Talk:Antibes

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Contents

[edit] Quaint text from 1911 encyclopedia

I have copied this quaint text here for posterity. i assume it comes from the 1911 encyclopedia, and it might make a useful historical reference; its wildly out of date and somewhat innacurate as to history.

"It was formerly fortified, but all the ramparts (save the Fort Carré, built by Vauban) have now been demolished, and a new town is rising on their site. There is a tolerable harbour, with a considerable fishing industry. The principal exports are dried fruits, salt fish and oil. Much perfume distilling is done here, as the surrounding country produces an abundance of flowers. Antibes is the ancient Antipolis. It is said to have been founded before the Christian era (perhaps about 340 B.C.) by colonists from Marseilles, and is mentioned by Strabo. It was the seat of a bishopric from the 5th century to 1244, when the see was transferred to Grasse." --Nantonos 01:03, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

Apparently, the Antibois still feel ill-used over the loss of their bishop. Even into the 21st century they refer to their medieval stone church in the Old Town as "the cathedral" and it is so listed in the local telephone directory. Dick Kimball 16:01, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Fort Carré was not built by Vauban, it was redesigned into its present star shape and rebuilt by him. This was long the French border with Savoy, so naturally it was fortified. On the side of the fort opposite the marina is a large white marble statue of a World War I soldier with his rifle at "order arms" (held by the barrel alongside the leg with the rifle butt on the ground). Unfortunately the sculptor got it wrong; the rifle is to the soldier's left when the position of order arms is only done with the rifle to the holder's right. Dick Kimball (talk) 16:50, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Port Vauban Marina

I live for part of the year in Antibes. I believe that the marina is the largest (by total tonnage) in the entire Mediterranean. The outer part, the International Yacht Club d'Antibes (IYCA), is where the massive "mega-yachts" are moored. Dick Kimball 15:52, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Antibes' "Ancient" Seawall

There is a general belief among the local population that the stone seawall along the east side of the Old Town (Vieux Antibes) dates from the time of the Romans. This is false. It is the stones used to build it that date to the Roman Empire. The seawall itself was built in the seventeenth century by Sébastien Le Prestre, Marquis de Vauban (1633 - 1707) during the reign of Louis XIV. At that time, ancient Roman ruins were plentiful throughout this area, but since they were non-christian during this period of fiercely intense Catholicism, they were not valued. The ruins were torn down to provide hewn stone blocks that made the seawall easier to build. Dick Kimball 15:52, 29 August 2007 (UTC) Dick Kimball 19:03, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mega-yachts

I have a digital photograph (several, actually) of the mega-yacht EcstaSea, which I took myself, so there is no copyright consideration. I would like to post this to the area on the "Antibes" entry devoted to the yacht's owner, Roman Abramovitz. Would some of the more experienced users of Wikipedia please either help me or direct me to the instructions for posting and captioning original photographs? Dick Kimball 08:56, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Eilenroc Gardens

Louis Dudley Beaumont's widow bequeathed the villa and grounds to the town, which is why they renamed the street leading to it Avenue Mrs. L. D. Beaumont in her honor. Of particular interest is the graceful villa, designed by the same architect, Charles Garnier, who designed the Paris Opéra and the Monte Carlo Casino (which also includes an opera house). Except for July and August, the villa and gardens are open to the public a couple of days per week. The villa is also used, as was Mrs. Beaumont's wish, for entertaining notable guests of the town. The name Eilenroc is the first name of the original owner's wife, Cornelie, backwards. Dick Kimball (talk) 16:36, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Economic History

The section on Economic History reads like it's been translated by Babelfish. I'd rewrite in English myself, but I can't make out what is actually being said. Anyone? Brickie 15:07, 31 October 2007 (UTC)

V. A. Malte-Brun in 1882, when the city had 6,752 inhabitants, that is to say 10% of its current population, found a mainly agricultural economy: gardens, vines, orchards, initially turned towards tobacco, but also olives, the mulberry tree (for silk), the orange tree and the flowers and plants grown for their perfume. He reported also commercial activities: in forestry, draperies, fish, wine, perfumery, olive oil, oranges, fishing, lemons, figs, nectarines and grain. He quoted some rarer industrial activities: oil mills, gasoline, distillation from flowers, pasta manufacture, potteries, salting, maritime equipment. Concerning the harbour, Malte-Brun said that the port received 50 to 60 ships annually, and that its coastal traffic was 150 to 200 ships of tonnage 7,000 to 8,500.

Offending passage moved here. A description of the economic activity in 1882 hardly seems notable. It is not present in the French version in any form. Pdch 21:53, 30 November 2007 (UTC)