On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the creation of the Senate of Nice, the municipality is organizing three exceptional events in the presence of Jean-Marc Giaume, Municipal Councilor in charge of Historical Heritage, Archaeology, and the Niçois Language and Culture.
History of the Senate of Nice
On March 8, 1614, Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I instituted the sovereign Senate of the County of Nice to provide his Niçois subjects with justice that was both effective and prestigious. This sovereign court with multiple competencies, whose jurisdiction extended over wide territories, ended in 1860 — that is 246 years of nearly continuous operation.
It is this long history that is proposed to be discovered through unpublished archival documents and emblematic objects such as the Senate’s mace or secretary, a piece of furniture with impressive dimensions (4 meters by 1.5 meters) which for the first time will return to the place that housed it.
*Presentation of Archaeological Discoveries*
In 1655, the Senate settled at the end of the current Cours Saleya on the site of the old salt tax offices. As part of the building’s rehabilitation, the City of Nice has launched a significant archaeological excavation operation to uncover the past of this site.
On the occasion of the 30th edition of the European Heritage Days, on the upcoming September 14th and 15th, the public will also, for the first time, be able to discover this place filled with history.
