Saorge was a stronghold of strategic significance defending the road between Nice and Turin via the Col de Tende mountain pass. Recollect Franciscan monks founded a monastery there in 1633, at the time of the Catholic Reformation. Today it overlooks the village and waterfalls of La Roya at the gateway to Mercantour.
The cloister and the refectory contain examples of exceptional painted decoration dating from the 17th and 18th centuries: frescoes depicting the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, allegories of the virtues, sundials and trompe-l’œil features. The church still has its original furniture and magnificent wood carvings. The building is a fine example of the balance between Baroque and sobriety typical of the Franciscan Order.
The harmonious surroundings are set off by huge terraced grounds featuring an orchard and kitchen garden, looking out on to wonderfully untouched mountains.
Occupied by Franciscans until 1988, today the monastery is a residence for writers.
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.