Whenever I'm in Nice, I love to spend a morning climbing the 92 metre high hilltop that leads to the lovely landscaped park of the Colline du Chateau. It's not the Chateau that brings tourists up the mountain, rather it's the spectacular, panoramic views of the ochre roof-tops of Nice, the endless sweep of the Promenade des Anglais and sparkling, azure waters of the Mediterranean. A remnant stone wall is all that's left of the antique Chateau now.
Nearby on on one of the many paths are a dramatic, man-made waterfall and two of the most beautiful cemeteries I've ever seen. The Cimitière du Chateau, a Jewish cemetery, is regarded as one of the most beautiful resting grounds in the world.
Next to the Jewish Cemetery is another memorial park - burial home to other faiths as well. I love the extraordinary, vibrant colours of this bell tower. Since Nice is so close to Italy - I think there is Italian influence in the artisan's work.
When I walked through the gates of the next cemetery, I was awed by these beautiful angels rising up into the ether.
The Tombeau de Famille Francois Grasso - Monsieur Grasso was a prominent civic leader in Nice and has a boulevard named in honour of him. The tomb shows the likeness of his two small children who died at a very young age. I found this tomb to be most touching - the angel touching a finger to his lips, as if to say quiet. Circa 1894
The artist painters, Raoul Duffy and Henri Matisse ended their days in Nice and are buried here. Another notable, sleeping resident is Roger Martin du Gard - winner of the 1937 Nobel Prize for Literature. I'm sure there are many other famous persons who lay sleeping in this memorial grounds - I welcome any comments from readers, if you might know of any other prominent souls.
Whilst doing some research about these burial grounds, I came me across three wonderful blogs which are authored by Jilly Bennet. She's an incredible woman !
Thank you for reading Prairie !