MENTON

Italian Mentone, town, Alpes-Maritimes dpartement, Provence-Alpes-Cte-d'Azur region, southeastern France. Situated near the Italian border 17 miles (28 km) northeast of Nice and 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Monte-Carlo by road, it is reputedly the warmest winter resort on the French Riviera's Cte d'Azur; it is also a popular summer resort. The town stands below a rocky amphitheatre, along a wide crescent-shaped bay that is divided by a spur and bounded to the southwest by Cape Martin. Along the shore lie the tourists' quarter with tropical gardens, luxurious hotels, wide promenades, and the municipal casino. An artificial sand beach lies between the old harbour and the newer yacht marina in Garavan Bay. The narrow, vaulted streets of the old 17th-century section of Menton are cramped together on a narrow promontory above Garavan Bay. The town, which belonged to the counts of Ventimiglia, a noble Genoese family, was purchased in the 14th century by the Grimaldis, lords of Monaco. In 1860, Menton was purchased by France. Pop. (1982) 22,234.