Rue Mattoni Històrique - Menton

This narrow, steep street used to connect the Grimaldi Palace (Honoré II) directly to the Saint-Michel Basilica , before the famous steps ("rampes") were built.

"Mattoni" means bricks in Italian, referring to the original 18th-century solid brick paving. Local legends say that the painfully bumpy brick pavement was repaired because Prince Antoine (known as "Barba Antoni") complained about his rheumatic condition during his daily procession to church.

Under the Old Order, the town hall was located here; between 1793 and 1801, the street was known as Rue des Patriotes . Rue Mattoni is connected to other saw-toothed alleys such as Acquasoma , Lampedosa , and Capodanna , possibly part of a medieval defense system against pirates. The maze of narrow passages and arches made it difficult for invaders to advance—Menton's way of creating a palisade.

In a small square nearby were the “fours banaux” (municipal ovens) – their high running costs contributed to the Menton revolt of 1848. Older buildings still show dark traces of historical fires – striking since Menton is built mainly of stone.

Willem Vandenameele