On the occasion of the Heritage Days, the Department will open the old galleys of Nice on the Entrecasteaux quay (entrance through the Lympia barracks). Guided tours will be available on Saturday from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM and on Sunday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
A grand show featuring flag throwers from Fossano will take place in front of the Lympia barracks at 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM.
A bit of history…The Lympia Barracks
Called Lou barri lonc by the people of Nice, this building is easily recognizable by its clock tower.
Its history begins in 1750, with the construction of the Lympia port.
Vaulted warehouses were built to house excavation equipment (currently the stone-ground floor) and later used as a prison for galley convicts employed in the port’s construction.
Starting in 1826, the Sardinian monarchy carried out significant work to improve the living conditions of the convicts and their guards, including the construction of two pavilions at each end of the building: to the north, the clock pavilion (1826), and to the south, the convict pavilion (1836, demolished in 1937).
Serving as a prison until 1887, the building later housed various occupants, including the army, from which it gets its current name.
