Catherine Ségurane celebrated during a tribute in Nice between tradition and fervor

Friday, August 14 in the evening, several hundred people gathered in Old Nice to pay tribute to Catherine Ségurane, a legendary figure of Nice’s resistance. Between traditional music, a civil ceremony and religious procession, the evening blended Nice’s heritage and traditions.

Friday evening, the procession in tribute to Catherine Ségurane began from Place Saint-François. Accompanied by an orchestra performing Nice folk songs throughout the route, the procession reached Rue Sincaire, in front of the Church of Saint-Martin Saint-Augustin, where the civil tribute took place.

In an atmosphere that was both solemn, religious and festive, participants gathered in front of the stele dedicated to Catherine Ségurane. The ceremony took place in the presence of Bishop Jean-Philippe Nault, bishop of Nice, the Committee of Nice Traditions and the Ciamada Nissarda, which notably performed a dance before the procession continued.

A figure linked to the Siege of Nice in 1543

Catherine Ségurane, also nicknamed “the Dona Maufacha”, is a popular figure in Nice’s history and traditions. She is associated with the Siege of Nice in 1543, when the city, then under the sovereignty of the Duke of Savoy, was attacked by Franco-Ottoman forces.
According to traditional accounts, on August 15, 1543, this washerwoman allegedly participated in the city’s defense by striking an attacker with a washing bat before seizing an enemy banner. This episode made her over the centuries a symbol of Nice’s resistance.

The historical reality of her intervention remains however difficult to establish. The account of this woman does not appear in sources until the early 17th century, several decades after the siege. The City of Nice thus presents her as a “legendary” heroine, whose story gradually became inscribed in Nice’s collective memory.

In the 19th century, her story inspired notably authors, poets, painters and sculptors. In 1923, a monument was finally dedicated to her on the Montée Sincaire, near the presumed location of her feat.

Éric Ciotti announces a statue on Place Garibaldi

During the ceremony at the stele, Éric Ciotti, mayor of Nice, recalled in his speech the traditional account of the feat attributed to Catherine Ségurane and its importance in Nice’s memory. “I simply want this evening, in this falling night, to remind you of her feat“, the mayor declared, before returning to the 1543 siege and the account of the Ottoman standard-bearer whom Catherine Ségurane allegedly faced.

Éric Ciotti also announced the creation of a new statue dedicated to Catherine Ségurane. It is to be installed on Place Garibaldi, a few dozen meters from the place associated with her entry into legend. “I commit to having it ready for the next tribute to our heroine in a year“, he declared before the people gathered around the stele.
This announcement was one of the main highlights of the ceremony. It complements the various places of remembrance already dedicated to Catherine Ségurane in Nice.

An evening of Nice traditions and religious celebration

After the civil tribute, the evening continued with a procession towards Place Garibaldi. Traditional songs and music accompanied participants throughout the procession.
From Place Garibaldi, a Marian torchlit procession then led the procession to the Church of Notre-Dame-du-Port. The evening concluded with a Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament presided over by Bishop Jean-Philippe Nault.

Through this annual ceremony, the city of Nice continues to keep alive the memory of Catherine Ségurane, a figure whose history, between historical facts and legendary account, remains associated with Nice’s heritage and popular traditions.