Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

MENTONE (Fr. Menton)

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 146 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

MENTONE (Fr. Menton) , a See also:town in the See also:department of the Alpes Maritimes in See also:south-See also:east See also:France, situated on the See also:shore of the Mediterranean, about 15 M. by See also:rail E. of See also:Nice. Pop. (1901), 9944• It is built in the See also:form of an See also:amphitheatre on a rocky promontory, which divides its semicircular See also:bay into two portions. The See also:main town is composed of two parts. Below, along the See also:sea-shore, is the town of hotels and foreigners, while above, and inaccessible to wheeled vehicles, is that of the native Mentonese, with steep, narrow and dark streets, clinging to the See also:mountain See also:side around the strong See also:castle which was once its See also:protection against pirates. In the old town is the See also:church of St See also:Michel, rebuilt in See also:great See also:part since an See also:earthquake in 1887, while below, in the See also:principal See also:street, the Corniche road, is the See also:monument set up in 1896 to commemorate the See also:union (in 186o) of Mentone with France. East of the main town is the suburb of Garavan, sheltered by cliffs, and filled with hotels. A mile and a See also:half farther on is the See also:Pont St See also:Louis, which marks the frontier between France and See also:Italy, while beyond it See also:Sir See also:Thomas Hanbury's See also:villa at La Murtola is soon reached, with its marvellous gardens of 250 acres. See also:West of the main town more hotels and villas are scattered along the See also:coast towards Cap See also:Martin. This is a See also:pine-covered promontory which shelters the Bay of Mentone on the west, and is crowned by a great hotel, not far from which is the villa of the ex-empress See also:Eugenie. Facing south-east, and sheltered on the See also:north and west by mountains, the Bay of Mentone has a delicious See also:climate and is frequented by invalids.

The mean for the See also:

year is 61° F., while that for the See also:winter is 72° in the See also:sun, and 550 in the shade. See also:Frost occurs on the See also:average only once in ten years. Besides the charms of its climate Mentoneoffers those of an almost tropical vegetation. See also:Lemon-trees, See also:olive-trees and pines rise in successive stages on surrounding slopes. The See also:district produces 40,000,000 lemons yearly, and this is its principal natural See also:wealth. In the east bay is the See also:harbour, constructed in 189o. It has a See also:depth of about 26 ft., and is sheltered by a See also:jetty about 400 yds. in length. The harbour is frequented by See also:pleasure yachts and a few See also:coasting vessels- Mentone was probably the Lumone of the Itineraries, but no See also:Roman remains exist. After having belonged to the See also:counts of See also:Ventimiglia and a See also:noble Genoese See also:family, it was See also:purchased about the See also:middle of the 14th See also:century by the Grimaldis, lords of See also:Monaco. During the First See also:Republic and the First See also:Empire it belonged to France, but in 1815 it reverted to the See also:prince of Monaco, who subjected it to such exactions that in 1848 its inhabitants proclaimed the town (with Roquebrune on the west) See also:independent, under the protection of See also:Sardinia. In 186o both Mentone and Roquebrune were purchased by France from the prince of Monaco, and added to the department of the Alpes Maritimes then formed out of the See also:county of Nice, ceded the same year to France by Sardinia.

End of Article: MENTONE (Fr. Menton)

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
MENTEITH, or MONTEITII 		[next]
MENTOR

Site © 2006 - Net Industries