old nice

This guide to Old Nice's Cours Saleya traces the square back to 1458, when it was still a working harbor and the Duke of Savoy taxed every sack of salt landed on its sand, funding an army with the proceeds. It follows the money as the dukes reversed course in 1612, declaring Nice a free port and letting merchants keep the profits on olive oil, lemons, and anchovies. Look up at the carved stone facades around the square while you listen — that same money paid for them.