FIG. 263. MENTONE (from the Harbour).
The old castle which formerly crowned the summit, has been entirely demolished, and its site is occupied as a cemetery, from which very fine views are obtained both of the coast line and of the mountains on the north. Numerous narrow valleys and gorges run up from the sea towards the mountains, forming beautiful and interesting promenades and excursions, but there is little to attract the student of architecture.
At Gorbio, beautifully situated about five miles from Mentone to the west, and some distance up a charming valley, there are an old church with a dark nave, and the remains of a castle of the Lascaris. The houses here are united by arches thrown across the narrow streets, an arrangement very common in this district, and supposed to be for the purpose of resisting to some extent the effect of earthquakes.
Ste Agnès, not far from Gorbio, is also a favourite excursion. It is a lofty and beautiful spot, with the remains of an old castle said to be of Saracenic origin.
The ascent to Castellar forms another delightful walk of about an hour and a-half, giving a fine idea of the richness of the valleys of Mentone in lemons, in the growth of which they excel every place north of Palermo. The town of Castellar is of some extent, and its situation on a “col” at the top of a steep ascent is fine, but there is no architecture of importance. It is clumsily built, and has been at one time surrounded with walls, which now form the exterior of houses. Some remains of ditches and towers—one of the latter being converted into the belfry of the church—also still exist.
About a mile eastwards from Mentone the Cornice Road crosses by the bold arch of the Pont St Louis the ravine which now forms the boundary between France and Italy. Since 1861 the limits of France have been extended considerably further eastwards than in ancient times, when La Turbie marked the boundary of Gaul. In the course of our journey we have observed that as we approach the frontier, the towns possess a good deal of the Italian character, and that both historically and architecturally they have much in common with Italy. The architectural styles of France and Italy were observed to overlap each other in the district we have just examined. But when we pass the modern boundary of France at the Pont St Louis, we may
FIG. 264. WEST PORTAL OF CATHEDRAL, VENTIMIGLIA.