Tourism : Tende on the french riviera

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Tende

Overview

Tende is located within Mercantour National Park in the French Alps. The mountainous commune is bordered by Italy to the north, with the boundary determined by the watershed line between the two countries. This line of mountain tops contains more than 20 summits exceeding 2,000 meters (6,562 feet). A large rectangle of land running east/west, Tende is split from north to south by the Roya river valley. The tributary Réfréi river joins the Roya within the limits of Tende. The Col de Tende (Tende Pass), a strategic pass through the Alps to Piedmont, has been modernized to be a road and railway tunnel.

History:

It is unclear when the village of Tende became an organized settlement; prehistoric rock engravings have been found in the area, which are now on display in the Musée des Merveilles or in situ. Today, Tende is a medieval village of tumultuous history, having belonged successively to the Count of Ventimiglia in the tenth century, then the Counts of Provence and the Counts of Lascaris before being swapped several times between Italy and France. First to the Duchy of Savoy, then the French Republic (later Napoleonic Empire), then restored to the Savoyard Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont (which became in 1861 the Kingdom of Italy), finally becoming the last commune to join the French Republic in 1947. The hillside village is overlooked by the spire-like remnants of the main turret of the castle of the Lascaris, which was built in the 14th century as protection from the attacking Count of Provence, Charles d'Anjou. The castle was destroyed in 1692 when King Louis XIV ordered his Marshal, Catinat, to destroy all fortified structures in France that might challenge his rule. The only complete structure that remains is a circular tower, transformed into a clock during the 19th century. The tolling of the clock's bells can be heard day and night throughout Tende. Tende is located on what was once an important route of the salt trade between Italy and France. During their reign of Tende, the Lascaris would demand a toll of those transporting salt and others passing through the region.

Culture:

While the main language of Tende is French, some of Tende's residents also speak Tendasque, a variety of Piedmontese language with French influences. Among the village's youth, this creole language is less prevalent. The second Sunday of each July, a festival is held in honor of Saint Eloi, patron saint of the village. Sugelli, a distinctive pasta with a thumb print indentation is a local specialty.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Tende - See Authors history list.

Bordering the Mercantour National Park, Tende is a township perched on a bed of shingle with a distinct Italian perfume overflowing with terrace plants. It is home to the Musée des Merveilles (Museum of marvels) which retraces the pre-historic heritage of the Côte d'Azur.

SightSeeing

COLLEGIALE NOTRE-DAME DE L'ASSOMPTION
At the heart of the old part of Tende, this church was built between the late 15th and early 16th century, and acquired its baroque decoration during the 17th and 18th centuries. Note the impressive[...]
MUSEE DEPARTEMENTAL DES MERVEILLES
A trip back in time to the origins of civilization, to discover the engavings at Mont-Bégo. This museum boasting the most sophisticated museographic techniques of our time also displays a rich collection of[...]