It will be held at the town hall in the Union Hall from Saturday to Sunday. Its purpose is to celebrate the date of June 14, 1860. This election, won by 99.9%, is a key date for the people of Nice.
“It’s a certainty, we are French,” Christian Estrosi thus managed to summarize this visit in one sentence. It helps to understand the different stages that led from Savoy to annexation by France.
A multitude of collectible items
“Visitors will have a small tour to understand how between April 1 and June 14, 1860, the people of Nice were led to make an important decision: to unite with France,” according to Jean-Pierre Barbero, director of the Masséna museum. Most are original items from the era. There are also offerings made by the mayor of Nice to Napoleon III and vice versa.
Followed by anniversary celebrations
A ceremony on the forecourt of the Centenary Monument will take place on Sunday at 10 a.m. Present will be Bernard Gonzalez, the prefect of the Maritime Alps, as well as the Bishop of Nice. Health measures oblige. The location will accommodate a maximum of 500 people. It will be followed by an anniversary mass, presided over by Monsignor André Marceaux. During this mass, he will be accompanied by reenactors from the army who came from Draguignan. They will fire three cannon shots at the Centenary Monument. The last one will be fired on the Castle Hill at noon.
An extension of the exhibition planned for September
It will take place from September 12 to November 30 at the Villa Masséna. It will retrace the entirety of the visit of September 12 and 13 through the itinerary and the major moments of Emperor Napoleon III’s visit. At the time, he was received by the mayor of Nice, François Malausséna. “Among these, there is the celebration held at the opera, the meeting of the mayors of the Metropolis at the prefecture. We will discuss the life of the era, the musical city, as well as constructions like the Napoleon III bridge connecting Saint-Laurent du Var to Nice.”
A commitment to the duty of memory
The town hall and the Masséna museum wanted to work together to highlight their knowledge. The objective is to provide a different perspective on the evolution of the community. “We were prompted to reflect on the current context and what it means to be from Nice in 2020. Why the people of Nice made this choice of attachment and what it brought us. It brought us, for example, the train station in 1864 and everything related to infrastructure. It is important to address this heritage to explain to younger generations their roots and how to approach our future.”
