Menton town

A preserved town, located on the borders of Italy, the Principality of Monaco and the County of Nice, Menton benefits from a subtropical microclimate that makes one almost unaware of winter. At the mouth of the Roya Valley, combining sea and mountains, rich in its unique history and baroque architecture, Menton is famous for its “lemon festival” and its particular variety of this citrus fruit: the “Menton lemon”. Although Menton is a small town it has a casino, several “grand hotels”, a charming seafront and a museum dedicated to Jean Cocteau.

Link with Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson stayed several times in Menton, which very early on acquired a reputation, thanks to a British Doctor Bennet, for benefitting from a microclimate favourable to the healing of lung diseases. Doctor Bennet was able to heal himself thanks to the “good air” of Menton and attracted and treated many people from Britain and elsewhere in Europe, contributing to the tourist boom of the Côte d’Azur. Stevenson, as a child, accompanied his parents there, then returned as an adult. He wrote numerous letters and poems there and perfected his learning of the French language in Menton and confirmed his vocation as a writer.

Find out more about R.L. Stevenson and Menton with this free smartphone Audio Guide.

Objectives

• Promote Robert Louis Stevenson, particularly his connection to Menton.
• Organize events (exhibitions, readings, conferences, etc.) related to Stevenson the travel writer.
• Encourage the local population to discover this literary and historical heritage.
• Build links with other towns and regions associated with the life and works of R.L. Stevenson within the European network: “In the Footsteps of R.L. Stevenson”.