The Deputy Mayor of Nice, Rudy Salles, responsible for international relations, met last week with the new Italian Consul General, Raffaele De Benedictis, who has been stationed in Nice for a few weeks.
Rudy Salles was accompanied by Laurence Navalesi, delegate for cross-border relations, who is very close to the Italian community, which is the most numerous among foreign residents.
A meeting of mutual acquaintance in a cordial atmosphere, which allowed Rudy Salles to renew the municipality’s availability for any form of collaboration between the two institutions, particularly in the field of cultural activities.
“Italians are at home in Nice,” said the elected official to the diplomat, “and you are welcome.”
Beyond geographical proximity, how can one forget that the County of Nice was under the House of Savoy for several centuries? Although it was never Italian, it joined France just one year before the creation of the Kingdom of Italy, of which the House of Savoy became the royal family!
Official figures indicate more than 8,000 Italian residents, to which must be added several thousand second home owners, as well as tourists and visitors.
It is a community stemming from an old immigration, dating from the last century to the years between the two world wars. More recently, it is primarily retirees who enjoy the azure lifestyle, along with numerous traders who have set up shop (particularly cafes, restaurants, and food boutiques). Real estate developers are also very active.
The Italian Chamber of Commerce organizes the “Italy on the Table” fair every year, a particularly popular event that attracts over 100,000 visitors.
Nice is twinned with neighboring Cuneo (Coni), and the Nice Carnival is twinned with the equally popular Viareggio Carnival.
All these ties confirm Rudy Salles’ words: Italians are indeed at home in Nice!
