Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera - UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Brief synthesis

The city of Nice bears witness to the evolution of the winter climatic resort (villégiature d’hiver), influenced by its location on the Mediterranean seashore and its proximity to the Alps. From the middle of the 18th century, the mild climate and picturesque setting of Nice attracted an increasing number of aristocratic families, mainly British, who took to spending their winters there. Over the next century, the growing number and social and cultural diversity of the winter residents became the main driving force behind the successive development phases of new areas of the city, situated next to the old medieval town. The diverse cultural influences of the winter residents and the desire to make the most of the climate conditions and scenery of the place, shaped the urban planning and architecture of those areas, contributing to the renown of the city as a cosmopolitan winter resort. Because it belonged to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia before 1860 and then to France, but above all the significant influx, from the outset, of winter visitors from Europe and then from all over the world, Nice was the crucible of many exchanges of influences, mainly in the field of architecture.

Indeed, vacationing led to the proactive implementation of specific forms of town planning which were deployed in several phases, first from the first two poles constituted by the "Vila Nova" and the "New Borough", then through the regulatory plans of the Consiglio d'Ornato as well as the plans drawn up in their continuity after 1860, then finally through the subdivision formula.

The property testifies to the evolution until 1939 of the search for an imaginary exoticism of the Riviera landscape. In the 18th century it was the aristocracy that undertook this search, but from 1860 it attracted the wealthy classes, giving way from 1920 to seaside activities and the summer season. In 1939, the outbreak of the Second World War interrupted the reception of tourists in Nice for almost a decade. After the war, the changes that had begun in the previous period continued, and the summer season definitively supplanted the winter season.

Criterion (ii): Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera, represents an important example of the fusion of British, Italian, French, Russian and other cultural influences, resulting in a variety of architectural styles, designs and decorations of buildings that express its cosmopolitan character as a winter resort, especially in the 19th century, under the impetus of the Consiglio d'Ornato.

Fashionable styles in European capitals (neo-classicism, historicism, eclecticism, Belle-Époque, "neo-colonial", regionalist, Art-deco ...) were imported and reinterpreted in Nice, under the influence of sponsors, architects and craftsmen from different countries, who brought their know-how in decoration (stucco, sgraffito, painted friezes, rockeries, ceramics...).

Foreign contributions are also considerable in terms of the use and function of the facilities. Indeed, the development of winter resorts has led to the proliferation of three types of accommodation intended for foreigners: the travellers hotel, the villa and the seasonal holiday rentals. The amphitheatre setting facing the sea, the addition of vegetation (including many acclimatised species), and the walks - such as the Terrasse des Ponchettes and the Promenade des Anglais – encourage appreciation of the beauty of the site and the mild climate.

The sequenced street grid composed of north-south axes and perpendicular secondary roads favours the heliotropism of the facades and the perspectives towards the hills or the sea, by offering many facades facing south, while making room for different forms of vegetation: parks and public and private gardens, and separate plots and borders often planted with exotic species.

Integrity

The integrity of Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera rests on attributes associated with its development as a winter resort and representation of the exchange of ideas between the mid-eighteenth century and the 1930s. The perimeter of the property testifies to the three periods which are the first founding phase of vacationing in Nice (1760-1860), the heyday of the "Winter Capital" (1860-1920), and the end of the period during which the reception function exclusively determined the destiny of the city (1920-1939).

The attributes of the property that convey the interchange of ideas and the fusion of British, Italian, French, Russian and other cultural influences are primarily the buildings and the diversity of architectural styles, building designs and decorations, exterior and interior. The traditional crafts and techniques that created these decorations, and are necessary for their preservation, are also considered as attributes. The uses and functions associated with these buildings also partly convey the value of the property. Since architecture cannot be separated from its context, the urban structure, landscaping, green spaces and promenades associated with this period are also important attributes, as well as viewpoints (lookouts, panoramas), the visual axes from the city to the large landscape, the relationship between built spaces and green spaces, and finally the relationships with the geographical setting (sea and mountain).

The urban configuration influenced by the various regulatory plans drawn up by the Consiglio d'Ornato has been preserved. In the second half of the 20th century, when Nice became mainly a summer destination, development pressures led to the densification of certain areas, notably on the hills of Cimiez and Mont-Boron, which nevertheless retained their architectural quality and a large number of their green spaces. Changes in the development of the road network and public spaces, depending on the evolution of modes of transport, have on the whole respected the pre-existing urban structure of the property.

The delimitation of the property makes it possible to ensure the complete representation of the attributes and to focus strictly on the sectors representative of the period between the mid-18th century and the end of the 1930s. The property does not suffer from elements disturbing its overall comprehension.

Authenticity

In terms of location and setting, the property faithfully conveys how the geography and topography of Nice were crucial elements influencing its development as a winter resort. Despite changes associated with the evolution of the city, which has become a summer destination, and despite the subsequent expansion of the city, the relationship with the sea and the surrounding mountains remains fundamentally the same. The extension (in length and width) of the Promenade des Anglais in the 1930s to facilitate road traffic, respected its function as a pedestrian promenade.

From the point of view of form and design, the urban configurations of the areas developed according to the regulatory plans drawn up by the Consiglio d'Ornato are on the whole intact. The areas of the property which were not influenced by such plans, but were largely developed on the basis of housing projects promoted by the private sector, nevertheless retained similar features such as wide tree-lined roads, low density plots and abundant vegetation.

The architectural typologies and construction features of the buildings, which marked the evolution of Nice as a winter resort, are still clearly visible and generally well preserved. The different architectural types -- neoclassical, eclectic or Art Deco -- depending on the period and often created by foreign promoters and architects, are to this day a distinctive feature of the city. It should be noted that most of the conservation and rehabilitation interventions are carried out respecting the original materials, colours and decorative elements. Most of the hotels, villas and apartment buildings retain their original function and continue to attract an international clientele.

Protection and management requirements

The protection of the property is established within the framework of French heritage protection legislation, in accordance with Article L. 612-1 of the Heritage Code, but also by the heritage protection measures of the metropolitan Local Urbanism Plan (PLU). The entire property was designated a Remarkable Heritage Site on 30 June 2021. This status imposes rules applicable to buildings and public spaces, and the obtaining of approval from the Architects of Buildings of France for each demolition or construction project.

The municipality has the main responsibility for the management of the property and its buffer zone. A special unit, the Nice World Heritage Mission, which reports directly to the mayor, has been created to coordinate the implementation of the management plan. A local World Heritage Commission has also been set up. This brings together representatives of municipal and metropolitan authorities, representatives of State services (for example the regional conservator of historic monuments and the Architects of Buildings of France) and other qualified professionals (scientific experts, representatives of citizens' associations). This Commission is responsible for validating the actions programme and monitoring the implementation of the management system. It meets once a year. A Steering Committee, with a very similar structure, but chaired by the municipality, is responsible for implementing the decisions of the local World Heritage Commission. This Committee meets two to three times a year. The monitoring of conservation work within the perimeter of the property is mainly carried out by the Architects of the Buildings of France and by the municipal services.

The delimitation of the buffer zone is determined by the visibility between the property and its direct landscape setting. Accordingly, the buffer zone is an extended area. The metropolitan PLU and its annexes determine the regulations for the buffer zone; their objective is to preserve the amphitheatre of hills that directly surround the property and the bay, in particular through the Development and Programming Orientation, known as “O. A. P. Collines”, which globally covers the upper part of the hills.

A management plan including the protection, conservation and enhancement measures to be implemented, is drawn up jointly by the State and the local authorities concerned, for the perimeter of this property and its buffer zone, then approved by the administrative authority. The Nice Management Plan should be updated in 2025 in order to assess its adequacy for the protection and management of the property and its buffer zone.

The maintenance and conservation of the property are based on French legislation, which facilitates the restoration of private historic heritage buildings, in particular by means of aid and tax incentives, the supervision of work projects, efforts to raise owners' awareness, and finally by defining rules for the insertion of contemporary creation into the historic urban fabric. In addition, the City of Nice has set up a multi-year investment programme for the public domain and heritage, under the control of the heritage services.

Mechanisms need to be put in place to facilitate coordination between the many actors having responsibilities for the management of the property, its buffer zone and the surrounding setting. It also appears necessary to complete the inventory in progress of the resort heritage, which will serve as a solid basis for conservation and management measures, as well as to identify the documentation relating to the interiors of the buildings and to put in place measures to ensure their protection, in particular with regard to the transformations which have made it possible to improve modern life and reception standards.