The Citadel of Villefranche-sur-Mer, classified Historic Building is a fortress with strongholds which has been built from 1554 for the account of the “duc de Savoie Emmanuel-Philibert”.

Raised to fill the role of sentinel of the split, this fortress suffered a lot of seat more or less glorious at the service of the « Maison de Savoie ».

After the reattachment of the « Comté de Nice » in France in 1860, the « Citadel » keeps its military vocation until 1965, date to which it is attached at the “Commune de Villefranche”.

From 1965 to 1977, the neglected buildings are pillaged; the successive cities consider several projects of properties (hotel, holidays centre), which will come to nothing.

In1977, the solution of the restoration wins it and she is irreversible.

The fortress will come back, opened partially for visits from 1981. And year after year, little by little of the restorations, new spaces are available (museum rooms, congress rooms, theatre of greenery…)

The first jewel of collections of the Citadel is the monument itself, which offers an exceptional historic case with muséographic spaces in the entire monument.