan) clearly influenced the local patois, an alternative of the Mentonasque which belongs to the gray speeches , intermediaries between the occitan and the Ligurian; contrary to the Monegasque which is completely ligure. A Lexique French-Roquebrunois was published in 1998 by the Company of Art and History of the Mentonnais.

The fortress includes/understands all the village then. In 1355, Vento sell Roquebrune and Menton which becomes possession of the family of the Grimaldi for five centuries, during which the military power of the keep is increased. In 1793, Roquebrune becomes French, then becomes again Monegasque in 1814 before setting up free downtown in 1848 with Menton under the protection of the king of Sardinia. To thank it for his assistance to the Italian unification, the king Victor-Emmanuel II yields to France the Comté of Nice. It is thus in 1860, that the inhabitants consulted by plebiscite are attached to France. In 1861 Roquebrune and Menton become truly French, the government of Napoleon III paying with the Principality of Monaco 4 million gold franc in exchange of the legacy of the towns of Chin and Roquebrune in France on which it held rights.

The construction of a road closer to the littoral crossing its territory is a project of Napoleon Bonaparte, carried out in 1804 which contributed to its economic fastening with the remainder of the Riviera (current Moyenne Cornice). Cape-Martin where a church is, slightly inhabited but quoted as of the 11th century ( loco dicitur U Capo de Sanct Martin towards 1303), belonged to the seigniory.

The name change of Roquebrune in Roquebrune-Cape-Martin is due to the need for distinguishing Roquebrune azuréenne from its almost close of the department of Var (Roquebrune on Argens)

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

  • the castle was built, at the end of the 10th century by Conrad Ier, count de Vintimille, to prevent Buckwheats from being again established in the area. After being last with the capacity of the counts of Provence and Republic of Genoa, it belonged during several centuries to Grimaldi which altered constructions and introduced artillery into defense. In the beginning, the castle was a fortress joining together in the same enclosure, opening of six strengthened doors, the keep and the village. At the 15th century, the keep took the denomination of castle and the remainder of the fortress became the village which, until today, preserved intact its medieval character: narrow lanes glazes of Romance vaults, old houses whose walls moussus are still furnished with ivy and pellitories.

  • the old keep of the castle : they is oldest of France. Built over a tertiary rock of Conglomerate , it dominates of 26 meters over the opposite frontage. The walls which have from 2 to 4 meters offer to the sight all the elements of defense: embrasures of gun, machicolation, loopholes, crenels, archières, etc On the 1st floor, the room of the feudal Ceremonies whose ceiling was set fire to, lastly, in 1747. To notice: the site of the throne seigneurial, that of a walled dungeon, in the center, a cubic cistern of form; the mullioned window, of XVe century. Downwards the store with the vivres is, dug in the rock. The 4th stage represents the higher artillery platform, offering a circular panorama on the picturesque roofs of the village, the sea, the course Martin, the principality of Monaco, the Agel mount.

  • thousand-year-old Olivier : regarded as one of oldest of the world.

  • the church built at the 12th century restored on several occasions, in particular at the 19th century.

Events

Since nearly 500 years place has, in the afternoon of the August 5th, a procession representing in six tables the principal scenes of Passion (following a wish pronounced in 1467 during an epidemic of Peste), it is held between the church and the vault of Pausa (Peace). This day besides is generally fériée, in the services of the commune (administrations and town hall) in particular.

In the night of the Good Friday takes place Died the Procession of Christ, representing the setting with the tomb, instituted formerly by the Brotherhood of the Penitent White, now missing.

Personalities related to the commune

Gallery

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