Conference: "The British in Provence and the Côte d'Azur".

Description

The Culture & Loisirs association invites you to a talk entitled "The British in Provence and the Côte d'Azur, from the 18th century to the Belle Époque", presented by Mr. Bernard Sasso.

Bernard Sasso: PhD in the history of international relations from the Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, PhD in history from the University of Wales, President of France-Grande-Bretagne Toulon Var since 2008. He is the author of several books.

The British have been present in Provence since the 18th century. They came mainly for the sea baths, which, according to doctors of the time, were beneficial to their health.

The transportation revolution, and in particular the development of the railroads, brought Provence within a few hours of London. Many Britons came to spend the winter on the Mediterranean coast, making a decisive contribution to the renown of the region, which at the end of the 19th century became known as the Côte d'Azur.

Hyères, Saint-Raphaël, Cannes, Menton and Nice all saw the construction of sumptuous villas under the impetus of wealthy British families. Queen Victoria visited both Hyères and Nice on several occasions, giving these two cities some of the prestige that continues to this day.

Numerous urban and architectural features bear witness to this British presence. The speaker will evoke this rich past.

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