Monument aux morts de Rauba-Capèu

Monument aux morts de Rauba-Capèu stands at the foot of Castle Hill, facing the Mediterranean beside Nice’s seaside promenade. The rocky setting follows the former Ponchettes path between Cours Saleya and the port. Rising 32 metres, the memorial combines classical columns, three arches and a curved niche with the scale of the hill.

Roger Séassal designed the structure after François Goiran, Nice’s mayor, proposed a tribute to local residents killed during the First World War. Construction began in 1924 on a former stone quarry and ended in 1927. Inside the urn-shaped centre, 3,665 plaques bear their names, while Alfred Janniot’s reliefs present war and peace on the base. A 2018 discovery revealed a Niçois eagle-shaped reliquary containing 2,000 previously unarchived commemorative plaques.

The classified historical monument remains accessible to visitors with limited mobility. A 12-metre sundial engraved into the pavement gives the forecourt its most unexpected detail. From here, the sea, Castle Hill, the old town and the port connect remembrance with Nice’s wider landscape.