Cimiez is a an affluent suburb straddling Cimiez Hill in the north of Nice. There are attractive gardens, museums, ancient ruins and a cemetery to explore. The Roman amphitheatre in the public park used to hold the annual Nice Jazz Festival hence the busts of jazz musicians that are dotted around. The festival is now held in the Albert 1er gardens.
Roman Amphitheatre [Arènes de Cimiez]
The Roman Amphitheatre was built in the 2nd century and is free to visit. It used to hold up to 5000 people.
This is an excellent museum with well laid our exhibits over two floors and most have information about them in English. However the hidden delights are the extensive Roman Remains of the city of Cemenelum in the grounds at the back of the building. The city used to be the capital of region in Roman times. There are the remains of streets, baths, shops as well as an amphitheatre.
Henri Matisse was born in 1869 in northern France but moved to Cimiez in 1917 and his life was closely associated with Nice until his death in 1954. The museum houses a large collection of his work and when we visited it had a whole wing dedicated to his Stations of the Cross murals that he created for the Chapel of the Rosary in nearby Vence [where he died].
Cimiez Monastery, church and gardens
The monastery was built in the 9th century and has undergone a number of uses over the years including a barracks and hospital. The church has undergone numerous facelifts up until the 19th century when some gothic features were added. The interior is sumptously decorated with frescos and works of art. The adjacent gardens to the right are delightful and offer lovely views over the city.
Cimiez Cemetery
Cimiez Cemetery is on the left hand side of the monastery and is stuffed with crypts and tombs of the rich and famous all seemingly trying to outdo each other with their opulence. Surprisingly the graves of Raoul Duffy and Matisse are simple affairs, [see photos below]. Duffy’s grave is tucked around the back of the church and Matisse’s tomb is set apart in gardens around the corner from the main cemetery.
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