The South of France-East Half Part 30

Carriage there and back, 35 frs. Cab with one horse and two seats, 18 frs.; with two horses and four seats, 22 frs. After pa.s.sing the Bocca and St. Ca.s.sien, the carriage crosses the Siagne, having on the right or north Mandelieu nestling in the sun, at the foot Mt. le Duc, 1265 ft., a little to the east of the flat peak La Gaete, 1663 ft.

Afterwards the Riou is crossed at the village of Le Tremblant, 167 ft.

above the sea, whence the ascent is continued by an excellent road amidst picturesque scenery to the Inn and Gendarmerie of Esterel. The inn is situated to the N. of Mt. Vinaigre, having to the east the Plan Pinet, 876 ft. above the inn, and to the west Mt. Vinaigre, 1193 ft.

above the inn. The path to the summit of Mt. Vinaigre commences near the inn. The culminating part, 1030 ft., of the carriage-road is about 1 m. west from the inn at a place where four roads meet, almost immediately below Mt. Vinaigre, which is ascended from this point also.

7 m. N. from Cannes by the Plaine de Laval and the wide valley of the Siagne, pa.s.sing the Hotel Garibondy, is the village of +Pegomas+, pop.

1350, on the Mourachone, a slow-running stream, in some parts hidden among bamboos. Beyond the mill of the village is a pretty but difficult walk up the ravine of the stream. Omnibus, 75 c. Cab, 12 or 16 frs.; 1 hour's rest.

About 3 m. N.W. is +Auribeau+, pop. 480, prettily situated on the Siagne. Cab, 18 or 22 frs., with 2 hours' rest.

[Headnote: MOUGINS. CASTELARAS.]

4 m. N. from Cannes, on a hill 820 ft. above the sea, is +Mougins+, pop. 1680. The road ascends all the way, pa.s.sing by the cemetery and traversing vineyards and large olive groves. The omnibus goes no farther than Les Baraques, about m. below the town. Fare, 75 c. Cab there and back, one horse, 12 frs.; two horses, 16 frs.; 1 hour's rest. Mougins still retains a few low portions of its walls and one gate, just behind the church. In the shop near the gate is the key of the church tower. The church dates from the 12th cent. From the tower, ascended by 75 steps, is a beautiful view. To the west is La Roquette, N.W. Mouans-Sartoux, and beyond Gra.s.se. To the S.W. near the sea, and on the border of the Esterels, is the village of Mandelieu.

4 m. N. from Mougins, by the stony old road, or a little farther by the new road, is +Castelaras+, 1050 ft. above the sea. It is half a villa and half a farmhouse, commanding from the tower a splendid view of Gra.s.se, Le Bar, the valley of the Loup, Tourettes, Vence, etc., to the north; Biot, Antibes, Nice, etc., to the east; Mouans, Auribeau, and the Esterel mountains to the west; and Cannes with its islands to the south. The easiest way to approach Castelaras on foot is to take the train to Mouans-Sartoux, pop. 1010, then ascend the hill by the steep road to the east of the station. When on the top the farmhouse and tower are distinctly seen. Carriage there and back, 35 frs. The column farther north marks the tomb of a gentleman who died at Gra.s.se in 1883.

_Sail by steamboat_ to the Iles de Lerins. Time, 1 hr. The steamer makes two trips, so that pa.s.sengers may land by the first at Ste.

Marguerite, and by the second be carried on to St. Honorat, where the steamer remains sufficient time to visit the castle.

ILES DE LERINS.

The Island of Ste. Marguerite, 4 m. in circ.u.mference and 1 m. from the mainland, is covered entirely with a pine forest, except at Point Croisette, on which stands the fort founded by Richelieu, containing the apartments in which Marshal Bazaine was confined and the far more interesting vaulted cell in which the Man of the Iron Mask was closely guarded. The present entrance did not exist at that time, the only communication then being by the now walled-up door which led into the house of the governor, M. de St. Mars. From behind the prison a road, bordered by the _Eucalyptus globulus_, goes right through the pine plantation to the other side of the island.

[Headnote: THE MAN OF THE IRON MASK.]

The name of the Man of the Iron Mask was Hercules Anthony Matthioli, a Bolognese of ancient family, born on the 1st December 1640. On the 13th of January 1661 he married Camilla, daughter of Bernard Paleotti, by whom he had two sons, one of whom only had posterity, which has long since been extinct. Early in life Matthioli was public reader in the University of Bologna, which he soon quitted to enter the service of Charles III., Duke of Mantua, by whom he was finally made Secretary of State. The successor of Charles III., Ferdinand Charles IV., the last sovereign of Mantua, of the house of Gonzaga, created Matthioli supernumerary senator of Mantua, and gave him the t.i.tle of Count.

Towards the end of 1677 the Abbe d'Estrades, amba.s.sador from France to the Republic of Venice, conceived the idea, which he was well aware would be highly acceptable to the insatiable ambition of his master, Louis XIV., of inducing the weak and unfortunate Duke Ferdinand Charles to allow of the introduction of a French garrison into Casale, a strongly-fortified town, in a great measure the key of Italy. The cession of the fortress of Pinerolo to the French by Victor Amadeus, Duke of Savoy, in 1632, had opened to them the entrance into Piedmont, while the possession of Casale would have opened to them the broad and fertile plains of Milan.

The great difficulty Estrades had to encounter at first in the prosecution of this intrigue was to find a medium of communication between himself and the Duke. This channel was at last found in the person of Matthioli, who enjoyed the Duke's confidence and favour, and was besides a complete master of Italian politics. Through him the schemes of Estrades progressed so well that he was invited to the French court, where he was received and rewarded by Louis XIV., who at the same time presented him with a valuable diamond ring. Shortly after Matthioli's return to Italy he allowed himself to be bought over by the Austrian party, which frustrated the French negotiations and so exasperated the vindictive Louis that he sent orders to the Abbe Estrades to have him kidnapped at all hazards.

For this purpose Matthioli was induced to go to the frontier beyond Turin, where he was arrested as a traitor to France by the Abbe, accompanied by four soldiers, on 2d May 1679. Such a scandalous breach of international law required the adoption of extraordinary precautionary means of concealment. His name was changed to Lestang, he was compelled to wear a black velvet mask, and when he travelled armed attendants on horseback were ready to despatch him if he made any attempt to escape, or even to reveal himself.

By the direction of Estrades he was comfortably lodged and fed in prison, till orders came from Paris, stating-- "It is not the intention of the king that the Sieur de Lestang should be well treated, nor receive anything beyond the absolute necessaries of life, nor anything to make his time pa.s.s agreeably." He was handed over to the charge of St. Mars, who took him to the castle of Pinerolo, whence in 1681 they removed to the castle of Exiles. From Exiles St. Mars removed his unfortunate and now crazy prisoner to the Island of Ste.

Marguerite, where they arrived 30th April 1687, after a journey of twelve days.

Among the erroneous anecdotes told of Matthioli during his ten years'

sojourn on the island are:--On one occasion he is alleged to have written his name and rank on a silver plate, which he threw out of the window. A fisherman picked it up and brought it to St. Mars, who, on finding the man could not read, let him go. On another occasion Matthioli is said to have covered one of his s.h.i.+rts with writing, which he likewise threw out of the window. It was found by a monk, who, when he delivered it to St. Mars, a.s.sured him that he had not read it. Two days afterwards the monk was found dead. The origin of these stories is to be found in a letter from St. Mars to the Minister, dated 4th June 1692, in which he informs him that he has been obliged to inflict corporeal punishment upon a Protestant clergyman named Salves, also in his keeping, because he would write things on his pewter vessels and linen, to make known that he was imprisoned unjustly on account of the purity of his faith.

In 1697 Matthioli with his keeper left for the Bastile, of which place St. Mars had been appointed governor. They arrived on 18th September 1698.

On the 19th November 1703, about 10 P.M., Matthioli died in the Bastile, after a few hours' illness, and was buried next day at 4 P.M.

in the cemetery of St. Paul.--Extracted from the _History of the Bastile_, by R. A. Davenport.

[Headnote: THE ISLAND OF ST. HONORAT. ABBEY. Ma.s.sACRE.]

The Island of St. Honorat contains 97 acres, or is the size of Ste.

Marguerite, from which it is 750 yards distant. A pleasant road of 2 m., shaded by umbrella pines, leads round the island. Straight from the landing-place is a convent of Cistercian monks, settled here only since 1859. The original monastery was founded by St. Honorat in 410.

In 730 and 891 the Saracens invaded the island, pillaged the establishment, and ma.s.sacred the monks. In the 10th century the again flouris.h.i.+ng brotherhood received Cannes as a gift from Guillaume Gruetta, son of Redouard, Count of Antibes. In 1073 they built the tower on the island, and in 1080 the Abbe Adalbert II. commenced the castle of Cannes. In 1148 the monks strengthened and enlarged the fortifications of their tower. In 1788 the monastery was suppressed on account of the irregularities of the inmates. In 1791 the island and buildings were sold. In 1859 they were finally bought by the Bishop of Frejus, who handed them over to the present occupiers, a colony of Cistercian monks, 50 in number, of whom about two-thirds are lay brethren.

"What Iona was to the ecclesiastical history of northern England, what Fulda and Monte Ca.s.sino were to the ecclesiastical history of Germany and southern Italy, +St. Honorat+ was to the church of southern Gaul.

For nearly two centuries the civilisation of the great district between the Loire and the Mediterranean rested mainly on the Abbey of Lerins. Sheltered by its insular position from the ravages of the barbaric hordes who poured down the valleys of the Rhone and of the Garonne, it exercised over Provence and Aquitaine a supremacy such as Iona, till the Synod of Whitby, exercised over Northumbria. All the more ill.u.s.trious sees of southern Gaul were filled by prelates who had been reared at Lerins. To Arles (p. 70) it gave in succession Hilary, Caesarius, and Virgilius.

"The present cloister of the abbey is much later than the date of the ma.s.sacre of the monks, which took place, according to tradition, on the little piece of green sward in the centre of the cloister.

"With the exception of the masonry of the side walls, there is nothing in the abbey church earlier than the close of the 11th cent." --J. R.

Green's _Stray Studies_.

[Headnote: CASTLE.]

The tower or rather castle, as it now stands, represents two tall rectangular elevations of unequal magnitude, crowned by projecting cornices. On the ground-floor, with entrance from the beach, is a large hall with groined roof, said by some to have been a chapel, and by others a bakery, but most likely a "parloir" or reception-room. In the wall, a little to the left or west, and about 30 ft. from the ground, is a cannon-ball fired by the English when they took possession of the islands in 1746. The interior of the castle is shown by the concierge of the convent. The first part entered is the oblong cloister, in three stories, of which two remain entire. The corridor of the first is supported on short columns standing round the edge of a cistern. From this corridor open the doors into the bedrooms and refectory. From the upper corridor is the entrance to the chapel, which opened into the library. Above the library was the infirmary, of which not a vestige remains. A good view is had from the top. Visitors are next taken to the convent. The church and buildings are modern, excepting one of the cloisters. It is therefore a pity to spend much time there, especially for those who have arrived by the last steamer, and have consequently little time to spare.

[Headnote: CHAPEL OF THE TRINITY.]

By the road round the island are the remains of chapels of the 7th cent., or even earlier. Going from west to east there is, against the wall of the convent, a little to the west of the castle, the Chapel of St. Porcaire (restored), where, it is said, the saint was buried. At the western extremity of the island, within an old fort, is the Chapel of St. Sauveur. To the west of the landing-place, near the large gateway, are little better than the foundations of the Chapel of St.

Pierre. Farther east, beside the Orphanage, is St. Justine, now a stable. The Orphanage contains about 25 boys. They are taught different trades. The franc charged for showing the castle goes to their support. On the eastern point of the island, beside a fort, is the most interesting chapel of all, the Chapel of the *+Trinity+, 35 ft. long by about 25 wide, placed from east to west. The great corner-stones of this small temple, by their size and solidity, are the main supports of the building, ill.u.s.trating thereby the reason why in Scripture so much importance and honour are attached to them in edifices. The roof of the nave is semicircular, strengthened by three arches, the centre one springing from two round columns. The roofs of the three apsidal chapels are semispherical.

[Headnote: PLAIN OF NAPOLEON.]

+Cannes to Gra.s.se+, 12 m. N. by rail, pop. 12,100. _Hotels:_ the G.

H. International, 9 to 12 frs., a first-cla.s.s house on the road to Le Bar. In the town, H. Muraour and the Poste, 8 to 10 frs. Their omnibuses await pa.s.sengers. Those who wish to walk commence by the stair to the right of the station, and then the steep road on the other side of the highway. Gra.s.se, a town of charming views, delicious water, and the best of air, makes an excellent and beneficial change from Cannes. The town, with its terraces and labyrinth of narrow, crooked, steep streets, is situated 1090 ft. above the sea, on the southern slope of Mt. Rocavignon, which rises almost perpendicularly 695 ft. above the town. To the N.E. of Rocavignon is the Marbriere, 2920 ft. above the sea. The short but stony road to the top of Rocavignon commences opposite the fountain used by the washerwomen. On the summit is a stony plateau, commanding extensive and exquisite views. A little way inland is a gra.s.sy plot, called the Plain of Napoleon, because here, on 2d March 1815, he breakfasted at the foot of the three tall cypresses, and then went on to St. Vallier. In the face of the large calcareous cliff a few yards beyond the trees is a cavern or "foux," whence, after heavy rains, a large body of water issues in the form of a roaring cascade. The path which leads down into the beautiful valley below commences about 500 yards farther inland. It joins that very pretty road among olive trees, seen from the plateau, which, after pa.s.sing the large white house, a hospice for the aged, enters Gra.s.se by the powder-house, formerly the chapel of St. Sauveur, a little circular building with flat shallow b.u.t.tresses, built in the early part of the 10th cent. On entering Gra.s.se by this way, and just at the commencement of the promenade called the Cours, is the hospital. The large door gives access to the chapel, in which are hung, at the west end, three pictures attributed to Rubens--the Crown of Thorns, the Elevation of the Cross, and the Crucifixion. The concierge uncovers them. [Headnote: JEAN FRAGONARD.] Immediately below, and opposite the entrance into the public gardens, is the house of M. Malvillan, containing paintings by a native of Gra.s.se, Jean Horace Fragonard, who died at Paris in 1806. The best of them are five pictures, which were painted for Madame Dubarry, representing frolicsome scenes, young people playing games. At the foot of the Rue des Dominicains, in a large house with bulging iron grating, are some decorative paintings attributed to Flemish artists. These pictures are shown by courtesy. In the centre of the old town is the parish church, built in the 11th cent., but altered and repaired in the 17th. It contains several pictures, but the only good one is an Ascension of Mary, by Subleyras, behind the high altar. From the terrace at the east end of the church is one of the many beautiful views. Adjoining is the Hotel de Ville, and attached to it is a great square tower of the 11th cent.

A stair at the head of the main street leads down to the princ.i.p.al square and market-place, with a fountain at one end and one of the sides arcaded. The best promenades are the Cours, the terrace of the Palais de Justice above it, and the Jardin des Plantes below it.

PERFUMERY.

The standard industries of Gra.s.se are the distilling of perfumes and the preserving of fruits. The flowers are cultivated on terraces resembling great nursery-beds. Of the perfumes, the most precious are the Otto of Roses and the Neroly. It requires 45 lbs. avoirdupois of rose leaves (petals) to make 1 gramme, or 15 grains troy of the Otto of Roses, which costs from 2 to 3 frs. the gramme; and 2 lbs. troy of the petals of orange flowers to make 1 gramme of Neroly, which costs 8 to 10 sous the gramme. The best Neroly, the Neroly Bigarrade, is made from the flowers of the bitter orange tree. It is used princ.i.p.ally in the manufacture of Eau de Cologne, of which it const.i.tutes the base. In colour it resembles sherry, and the odour is that of Eau de Cologne. The water that comes off in distilling Neroly forms the orange-water of the cafes. The Otto of Roses of Gra.s.se is superior to that of Turkey. Extracts for scenting pocket-handkerchiefs are made from freshly-gathered flowers laid between two sheets of gla.s.s, held by their frames 4 inches apart, and piled one above the other, without pressing the flowers. On each side of the gla.s.s is a layer of lard ? of an inch thick, which, in 12 to 24 hours, absorbs completely the odoriferous oil. When the flowers are abundant they are renewed every 12 hours, sometimes even every 6. The operation is repeated several times on the same lard with fresh flowers. Jonquilles are changed 30 times, the ca.s.sia and violet 60, the tuberose (a kind of hyacinth) and the jasmine, both 80 times. The lard is then melted in a large iron vessel, and mixed with spirits made from grain, which, combining with the volatile oil, rises to the top. The fluid is then filtered. This is called the cold method. Orange and rose petals require the hot methods, either by the still or by the "bain-marie."

The distilling of the fragrant oil from the petals requires the most vigilant attention, and the maintenance of the same degree of heat.

Rose and orange pomade are made by the bain-marie method by submerging a large iron pot full of lard in boiling water. When the lard is melted the petals are added, and after having remained there for 12 or 24 hours the ma.s.s is filtered to remove the now inodorous petals. The operation is repeated from 30 to 60 times, according to the required strength of the perfume. The red Turkey rose is the only rose used.

At the very foot of the Rue des Cordeliers is the confectionery of *Negre. He has showrooms and priced catalogues of his preserved fruits, which are made up in the candied (cristallise) state, in the glazed-sugar (glace) state, whole and in syrup (compotes), or as jams and jellies (confitures). At No. 22 Rue des Cordeliers is the perfumery of Bruno-Court, where purchases of the best material may be made from a franc upwards. Below the church is the perfumery of Warwick and Co., and in the B. Fragonard that of Pilar Freres, both of whom supply Atkinson of London with the raw material.

[Headnote: ST. CESAIRE. CANNES Ca.n.a.l. CALLIAN.]

_Gra.s.se to St. Cesaire._--9 m. W. by a beautiful road. Carriage there and back, 20 frs. Diligence, 1 fr. Time, 2 hours. This little village, pop. 350, is situated on an eminence above the Siagne, 1560 feet above the sea, or 470 feet higher than Gra.s.se. In front of a large elm in the "Place" is a plain but clean inn, the Hotel de la Siagne (pension from 6 to 8 frs.), where those who desire to fish in the river or ramble in the environs can live comfortably. From the end of the street, right from the inn, is a terrace, left hand, whence there is a view of the valley of the Siagne, with the Cannes ca.n.a.l on its eastern side. The path to the cave "Grotto de la Foux" goes by the upper side of this ca.n.a.l, and requires 1 hour's easy walking. The commencement of the Cannes Ca.n.a.l is about a half-hour's walk farther up. No guide is necessary, unless it be desired to inspect the cave with lights. Guide, 5 frs. Like the more famous caves of Cahors and of Vaucluse (p. 64), this cavern or "foux," at the base of a calcareous cliff, contains a great basin of limpid water, but no stalact.i.tes. The Cannes Ca.n.a.l is a narrow uncovered conduit 31 m. long, exposed to animal and vegetable impurities throughout nearly its entire course.

Of greater interest is the commencement of the Roman aqueduct, which conveyed water from the Siagnole to Frejus (p. 146, and map, p. 117) by a channel covered with bricks, and stones of the size of bricks, through the Roquotaillado tunnel, 164 ft. long, 27 wide, and 82 high, in all probability originally a cave, but adapted by the Roman engineers to their requirements. It is most easily visited from Montauroux, on the hill opposite, 3 m. distant by a bridle-path, _Inn:_ Bourgarenne, where pa.s.s the night. From this village the tunnel is about 9 m. distant by an excellent carriage-road. 1 m. from Montauroux is the village Callian, _Inn:_ Castel, 1200 ft., supplied with water by the Roman aqueduct.

[Map: The Durance, the Var, the Col di Tenda, San Remo]

Nearly 2 hours' walk from the Cannes Ca.n.a.l up the Siagne, and situated at a considerable elevation, is the stalact.i.te cave of +Mons+. Those who have already seen such caves will find in this one nothing new nor striking. To visit it not only is a guide necessary, but the keeper of the cave at Mons must be advised beforehand, that he may be at the mouth of the cave with the key. It is much the better plan to return from the commencement of the Cannes Ca.n.a.l to St. Cesaire, and drive back to Gra.s.se. The olives of St. Cesaire are considered among the best flavoured of the Riviera.

+Gra.s.se by Coach to Cagnes Station.+

+Gra.s.se+ to the railway station of +Cagnes+ by the +Pont du Loup+ and +Vence+, 21 m. By omnibus, 3 frs. By private carriage, 30 frs. This drive is generally taken in two parts--Gra.s.se to the Pont du Loup; then from the Pont du Loup to Vence or Cagnes.

[Headnote: PONT DU LOUP. TOURETTE.]

_Gra.s.se to the Pont du Loup by Le Bar_, 7 m. N.E. Carriage with two horses there and back, 15 frs. Omnibus to Le Bar 3 times daily, 1 fr.

Distance, 5 m. N.E.; whence it is a pleasant walk of 2 m. up the valley of the Loup to the inn and Pont du Loup, at the mouth of the Gorge du Loup. From the Pont 2 hours of fatiguing walking up the ravine of the Loup brings the traveller to the falls of the Loup, which requires a good deal of rain to make them imposing. The whole way from Gra.s.se to Vence is by a beautiful Corniche road, nearly on the same level (1090 ft.) throughout its entire course, disclosing at every turn exquisite views towards the sea. The Pont du Loup, with its little cl.u.s.ter of houses and orange-gardens, is at the top of a long narrow valley, just at the point where the Loup rushes forth from a rocky gorge. On the top of a plateau, about 500 ft. over the Pont du Loup, is the village of Gourdon. From the terrace adjoining the church of Le Bar there is an excellent view of Gourdon, the valley of the Loup, and of the carriage-road on both sides of it. Those who visit the Pont du Loup generally content themselves with a ramble in the gorge, and then, after having taken some refreshments, either return to Gra.s.se or go on to the railway station of Vence-Cagnes (see p. 169), 13 m. farther, or 21 m. from Gra.s.se. The drive from Gra.s.se to Vence-Cagnes station in a private carriage costs 30 frs. The very same road is traversed by the omnibus from Gra.s.se to Vence, 15 m.