Citadelle Saint-Elme

Villefranche-sur-Mer, France

To protect the County of Nice from invaders, the Duke of Savoy built the Saint-Elme citadel 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.

References:

French Riviera Tourism

Castles and fortifications in France

Address

Chemin de Ronde, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France

See all sites in Villefranche-sur-Mer

Details

Founded: 1554-1567
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Haroon Hammad (6 years ago)
Calm & wonderful place, far from tourists, there are couple of nice sea food restaurants

Anca Stan (7 years ago)
Such a nice place with lovely narrow streets and amazing view.

Stephen Lee (7 years ago)
Very large ground and nice garden to walk around. Also some exhibits to see. Free admission. Very enjoyable.

David Choi (7 years ago)
It's free and very photogenic! Go in and have a look. No crowds

Pete Watts (7 years ago)
Lovely fort! Free entry, various gardens to explore, and great views of Villefranche.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Andy Hay

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Argos Theater

The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.