The Monument du Centenaire is the tall stone monument crowned by a bronze winged Victory at the edge of the Jardin Albert Ier in Nice, facing the Promenade des Anglais and the sea. It was raised in the 1890s to mark one hundred years since Nice was first joined to France in 1793, at a time when the city had been French again for barely a generation.
The Monument du Centenaire at a glance
- Where: on the seaward edge of the Jardin Albert Ier, beside the Promenade des Anglais, between the old town and Place Masséna.
- Created: for the centenary of 1793; inaugurated in 1896.
- What it is today: a public monument in the garden, seen by everyone walking along the seafront between Vieux Nice and the Promenade.
- Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes, or longer as part of a stroll through the Jardin Albert Ier.
Between Savoy and France
For almost five centuries, from 1388, Nice belonged to the House of Savoy. In 1792 French revolutionary troops occupied the county, and in 1793 it was annexed to France and became the department of the Alpes-Maritimes. After Napoleon's fall, the 1814 settlement returned Nice to the King of Sardinia, of the House of Savoy. It changed hands for good in 1860: by the Treaty of Turin, Piedmont-Sardinia ceded Nice and Savoy to Napoleon III's France in return for French help in the wars of Italian unification, and a plebiscite confirmed the move.
The monument looks back to that first union of 1793, and its inscriptions recall both dates, 1793 and 1860. It was put up in a city where a large Italian-speaking population still lived and where not everyone had welcomed French rule, so it also carried a clear message: Nice now belonged to the French Republic. The bronze Victory on top adds another layer, recalling Nikaia, the Greek name of the city, which tradition links to nike, victory.
What to look for
- The two women at the foot of the monument: Nice, shown as a young woman, giving herself to France.
- The figure of France, wearing a helmet rather than the revolutionary Phrygian cap, a calm and orderly image of the Republic.
- The bronze winged Victory on the top, a nod to the city's Greek name.
- The dates 1793 and 1860 in the inscriptions, the two moments Nice became French.
Nikaia, the city of victory
Nice was founded by Greek settlers from Massalia, today's Marseille, and its ancient name, Nikaia, is traditionally explained as a reference to a victory, with nike being the Greek word for it. Whether or not the story is exact, the city has embraced it: the winged Victory on this monument is one of several in Nice, and the theme of victory appears often in its civic imagery.
Tips for your visit
- Look at the monument from the garden side first, then walk round to the Promenade side to see it with the sea behind.
- Come in the late afternoon, when the sun is low over the Baie des Anges.
- Combine it with a walk through the Jardin Albert Ier and along the Promenade des Anglais.
- Cross the garden to Place Masséna and the Promenade du Paillon, just inland.
Nearby
- Jardin Albert Ier: one of Nice's oldest public gardens, with palms and fountains, right around the monument.
- Promenade des Anglais: the famous seafront promenade along the Baie des Anges.
- Place Masséna: the red-ochre square with the Fontaine du Soleil, a few minutes' walk.
- Vieux Nice and Cours Saleya: the old town and its flower market, about five minutes east.
See Nice with World City Trail
Our Nice scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. It takes around two hours, with about 35 minutes of walking, and you can start whenever you like.
If you prefer a different format, Nice also has a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game.
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Facts checked in October 2026.