Place Garibaldi
A baroque square to honour an Italian hero
The Italian patriot and leading figure of the Risorgimento, Giuseppi Garibaldi, is very much identified with Nice. Moreover, the Place Garibaldi just north of the Vieux Ville commemorates the great man himself.
Garibaldi the Nizzardo
Born in Nice in 1807, Garibaldi became identified with the Nizzardo Italians. The Nizzardo Italians opposed the ceding of the County of Nice to the French in 1860. Many of these so-called Nizzardos left Nice around this time and settled in Genoa and Turin.
Despite this Garibaldi greatly admired the French Republic. He even commanded the French Army of the Vosges in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War after helping to secure Italian Unification.