History
It is said that the Greeks
who had settled in Marseille in 350 BC founded Nice. But indications
of human occupation before this period have been found on the
fossil beach of Terra Amata now part of the city of Nice. In the
9th century Nice was a part of Provence, which became an independent
state under the Roman Empire. Nice became wealthy due to commerce
with Italy. In 1388 Nice was separated into a new province. In
1543 sultan Barbarossa and king of France Francois I combined
forced to take control of Nice, but the last defenders resisted
in the castle, causing the combined forces to withdraw.
Nice experienced a short period of stability under duke Charles-Emmanuel
I until the war between France and Savoy resumed at the end of
the 17th century and the county of Nice was occupied by France
from 1691 to 1697 and again in 1707 to 1713.
In mid-19th century while Nice still belonged
to Italy, King Immanuel II and Napoleon III signed the treaty
of Turin, which reincorporated Nice to France by choice of the
inhabitants. On 14 June 1860, the French troops entered and occupied
Nice and the event was celebrated. After the incorporation of
Nice into France, the railway from Marseilles was extended which
initiated city to have a tourist-based economy and put Nice on
the world map.
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