Bellanda Tower

The Bellanda Tower, which was then called the Tour de Mole, started to serve a defensive function in the 15th century. In 1537, it was the place of a demonstration of the priceless relic, the Shroud of Turin. In 1705, after Louis XIV had taken the city by storm, his troops destroyed local fortifications, leaving only the foundation of the tower. In 1824, the Clerissi family got permission to restore the tower and turn it into a hotel.

The further history of the tower is related to the name of the composer Louis-Hector Berlioz. In April 1831, he came to Nice, while rushing to Paris to kill his unfaithful fiancee. However, Nice and the Hotel Clerissi, where he stayed, made such a strong impression on Berlioz that he changed his mind about claiming the life of the bride and decided to stay here.

In a letter to friends, Berlioz enthusiastically described his room overlooking the sea and a small open space in front of the tower, where he lay, looked at the sea, and counted fishing boats.

During his 3-week stay in Nice, he created the overture to King Lear. After returning home, he thought of this time as the happiest in his life. Berlioz came back to Nice after 13 years. The composer walked along the coast, swam, and composed the famous overture named The Corsair.

In 1868, after a hard winter in St. Petersburg, he went to the French Riviera to recuperate. Who knew that this particular trip would become fatal for him.

While descending from a cliff in Monaco, Berlioz fell, uglified his face, and lost a lot of blood. He went to Nice for treatment. He checked into a hotel and went to his favorite terrace, where the tragedy happened again (it is assumed that the composer had a stroke). After 8 days of bed rest, he returned to Paris. However, he could not recover and died almost a year later.