The Place Masséna is a historic square in Nice , Alpes-Maritimes , France . It was named for André Masséna . Its layout was designed by Joseph Vernier in 1843-1844.
6-670: The Place Masséna is the main square of the city. Before the Paillon River was covered over, the Pont-Neuf was the only practicable way between the old town and the modern one. The square was thus divided into two parts (North and South) in 1824. With the demolition of the Masséna Casino in 1979, the Place Masséna became more spacious and less dense and is now bordered by red ochre buildings of Italian architecture . The recent rebuilding of
12-618: The Alpes-Maritimes that flows into the Mediterranean Sea in Nice , near the old district. It is 35.8 km (22.2 mi) long. Its drainage basin is 258 km (100 sq mi). Its source is north of Lucéram . It flows generally south, through L'Escarène , Peillon , Drap (where it meets its main tributary Paillon de Contes ), La Trinité , and finally Nice. Being a typical Mediterranean river with low water level throughout
18-629: The military procession of 14 July ( Bastille Day ) or other traditional celebrations and banquets. The Place Masséna is a two-minute walk from the Promenade des Anglais , old town, town centre, and Albert I Garden ( Jardin Albert Ier ). It is also a large crossroads between several of the main streets of the city: avenue Jean Médecin , avenue Félix Faure , boulevard Jean Jaurès , avenue de Verdun and rue Gioffredo . The Seven statues of 7 kneeling man on high poles are meant to represent
24-454: The 7 continents. In 2007, Catalan artist Jaume Plensa created the contemporary art installation, comprising the seven statues along the tram lines, representing the seven continents known as conversation in Nice. 43°41′50″N 7°16′12″E / 43.6973°N 7.2701°E / 43.6973; 7.2701 Paillon The Paillon ( Nissard Occitan : Palhon ) is a coastal river of
30-553: The tramline gave the square back to the pedestrians, restoring its status as a real Mediterranean square. It is lined with palm trees and stone pines, instead of being the rectangular roundabout of sorts it had become over the years. Since its construction, the Place Masséna has always been the spot for great public events. It is used for concerts, and particularly during the summer festivals, the Corso carnavalesque (carnival parade) in February,
36-451: The year but with the autumn and winter rains can turn violent with damaging floods. The region of the Paillon and the Paillon de Contes is called the pays des Paillons . The river course was covered and converted into a subterranean stream for its last few kilometers in the city of Nice starting at Rue Georges Chapel to its mouth at Plage de Carras. Two major buildings built over the stream are
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