In the context of bolstering the application for the Promenade des Anglais to be listed as a World Heritage site, 14 exhibitions will take place in the 13 different museums of Nice from June 12 to October 4. The goal is to involve the citizens of Nice in this process of recognizing their territory, history, and culture.
“Economically and culturally speaking, this summer is conducive to the city of Nice meeting the cultural objectives it has set for itself.”
Following the success of “A Summer for Matisse” in 2013, Christian Estrosi, deputy mayor of Nice, hopes that success will also crown this new endeavor.
Starting Friday, June 12, eight museums throughout Nice, two galleries, a theater, a villa, and a palace will host exhibitions around the theme “The Promenade des Anglais,” each with its own genius, knowledge, and specialties.
The topics will range from the study of the pebbles found on the beaches of Nice to the various traffic issues encountered during the development of the “Camin des Inglès”, along with unique documents, period videos, paintings, sculptures, and sketches from artists who spent some time in the “Azure capital.”
“Here, everyone used to gather, gathers, and will gather”
Jean-Jacques Aillagon, previously president of the “A Summer for Matisse” program and now president of the mission for the inscription of the Promenade des Anglais on the UNESCO World Heritage List, expressed his thoughts on the universality of these exhibitions:
“The city of Nice has numerous historical monuments, 68 in total. However, we should not stop at those built in the 17th century but also appreciate the evolution of our space, our 20th-century architecture, made of strong currents and inspirations that accompanied literary, artistic, and musical creation… Here, everyone used to gather, gathers, and will gather, I hope.”
The completion of the application is not within the purview of the mayor or the city. The Ministry of Culture needs to include it in the indicative list of France’s World Heritage applications, which will then be submitted to UNESCO. The entire process may take several years to introduce the application at the most opportune moment.
“The exact date is in January 1824, the 23rd!”
To consolidate all this documentation into a single volume, a 328-page book will be available starting June 12. An exhibition journal will also be provided to visitors to accompany them during the visits as best as possible. They gather a considerable amount of data related to the history of the Promenade des Anglais and help avoid certain misconceptions, according to Christian Estrosi:
“This book, the result of a historical approach, offers a snapshot of the past through two key concepts: modernity and freedom. I also hope it prevents errors, such as the opening date of the promenade, which was previously controversial. We have heard various dates here and there, and after extensive research, we found the exact date: it is in January 1824, the 23rd!”
This should settle the matter for everyone.
