27 December 2007

Roquebrune village - 1

Menton is surrounded by beautiful Medieval villages, and one of the most beautiful is Roquebrune. You can see an alternative view below. Over the next days let me show you around this village which is perched, 300 metres above the sea and which looks down on the cape or headland called Cap Martin - the area you've seen in many previous postings. Roquebrune-cap-Martin is between Menton and Monte Carlo.

Roquebrune village is built on a sand and pebble conglomerate from the Tertiary period. It's called the pudding and it appears very fragile and soft. However, it is amazingly strong. The whole village stands on this rock with no foundations, the tangled jigsaw of the buildings has held it all together for centuries.

There is a legend that the village of Roquebrune, clinging to the hillside, owes its survival to the fragile broom shrub which, in the 7th century, during a terrible earthquake, stopped its deadly pull towards the sea.

Do come back tomorrow when we'll be in the village itself.

12 comments:

  1. Wonderful view of the city.

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  2. Quite beautiful, Jilly.

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  3. tes deux panoramas de la ville de roquebrune sont tres beaux. Il doit y avoir une superbe vue depuis le Donjon du Chateau

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  4. I've never been there but I know the name. Très joli!

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  5. Although Ive been gone for some time, I still recall how beautiful your city is. It really does stand out as one of those places that really has a special unique feel to it.

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  6. I'm surprised how much land is still undevelopped...
    Is the terrain too rocky or do they no longer issue new building permits?

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  7. Isabella, the answer is both. Most of the land in this part of the Cote d'Azur is now zoned - much of it is impossible to build on - too rocky as you say - or in fire risk areas. The other is simply they have restricted building (thank goodness) so the place doesn't get even more crowded than it is. If anyone builds where they shouldn't, they are taken to court and they then have to knock the place down! This has happened to multi-million euros properties, not just people illegally adding an extension or a swimming pool.

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  8. Restricted building is a good idea in any place but here more significant than others. You would think that places like New York City would be restricted but they tear one down and build two or three in the same space. Higher prices from newer buildings.

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  9. Oh I too hope that the land will remain underdeveloped!!!!!!!!!! :-))

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  10. when people grow up in such beautiful places I am amazed they ever want to live full-time elsewhere. I had a friend who lived surrounded by this lovely scenery and he said with a shrug, "It has always been there--I just don't see it" Maybe he will appreciate it when he goes back, older and wiser.

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  12. it is hilly on the city. good theme .



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