French Riviera monument : Citadelle Saint-elme in Villefranche-sur-mer

To protect the County of Nice from invaders, the Duke of Savoy had the Citadel built in the 16th century, together with the satellite fortresses of Mont-Alban and Saint-Hospice, and the port of La Darse where the galleys were moored. These constructions entrusted to Italian engineers were fore-runners of a new type of bastion fortification. Today, this remarkable complex (7.5 acres) accommodates the Town Hall, the Volti, Goetz-Boumeester Museums and the Roux Collection.