The South of France-East Half Part 36

About a hundred yards to the west of the bridge, on the face of an almost vertical rock, and at a considerable height, is a kind of window or cavity called the +Hermit's Grotto+. Over the entrance is an illegible inscription in red hieroglyphics. By the side is another inscription giving the name of a hermit who once lived in this cave:--

CHRISTO LA FECE. BERNARDO L'ABITO.

1528.

(Christ made it. Bernard inhabits it.)

The inside of the grotto is composed of two rooms; the first, 6 yds. by 4, is continued by steep staircases up into the mountain for about 27 yds. At this extremity a large cavity leads into a second room, 3 yds.

long, with a floor sloping in the opposite direction to the opening.

Into this cave the crusader Robert de Ferques is said to have retired from grief.

[Map: Italian Riviera, &c]

At the time when King Philip Augustus had summoned all his n.o.bility to take part in the third crusade, a lord, named Robert de Ferques, hastened to join the banner of the Count of Boulogne, his sovereign.

This Robert de Ferques had been recently married, and his young bride, Jehanne de Leulinghem, unable to bear the thought of separation, resolved to follow her lord and share his toils. She succeeded by concealing her s.e.x under a man's dress, and set out with joy in the capacity of esquire. Unhappily, during the journey she fell from her horse, and was forced to stop at an inn.

Robert de Ferques was obliged, with broken heart, to follow the army, and abandon his young wife to the care of a faithful servant. But in a few days the old esquire came with tears in his eyes to announce to his master the death of the courageous Jehanne. The poor knight was so overwhelmed with grief that, with the consent of the Count of Boulogne, he resolved to give up the world, and consecrate to G.o.d, in the most austere solitude, a life which he had already almost sacrificed to Him in war with the infidels. In 1528 he seems to have been succeeded by the anch.o.r.et Bernard.

[Headnote: CASTELLON.]

The Sospel road now begins to ascend the Col de Guardia, pierced near the top by a tunnel 260 ft. long, and shortly after it reaches the walled town of Castellon or Castiglione, on an eminence 2926 ft above the sea, commanding an extensive view, 8 m. from Menton, pop. 320.

5 m. farther is Sospel, pop. 3500 (p. 182).

[Headnote: CLIMATE.]

_Climate._--Menton being protected by an amphitheatre of high hills from the northerly blasts, the winters here are generally milder.

"A cool but sunny atmosphere, so dry that a fog is never seen at any period of the winter, whatever the weather, either on sea or on land, must be bracing, invigorating, stimulating. Such, indeed, are the leading characteristics of the climate of this region--the Undercliff of western Europe. Such a climate is perfection for all who want bracing, renovating--for the very young, the invalid middle-aged, and the very old, in whom vitality, defective or flagging, requires rousing and stimulating. The cool but pleasant temperature, the stimulating influence of the sunshine, the general absence of rain or of continued rain, the dryness of the air, render daily exercise out of doors both possible and agreeable. I selected Menton as my winter residence six years ago, because I was suffering from advanced pulmonary consumption, and after six winters pa.s.sed at Menton I am now surrounded by a little tribe of cured or arrested consumption cases.

This curative result has only been attained, in every instance, by rousing and improving the organic powers, and princ.i.p.ally those of nutrition. If a consumption patient can be improved in health, and thus brought to eat and sleep well, thoroughly digesting and a.s.similating food, the battle is half won; and helping the physician to attain this end is the princ.i.p.al benefit of the winter climate of the Riviera." --Bennet's _Winter Climates_.

"With all its vaunted security from biting winds, and its mountain shelter from the northern blasts, Menton lies most invitingly open to the south, south-east, and south-west, and winter winds from these directions can be chilly enough at times. What tells so keenly upon the weak and susceptible is the land breeze, which regularly at sundown steals from the mountains towards the sea. The mean temperature of November is 54, December 40, February 49, March 53.

When the air is still, a summer heat often prevails during the day, though in the shade and within doors the mercury seldom rises above 60." --_Wintering at Menton_, by A. M. Brown.

For the Excursions, see maps pp. 163 and 185.

THE ITALIAN RIVIERA,

or

+Menton to Genoa.+

By VENTIMIGLIA, BORDIGHERA, SAN REMO, and SAVONA.

Distance 100 miles. See accompanying Map.

miles from MENTON miles to GENOA

{ }{100} +MENTON.+ The road from Menton to Genoa crosses the frontier at the bridge of St. Louis, spanning a ravine 215 ft. deep.

6 m. E. from Menton by the carriage-road, pa.s.sing the village of Mortola, and traversing the Piano di Latte, is

{6}{93} +VENTIMIGLIA+, pop. 8500, on a hill at the mouth of the Roja. _Inns:_ near station, the Hotel Suisse; in the low town, the Hotel Tornaghi.

All the trains halt here of an hour, and luggage entering France or Italy is examined. The new station is commodious. At one end of the luggage-room is a clock with Paris time, and at the other one with the time of Rome, 47 minutes in advance of Paris. The waiting-rooms, "Sale d'Aspetto," cloak-rooms, "Camerini di Toeletta," and the refreshment rooms are all at the French end, as well as the way out to the train.

The town is well seen from the station. The church occupies a prominent position; and close to it, in the Via Lascaris, are the post office, theatre, and the best cafe. The walk up this same Via to the town-gate shows the best part of the town, while the avenues in continuation beyond it lead up to the best sites for views. Not far from the station, on the right bank of the Nervia, on a large sandbank, are the remains of a theatre and of a cemetery, which probably mark the site of the ancient Albintemelium. What remains of the theatre is composed of large blocks of greenstone from the quarries of Mortola. The excavations have been carried on under the direction of the inspector of historic monuments in the province.

Omnibus between Ventimiglia and Bordighera. Diligence once daily between Ventimiglia and Tenda, p. 183.

[Headnote: BORDIGHERA.]

{10}{90} +BORDIGHERA+, pop. 2800. The old town, the Bordighera di sopra, is compactly built on the summit of the eminence rising from the cape S. Ampeglio, whose sides are covered with olives and palms. Down below, on almost a level with the sea, is the low or new town, where most of the invalids reside, though it is doubtful if the site is well chosen.

_Hotels:_ the best is the *H. Angleterre, a first-cla.s.s house in a garden, near the station.

Similarly situated is the H. Bordighera. Both charge from 10 to 20 frs. Behind the Angleterre is the Episcopal chapel. West from the Angleterre is *Beau Rivage, 6 to 10 frs. Immediately opposite station are H. and P. Continental, 9 to 11 frs.; the H. and P. Sapia, 8 to 9 frs., and the Bordighera bank, where money can be changed. Eastward are the hotels Victoria and Windsor. Admirably situated on an eminence overlooking the Moreno palm-garden is the *H. and P.

Belvedere, 8 to 12 frs. Near it is the *Pension Anglaise, 6 to 9 frs.

At the commencement of the Vallecrosia valley is a Home with industrial school for orphans of poor Italian Protestants, founded by an English lady. Omnibus between Bordighera and San Remo, pa.s.sing through Ospedaletti, a beautiful drive. Also omnibus every half-hour between Bordighera and Ventimiglia. It pa.s.ses through the low town of Ventimiglia and stops at the commencement of the ascent to the high town.

The great feature of Bordighera are its plantations of palms, whose tufted tops wave above the more lowly lemon trees laden with pale yellow fruit, while the whole of the background is crowded with vigorous olive trees. Some of the palms are 800 years old. The lemon, after the olive, is the most profitable tree.

To the _Tower of Mostaccini_, 1 hr. there and back, by the Strada Romana, till near Pozzoforte, where ascend by path right hand. This tower, of Roman origin, and still in excellent preservation, served as an "avisium" or watch-tower in the Middle Ages. From it is obtained a delightful view of part of the coast.

[Headnote: ISOLA BUONA.]

2 m. west from Bordighera is the commencement of the valley of the Nervia, 16 m. long from north to south, with a varying breadth of 1 to 2 m. A good carriage-road extends all the way up to Pigna, 11 m.

from Bordighera. On this road, 1 m. up the Nervia, or nearly 4 m.

from Bordighera, is Campo-Rosso, on the Nervia, at its junction with the Cantarena, pop. about 250. It possesses two churches, both 12th cent. St. Pierre has frescoes, 15th cent., on princ.i.p.al entrance and on the sacristy, also some pictures attributed to Brea of Nice. The confessionals are in the gallery. From Campo-Rosso a bridle-path leads up to the top of the hill, on which is the chapel of Santa Croce, commanding an extensive view. About 2 m. farther up the valley is Dolce-Acqua, on both sides of the Nervia, crossed here by a stone bridge with a span of 108 ft. Over the village, consisting of houses crowded together and piled above each other, rises the imposing feudal castle of the Dorias, reduced to its present dilapidated condition by the Genoese in 1672. 2 m. from Dolce-Acqua, or 8 m. from Bordighera, is Isola Buona, pop. 1200, with paper and olive mills, heath pipe manufactories, and cold sulphurous springs. From Isola, a little way up the Merdanio or Merdunzo, is Apricale, pop. 1000. South from Apricale is Perinaldo, the birthplace, 8th June 1625, of Giovanni Domenico Ca.s.sini, the most famous of a family distinguished as astronomers, who succeeded one another as directors of the observatory at Paris for four generations.

[Headnote: PIGNA.]

A little more than 11 m. from Bordighera is +Pigna+, on the +Nervia+, at the foot of Mont Torragio, 3610 ft. above the sea, a village where the princ.i.p.al occupation is the cutting and sawing of the timber from the surrounding forests. The church, built in 1450, has on the rose window a representation of the descent of the Holy Ghost on the apostles. The frescoes on the choir are nearly of the same date as the church, and are attributed to Jean Ranavasio. In the wild and picturesque ravine of the Nervia, above Pigna, is a copious sulphurous spring, temp. 79 Fahr., utilised by a bathing establishment. Near Pigna, on a hill covered with chestnut trees, is the village of Castel-Vittorio or Franco. From Pigna a bridle-path leads, 4 m. N., to Les Beuze, the last village in the valley of the Nervia.

The most pleasant of the drives is to San Remo, 6 m. N.E., by Ospedaletti. About a mile from the E. side of Cape S. Ampeglio is the hamlet of Ruota, with a small chapel containing a group in alabaster representing the Annunciation. A short way farther a path descends from the road to a house on the beach in a luxuriant garden of palm and lemon trees. At the inner end of this orchard, near the railway, is an excellent sulphurous spring, temp. 70 F. After this the Corniche road bends round to Ospedaletti (see below). On the hills behind Ospedaletti, about 2 m. N., is La Colla, 1000 ft. above the sea. In the Town Hall is a valuable collection of 120 paintings, mostly by great Italian masters, such as Fra Bartolomeo, I. Ba.s.sano, F. Barocci, A. Carracci, Caravaggio, Cortona, C. Dolci, Domenichino, Sa.s.so Ferrati, Reni, Salvator Rosa, Andrea del Sarto, and Spagnoletti.

In another room is the library. The pictures and books were collected by the Abbe Paolo Rambaldi during his long stay at Florence, who at his death (1864) bequeathed them to this his native city. In the sacristy of the parish church is a beautifully-carved ivory crucifix, bequeathed, along with some other articles, by the Prelate Stefano Rossi, also a native of this quarter. A coach with 2 horses from Bordighera to La Colla and back costs 20 frs.

[Headnote: LA COLLA.]

La Colla is the native town of the sea-captain Bresca, who, contrary to the orders of Pope Sixtus V., broke the silence by calling aloud to "wet the ropes" when the obelisk was being raised in front of St.

Peter's. 2 m. E. from La Colla is San Remo, which is 3 m. from Ospedaletti.

The climate of Bordighera is similar to that of San Remo; but as a residence it is more rural and has fewer resources. The mistral at Bordighera, instead of being a north-westerly wind, deviates by the configuration of the coast into a west wind.

Bordighera supplies Rome with palm-leaves for the Easter ceremonies, as also the Israelites in Germany and Holland for the feast of Tabernacles.

[Headnote: OSPEDALETTI.]

miles from MENTON miles to GENOA

{13}{87} +OSPEDALETTI+, pop. 1000, a small village with nearly a mile of frontage towards the sea, from which it is separated by the railway. In the village is the H. and P. Ospedaletti, room 40 frs. the month. Upon an eminence with garden is the H. de la Reine, 12 to 20 frs. Adjoining is a handsome Casino, in which there is dancing even during the day. The gambling is private, and on a small scale.