General photo of the houses of Menton

Menton is a French city located on the Franco-Italian border in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur department with an area of 17km².

Crossed by the Via Julia Augusta (today Rue Longue), a Roman road linking Nice to Rome, the city is frequented by many amateurs and professionals of history and civilizations of yesteryear. Before being linked to the sovereignty of the Monegasque princes (from 1346 to 1848), it ended up asking for its independence in order to become a free city but remained under the protection of the King of Sardinia. Following the French Revolution, the city was then annexed to the country and integrated the department under which it is currently known.

In addition, the city of Menton is a real seaside resort envied by tourists for its beaches and its markets supplied with products from the South.

The squares and narrow streets of the historic heart of the city which cascade towards the sea offer an overview of the old port of the city but also of the mountains which surround it.

Its decor naturally impregnated with the warm tones of the South of France has inspired many painters, actors or even novelists. The painter Robert SAVARY is one of them and offers us, with his drawing of Menton, a beautiful illustration.

Like many artists of his time, Edouard RIGHETTI (born in Menton) painted during his travels in France, drawing inspiration from the landscape that surrounded him. The artist, of whom we have a few hundred works on our site, is a worthy representative of the movement of the New School of Paris known as young painting.

Today, the city enjoys a great tourist attraction thanks to its urban facades with its famous Catholic, Orthodox and Muslim places of worship and its typical Mediterranean architecture. The Jean Cocteau Museum is one of those essential places in the city which was built thanks to the donation of Séverin Wunderman, a famous watchmaker and collaborator of the Gucci house, which made it possible to make this place the largest public resource in the world for the artist.

It also offers tourists and local residents a rural quality of life through its many peaks subject to hiking expeditions as well as its gardens with one of the greatest diversity of flowers, plants and citrus fruits. Indeed, coveted by its proximity to Monaco, the city of Menton is known for its production and its trade in lemons which it exhibits during the festivals dedicated to them.