Of These, Nice, Or Nicaea, Was One Of The Most
Remarkable; So Called, In All Probability, From The Greek Word
Nike, Signifying Victoria, In Consequence Of Some Important
Victory Obtained Over The Salii And Ligures, Who Were The Antient
Inhabitants Of This Country.
Nice, with its mother city, being in
the sequel subdued by the Romans, fell afterwards successively
under the dominion of the Goths, Burgundians, and Franks, the
kings of Arles, and the kings of Naples, as counts of Provence.
In the year one thousand three hundred and eighty-eight, the city
and county of Nice being but ill protected by the family of
Durazzo, voluntarily surrendered themselves to Amadaeus, surnamed
the Red, duke of Savoy; and since that period, they have
continued as part of that potentate's dominions, except at such
times as they have been over-run and possessed by the power of
France, which hath always been a troublesome neighbour to this
country. The castle was begun by the Arragonian counts of
Provence, and afterwards enlarged by several successive dukes of
Savoy, so as to be deemed impregnable, until the modern method of
besieging began to take place. A fruitless attempt was made upon
it in the year one thousand five hundred and forty-three, by the
French and Turks in conjunction: but it was reduced several times
after that period, and is now in ruins. The celebrated engineer
Vauban, being commanded by Louis XIV to give in a plan for
fortifying Nice, proposed, that the river Paglion should be
turned into a new channel, so as to surround the town to the
north, and fall into the harbour; that where the Paglion now runs
to the westward of the city walls, there should be a deep ditch
to be filled with sea-water; and that a fortress should be built
to the westward of this fosse.
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