The phrase “French Riviera” contains an obvious geographical reference. It relates to the Southeastern coast of France. On the West the Riviera begins at Cassis, a small town 20 km east of Marseille and continues to the French border with Italy to the East.
The word “Riviera” has a Latin origin and means a “bank” or a “shore”. Italians used it to describe the coastal area of Liguria in the northwest of the country. So, the word “Riviera” depicts “a region characterised by the rough contact of sea and mountain”.
Surprisingly, the invention of the name “French Riviera” belongs to the British aristocracy. Traditionally, every upper class Englishman had to take the Grand Tour to Italy in his formative years. Around 1760 the nobility updated the tradition with a new trend- the fashion to visit Nice and the French Riviera in winter.
The British fascination with the French Riviera began with a book. Scottish novelist Tobias Smollett wrote about the health benefits of the mild winter climate in the Nice area. His book “Travels Through France and Italy” was published in 1766 and became very popular among wealthy Britains.
Seizing the opportunity another Scotsman, Doctor John Brown, started prescribing a “climate-therapy” (change of climate to help cure diseases) to his rich and noble patients. Voila, the fashionable health resort and the name “French Riviera” for the region was born.
I personally prefer the French phrase “Cote d’Azur” (with accent on o) instead of ‘French Riviera”.
The literal translation means a “coast of deep blue” – the deep blue waters of Mediterranean sea and the vivid blue of the unclouded sky.
The name is poetic because it was given by the poet Stephen Liegard. He was a lawyer and a senior civil servant, a poet and a dandy and published a book about the region of Nice called “La Cote d’Azur”in 1887 .
He called the area “a country of blue sea, sky and flower”. The beautiful name stuck.
Whenever the Southeastern Mediterranean coast of France is mentioned, its name always holds a luxury connotation. European and Russian Royalties, wealthy people, famous artists and nowadays celebrities have been and continue to be regular visitors to the region. An integral part of the glamorous allure of the Code d’Azur is provided by the word’s most prestigious casinos.
The pioneers of the gambling industry on the French Riviera were a ruling Prince and a fraudulent entrepreneur.
Prince Charles III of the governing Grimaldi family of Monaco was facing a financial crisis in the middle of the 19th century. His solution to these money troubles came in the form of legalising gambling and establishing a casino and a company “La Societe de Bains de Mer” to manage it in December 1860.
He hired the famous architect Charles Garnier (Opera Garnier in Paris) to build the casino.
The gambling did not take off very well.
The Prince went into negotiations with a French entrepreneur called Francois Blanc.
Francois had a colourful entrepreneurial past including an arrest and trial for fraudulent business strategies in Bordeaux.
In the middle of 19th century Francois was managing a hugely successful Casino in Bad Homburg, Germany. The problem was that the German casino attracted clients mostly in the summer.
Francois immediately recognised the ability of the Riviera to attract wealthy clients in the winter and all year round.
The negotiations were long and painful. At the end the Prince conveyed shares of the “La Societe de Bains de Mer” to Francois Blanc. The company owned the rights to public service – supply of water and gas, the right to build hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues around the casino. Francois invested in developing the infrastructure (roads and railway) of the country ensuring easy access to Monaco.
The incredible successful rate of the casino led to a huge surge in the gambling industry on the Riviera. A series of exclusive, opulent casinos were build in Cannes, Nice, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Menton. They offer history, elegance and entertainment to their clients.
So, I can suggest another name for the French Riviera and Cote d’Azur. The name is “Heaven” – an escape to a cosmopolitan space of serene beauty , extravagance and unparalleled comfort.
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Много интересно съчетание от география, история, икономика. Има нещо особено в шотландците. Хората им дължим много. Истинско интелектуално удоволствие!