On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the Liberation of Nice, the República de Nissa and the association Nissa Ti Vouòli Ben are organizing a tour through the city. Each stop will recall the names and commitments of people from Nice, either by birth or by heart, who have marked history.
On August 28, 1944, the resistance fighters liberated Nice. Each year, this date brings together residents, associations, and elected officials around a duty of remembrance. For the 2025 edition, la República de Nissa, with the participation of Nissa Ti Vouòli Ben, proposes a commemorative circuit in several neighborhoods of the city. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 28, starting at 2 PM.
“I die for her, for her complete freedom, I hope my sacrifice will serve her,” wrote Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves, an officer executed by the Nazis, on August 28, 1941. These words will resonate in this year’s commemoration. The organizers want to remind everyone that behind the names of streets, squares, or gardens are lives, commitments, and fates shattered by the war.
A memory tour through the city
The circuit will begin at 2 PM in front of 200 Boulevard de La Madeleine, in homage to Émilie Jotté Latouche. It will continue twenty minutes later in front of 7 Boulevard François Grosso, at the address associated with the writer Romain Gary. The tour will then move to the Parc d’Estienne d’Orves, where the memory of officer Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves will be evoked.
At 3 PM, the public can gather at 50 Avenue Clémenceau under the name of Simone Veil. Twenty minutes later, a stop is planned at 62 Avenue Clémenceau to remember Eugénie Aprosio. The procession will then head towards the Wilson Garden, at the Pertini Alley, to pay tribute to Sandro Pertini, a figure of the Italian Resistance.
At 4 PM, the ceremony will continue at Place du Commandant Gérôme, to honor the memory of Marcel Gérôme. Fifteen minutes later, a meeting is scheduled at the monastery of Avenue Sainte-Colette, where the names of Mother Anne-Marie, Sister Emmanuelle, and Sister Rose will be remembered. The last stage will take place at 4:40 PM at Place Max Barel, in memory of the worker and communist resistance fighter executed in Lyon in 1944.
This tour, punctuated by speeches, invites residents and passersby to pause for a moment. Each stop will be an opportunity to discuss the lives and commitments of those who refused the occupation and defended freedom.
An invitation to gather
“It is to not forget the sacrifice and courage of the resistance fighters and deportees from Nice, whether by birth or by heart, that we organize this tour,” remind Cristòu Daurore, president of la República de Nissa, and Christine Bovari, president of Nissa Ti Vouòli Ben. They invite residents near the commemorative locations to join the event: “come to reflect and listen to the accounts of the commitments of these men and women whom we will honor.”
La República de Nissa, proclaimed in 2010 and federated with the República Federala Occitana, strives to maintain the connection with local history. For its representatives, it is essential that the people of Nice, from all generations, can associate a face and a destiny with the plaques and the places they encounter daily.
On August 28, the tribute will take the form of a slow march, marked by stories, readings, and speeches. The organizers emphasize the importance of linking memory and territory. The choice of a city tour allows for the reminder that the history of the Resistance is not only read in archives or monuments but is also inscribed in the streets and neighborhoods.
Through this tour, the goal is to unite. The ceremony is intended for everyone: residents, passersby, families, and younger generations. It aims to convey the story of a city that has experienced occupation, repression, and deportations, but also hope and liberation.
