County of Nice (Traditional province, France)

Comté de Nice

Last modified: 2002-01-18 by ivan sache
Keywords: county of nice | comte de nice | eagle (red) | menton | angel | roquebrune | rocks: 3 (green) | handshake | wave |
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by Pierre Gay

• The banner of County of Nice
• Historical flags
  • Menton
  • Republic of the United Cities (1848)

See also:

• France
• Traditional provinces
• Region
  • Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur
• Department
  • Alpes-Maritimes
    
    
• Savoy
• Italy
• Piemonte (Piedmont)
• Monaco

The banner of County of Nice

The eagle is related to the Holy Roman Germanic Empire, which ruled Savoy in the past (the County of Nice having being ruled itself by Savoy since the 'dedition act' of 1388).
The three rocks represent the three mountains that surround the city of Nice : mont Alban (222 m), mont Gros (litt., big), and mont Chauve (litt., bald ; 854 m).

Source: Website of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Ivan Sache, 4 January 2001

There is a flag of the County of Nice (Nizza) in the Norie and Hobbs book Maritime Flags of All Nations, London 1848 [noh48a].
I don't know if after the annexiaton of County of Nice to France (1860) the flag remained in use.

Mario Fabretto, 17 September 1997

This flag could have been still in use after 1860, but only as the flag of the city of Nice, counties and provinces being definitively abolished at that time. It can't be the coat of arms nor the flag of the department Alpes-Maritimes, since it is only after the Second World War that coats of arms were attributed to departements by heraldist Robert Louis, and because the Alpes-Maritimes coat of arms uses both the arms of Provence and County of Nice.

It is at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th that flags of former counties and of towns were ressurected, although it is difficult to tell when, since there are no laws prescribing such flags. Nowadays the towns in France are using more and more their colours or flags and the flag of Nice is of course used. It can also be seen at the end of a film dated from the mid-eighties, Joyeuses Pâques by Georges Lautner. It is white with the coat of arms in the middle.

Pascal Vagnat, 27 September 1997

Historical flags

Menton

by Jaume Ollé

The flag of the city of Menton was granted by Genova some centuries ago. Under Grimaldi rule the flag was not always used.

Jaume Ollé, 10 January 1997

Republic of United Cities

by Jaume Ollé

The cities of Menton and Roquebrune have been part of the principality of Monaco since the middle ages. On 2 March 1848 a "Provisional Government Committee" (chairman : M. Tronca) took power in both cities and on 21 March 1848 proclaimed the independence of the "Free States of Menton and Roquebrune". On 18 September 1848 Savoy "temporarily" took over the administration of the cities which were ceded to France on 2 February 1861.

Bob Hilkens, 6 July 2000