Cap d’Ail and its enigmatic Sarrasine circuit
This vestige, symbol of the city of Cap d’Ail and the links it has always had with Monaco, can be admired from the Basse Corniche but also from the sea..
Legend has it that the Sarrasine Tower is connected underground to the Prince’s Palace of Monaco… Perched above the Avenue du 3 Septembre, we know in any case that it was a guard post for the Principality. This tower, of which it is difficult to determine the year of construction, indeed served as an observation point and allowed its occupants to control all maritime movements between Monaco and Èze when the Genoese arrived in the county of Nice and in Monaco. .
If this war of the borders will end with the agreement of 1760, it is only in 1908 that Cap d’Ail, which depended on La Turbie – a town linked to Monaco for centuries, became a municipality in its own right.
Today, the Sarrasine tower is THE symbol of the city. We find her on street signs, on the Cap-d’Aillois flag and on official municipal documents. It is moreover this emblematic place which was chosen in 1997 to celebrate, in the presence of Prince Albert II (then still Hereditary Prince), the 700 years of the presence of the Grimaldi dynasty in Monaco and the special bond which unites Cap d’Ail in the Principality.
From up there, the view is breathtaking. In good weather, it is possible to see the coast of Bordighera in Italy as far as Cap d’Antibes. But you should know that this monument cannot be visited, firstly because it is located on private property, then because it is full. The interior is filled with a pile of stones, so impossible to get there.
As a neighboring commune and town belonging to the Grimaldi Sites network, Cap d’Ail and the Principality have never severed ties. ” The Principality has built and financed a lot of equipment in the town which Cap d’Aillois and Monegasques benefit from today. I hope this positive cooperation can continue in the future. “explains Mayor Xavier Beck, referring in particular to the ZAC Saint Antoine.
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The Principality in the heart of Cap d’Aillois
“The Princely Family holds a great place in the hearts of the Cap d’Aillois, despite their very republican convictions! Any visit by the Sovereign Prince to Cap d’Ail is an event and is always very busy.add the chosen one. The Cap d’Aillois naturally feel strong ties with the Principality, either because they went to school there or because they work there. “, he continues.
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The mayor wished to recall the place occupied by the Principality in the Alpes-Maritimes Department for more than a century now. “ Prince Albert Iuh was a scientifically and oceanographically recognized Head of State. Prince Rainier III instilled the modernist impetus that has made the Principality what it is today. This precept of modernity, supplemented by a proactive policy in terms of ecology, openness and transparency, has always guided Prince Albert II since 2005. »