Today, and until July 31, an exhibition tracing the history of Nice is taking place in Saint-François Square.
In 2012, the intervention of the archaeology service uncovered the remains of the oldest known construction in Old Nice, documenting some of the most important sites in our history.
Located outside the city walls during the donation made in 1251 by the notable Augier Badat to the Franciscan order to establish a convent complex there, this area quickly became incorporated into the city. In the 16th century, it housed one of the essential elements of Nice’s civil power, the communal Palace. It accommodated the town hall and municipal services from 1584 to 1868.
During the occupation of Nice by the revolutionary French armies, the convent (including the church) was sold as national property and underwent various changes, like the church (barracks, housing, hotel, cinema, and ice stores in interaction with the Labor Exchange), profoundly altering the buildings’ appearance. The communal Palace, which remained municipal property after the town hall’s relocation in 1868, continued to be modified until it was entrusted to the Labor Exchange-CGT by the City, from 1893 to 2009.
This exhibition invites you to journey back in time to the very heart of the former Franciscan church, to discover the numerous renovations and changes in function that have shaped this remarkable and unique heritage site, from its construction in the 13th century to the present day.
