View source for Menton

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{distinguish|Mentone (disambiguation){{!}}Mentone|Menston}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name                   = Menton
|commune status         = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image                  = Menton february 13.jpg
|caption                = The harbour of Menton, with the basilica of Saint-Michel-Archange beyond, viewed from the Quai Napoléon III
|image coat of arms     = Blason ville fr Menton (Alpes-Maritimes).svg
|arrondissement         = Nice
|canton                 = Menton
|INSEE                  = 06083
|postal code            = 06500
|mayor                  = Yves Juhel<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=6 June 2023|language=fr}}</ref>
|term                   = 2022&ndash;2026
|party                  = [[Miscellaneous right|DVD]]
|intercommunality       = [[Communauté d'agglomération de la Riviera Française|CA Riviera Française]]
|coordinates            = {{coord|43.775000|07.50|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m            = 16
|elevation min m        = 0
|elevation max m        = 774
|area km2               = 14.05
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''Menton''' ({{IPA|fr|mɑ̃tɔ̃|lang}}; {{langx|oc|Menton}} in classical norm or {{lang|oc|Mentan}} in [[Mistralian norm]], {{IPA|oc|menˈta|pron}}, {{IPA|oc|mɛ(n)ˈtã|local|generic=y}}; {{langx|it|Mentone}} {{IPA|it|menˈtoːne|}}; {{langx|lij|Menton}} or {{lang|lij|Mentun}} depending on the orthography) is a [[resort town]] and [[Commune in France|commune]] in the [[Alpes-Maritimes]] department in the [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]] region on the [[French Riviera]], close to the Italian border. 

Menton has always been a frontier town. Since the end of the 14th century, it has been on the border between the [[County of Nice]], held by the [[Duchy of Savoy|Duke of Savoy]], and the [[Republic of Genoa]]. It was an [[exclave]] of the [[Principality of Monaco]] until the disputed French plebiscite of 1860 when it was added to France. It had been always a fashionable tourist centre with grand mansions and gardens. Its temperate Mediterranean climate is especially favourable to the citrus industry, with which it is strongly identified.

==Etymology==
Although the name's spelling and pronunciation in [[French language|French]] are identical to those for the word that means "chin", there does not seem to be any link with this French word. According to the French geographer [[Toponymie générale de la France|Ernest Nègre]], the name ''Menton'' comes from the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] name ''Mento''.<ref>Ernest Nègre, ''[[Toponymie générale de la France|General Toponym of France]] : Etymology of 35,000 place names'', Geneva : Librairie Droz, 1990. Volume&nbsp;I: Pre-Celtic, Celtic, and Roman names, § 11 118, p 664 (in French).</ref> However, it is possible that the name of the city comes from ''Mons Ottonis'' (reconstituted) from the name of Otton&nbsp;II, the count of [[Ventimiglia, Italy|Ventimiglia]] from 1162-1200.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mentonnais.org/html/extranet/histoire.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912102545/http://www.mentonnais.org/html/extranet/histoire.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=12 September 2007|title=Fondation de Menton}}</ref> In [[Mentonasc]], the city's name is ''Mentan'', and in Italian ''Mentone''.

An inhabitant of Menton, ''un mentonnais'' or ''un mentonasque'' in French, would be ''o mentonasc'' in the local dialect.

==History==
The Menton area has been inhabited since the [[Paleolithic]] era, and is the site of the original "[[Grimaldi Man]]" find of early [[Anatomically modern humans|modern humans]], as well as remains of [[Neanderthal]]s and [[Cro-Magnon]]s.<ref>Émile Rivière, [https://books.google.com/books?id=TvpaAAAAQAAJ ''Découverte d'un Squelette Humain de l'Époque Paléolithique Dans les Cavernes des Baoussé-Rousse dites Grottes de Menton''] (''Discovery of a Human Skeleton from the Paleolithic in the Caverns of Baoussé-Rousse also known as the Grottes de Menton''), (J.-B. Baillière et Fils, Paris, 1873) (in French)</ref> In [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times, the [[Via Julia Augusta]], a road connecting Placentia (now [[Piacenza]]) with Arelates (now [[Arles]]) passed through Menton, running along the Rue Longue in the old town.<ref>[http://www.menton.fr/article.php3?id_article=492 ''La rue Longue''] (Official site of the town of Menton, accessed April 2009) (in French)</ref>
The first major settlement occurred during the 11th century [[Common Era|CE]], when the count of [[Ventimiglia, Italy|Ventimiglia]] constructed the ''Château de Puypin'' (''Podium Pinum'') on the Pépin hill, north and west of the modern town centre. During the 13th century, the seigneury of Puypin fell to the Vento family of [[Genoa]] who built a new castle along the Roman road, now the site of the ''Vieux-Château'' cemetery, providing the core around which the current town grew. Menton was thus incorporated into the [[Republic of Genoa]]. The first mention of Menton dates from 21 July 1262, in the peace treaty between [[Charles of Anjou]] and Genoa. Its position on the border between the [[Capetian House of Anjou|Angevin]]-ruled [[Provence]] and the Republic of Genoa, which at the time claimed [[Monaco]] as its western limit, made it a coveted location.

[[File:Le comté de Nice et Oneille.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Menton, as part of Monaco, in 1664]]
Acquired in 1346 by [[Charles I, Lord of Monaco|Charles Grimaldi]], Lord of Monaco, Menton was ruled by the [[princes of Monaco]] until the [[French Revolution]]. Annexed during the Revolution, Menton remained part of France through the [[First French Empire|First Empire]]. It belonged to the district of [[Sanremo]] in the department of [[Alpes-Maritimes]], which at the time included Monaco and Sanremo.

In 1814, Menton was included in a reconstituted principality of Monaco which, after Napoleon's [[Hundred Days]] in 1815, became a protectorate of the [[king of Sardinia]]. The princes of Monaco were obliged to do [[Homage (medieval)|homage]] to the king for Menton, although not for Monaco itself.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

[[File:Frontiere Monaco.gif|thumb|left|upright|Marked in azure the territory of the [[Free Cities of Menton and Roquebrune]], marked in orange the territory of the [[Principality of Monaco]] in 1848<ref>Ermanno Amicucci. ''Nizza e l'Italia''. Mondadori editore. Milano, 1939.</ref>]]

In 1848, Menton, along with its neighbour [[Roquebrune-Cap-Martin|Roquebrune]], seceded from Monaco, due at least in part to a tax imposed on lemon exports.<ref>[http://www.group-trotter.net/menton-la-capitale-du-citron_p-139-en.htm Menton on the French Riviera] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803201332/http://www.group-trotter.net/menton-la-capitale-du-citron_p-139-en.htm |date=3 August 2020 }} (accessed April 2009)</ref> They proclaimed the [[Free Cities of Menton and Roquebrune]] during the 1848 revolutions related to the Italian [[Risorgimento]]. The Free Cities of Menton and Roquebrune hoped to be part of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Italian kingdom of Sardinia]]. Two years later they placed themselves under the protection of the Italian kingdom of Sardinia where they were administered by the [[House of Savoy]] for ten years.<ref>Ermanno Amicucci. ''Nizza e l'Italia''. p 58-61</ref>

The [[Treaty of Turin (1860)|Treaty of Turin]] concluded on 24 March 1860 between the Kingdom of Sardinia and [[Napoleon&nbsp;III]]'s France called for the annexation of the [[County of Nice]] to France, subject to a [[plebiscite]], as a reward for French assistance in [[Second Italian War of Independence|Italy's war against Austria]]. The plebiscite, with universal adult male suffrage, was held on 15 and 16 April 1860, and resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of annexation (833 for versus 54 against in Menton and Roquebrune).<ref name="worldstatesmen.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Monaco.htm|title=Monaco|first=ben|last=cahoon|website=www.worldstatesmen.org}}</ref> The County of Nice was thus annexed to France that June, and [[Napoleon&nbsp;III]] paid 4&nbsp;million francs in compensation to the prince of Monaco, who renounced his rights in perpetuity on 2 February 1861.<ref name="worldstatesmen.org"/> [[Nice]]-born [[Giuseppe Garibaldi]], who promoted the union of the [[County of Nice]] to [[Italy]], complained that the plebiscite was not done with "universal vote" and consequently Menton was requested by [[Italian irredentism|Italian irredentists]].

The publication of ''Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean'' (1861) by the English doctor [[James Henry Bennett]] had a profound effect on Menton, making it a destination for sufferers of tuberculosis.<ref name="Jones2007">{{cite book|author=Ted Jones|title=The French Riviera: A Literary Guide for Travellers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IeTGSDuFU6YC&pg=PAxxii|date=15 December 2007|publisher=Tauris Parke Paperbacks|isbn=978-1-84511-455-8}}</ref> By the end of the 19th century, tourism was an important factor in Menton's growth. The town was popular with British and Russian aristocrats who built many of the hotels, villas, and palaces which still grace Menton today. Many of these hotels and palaces were pressed into service as hospitals during [[World War&nbsp;I]] to allow injured troops to recuperate in a pleasant climate.

[[File:Menton et voilier (1900s).jpg|thumb|Sailing ships in Menton harbour, photograph by [[Jean Gilletta]], early 1900s]]
Menton was the only sizable settlement captured by Italy during [[Italian invasion of France|its invasion of France]] in June 1940. Following the [[armistice]] of 22 June 1940, two-thirds of the territory of the commune was annexed by [[Italy]] as ''[[Italia irredenta|terra irredenta]]''. The annexation lasted until 8 September 1943.

Although officially returned to [[Vichy France]], Menton was in fact occupied by [[Nazi Germany]] until its liberation by American and Canadian troops of the [[First Special Service Force]] on 8 September 1944.<ref>[http://www.menton.fr/article.php3?id_article=482 ''La libération de Menton''] (''The Liberation of Menton'', Official site of the town of Menton, Accessed April 2009) (in French)</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Menton BW 0.JPG|thumb|200px|The port and the old part of town]]
[[File:Menton bay.jpg|thumb|200px|right|View of the [[port]] of Menton]]
Menton, nicknamed the ''Pearl of France'', is located on the [[Mediterranean Sea]] at the Franco-Italian border, just across from the [[Liguria]]n town of [[Ventimiglia, Italy|Ventimiglia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.menton.fr/article.php3?id_article=809 |title=Menton, "perle de la France" |publisher=Office de Tourisme de Menton |language=fr }}</ref> [[Menton station]] has rail connections to Paris, Marseille, Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Ventimiglia. The smaller [[Menton-Garavan station]] is situated between Menton and Ventimiglia.

The fishing industry was devastated in the 1980s and 1990s due to a combination of overfishing and [[Dead zone (ecology)|hypoxia]] in the bay. At the time, the devastation was erroneously attributed to the dubiously nicknamed "killer algae" ''[[Caulerpa taxifolia]]'' (a non-native Asian tropical green alga first discovered in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] adjacent to the [[Oceanographic Museum of Monaco]] in 1984) spread throughout the coastal sea floor. Later, sound scientific findings revealed that the seaweed was adept at absorbing pollutants and excess nutrients, actually aiding the recovery of native ''[[Posidonia]]'' sea grass<ref>Jaubert, J.&nbsp;M., J.&nbsp;R.&nbsp;M. Chisholm, G.&nbsp;Passeron-Seitre, D.&nbsp;Ducrot, H.&nbsp;T. Ripley, and L.&nbsp;Roy. 1999. No deleterious alterations in Posidonia beds in the Bay of Menton (France) eight years after Caulerpa taxifolia colonization. ''Journal of Phycology'' 35:1113-1119.</ref> and enhancing local fish populations and overall biodiversity.<ref>Francour,&nbsp;P., M.&nbsp;Harmelin-Vivien, J.&nbsp;G. Harmelin, and J.&nbsp;duClerc. 1995. Impact of Caulerpa taxifolia colonization on the littoral ichthyofauna of northwestern Mediterranean. ''Hydrobiologia'' 300-301:345-353</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Poster Menton.jpg|left|thumb|1906 poster of Menton by [[Hugo d'Alesi]]]]
'''Menton''' has a very mild subtropical microclimate with an average of 316 clear or mostly clear/mostly sunny days per year. Under the [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen system]], Menton features a [[Hot-summer Mediterranean climate|hot-summer Mediterranean climate (''Csa'')]]. However, the milder winters (on average) and the warmer nights in summer (on average), compared to the rest of the French Mediterranean coastal area, provide Menton with a particular micro-climate, with significant [[Warm-summer Mediterranean climate|warm-summer Mediterranean climate (''Csb'')]] influences and characteristics, like coastal [[Southern California]]. This is usually experienced along the coast between [[Nice]] and '''Menton''', toward the Italian border town of [[Ventimiglia]] and as far as [[Sanremo|San Remo]]). It is favourable to groves of hardy [[clementines]], [[mandarin oranges]], [[satsuma orange]], [[tangerine]]s, [[Orange (fruit)|oranges]] and [[lemons]] ('''SRA 625''' is protected '''Citron de Menton''' variety), hence one of the town's symbols, the [[lemon]]. Winter frosts are extremely rare but may occasionally occur at ground level, and snow falls on average once every 10 years. Likewise, summer temperatures are relatively moderate with day temperatures of 28&nbsp;°C to 32&nbsp;°C, but rarely rising above 32&nbsp;°C. 

Menton is sheltered from the west winds by Mont-Agel, and the steep foothills of the Alps, to the north and the north-east, protect the town from freezing winter cold. The winters are therefore very mild and sunny; the thermometer rarely drops below 0°C, and the lowest average temperature is 11.3°C in January. Summers are hot at 25°C on average in July and August but tempered by the sea breeze.

Menton holds the French record for the highest average temperature in July with an average temperature of 24.8°C. 
(Values calculated from data recorded over the period 1991-2020) [Source Météo France] <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tourisme-menton.fr/Climat-et-Meteo-a-Menton.html |title=Climat et Météo à Menton - Office de Tourisme de Menton - French Riviera- site officiel - Menton - France |access-date=2017-03-15 |archive-date=2017-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019234353/https://www.tourisme-menton.fr/Climat-et-Meteo-a-Menton.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Menton (Alpes-Maritimes department, France), 2009–2016 temperature data only{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 2009 to 2016. Extremes from 2009 to 2016 as well.}}
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan high F = 58.1
|Feb high F = 60.5
|Mar high F = 62.6
|Apr high F = 68.1
|May high F = 71.2
|Jun high F = 78.8
|Jul high F = 86.2
|Aug high F = 86.4
|Sep high F = 80.7
|Oct high F = 71.2
|Nov high F = 64.5
|Dec high F = 59.3
|year high F= 68.9
|Jan low F = 45.3
|Feb low F = 44.1
|Mar low F = 48.7
|Apr low F = 53.2
|May low F = 58.1
|Jun low F = 64.8
|Jul low F = 70.0
|Aug low F = 70.7
|Sep low F = 66.4
|Oct low F = 59.5
|Nov low F = 53.1
|Dec low F = 48.0
|year low F= 56.8
|Jan avg record high F = 62.1
|Feb avg record high F = 64.2
|Mar avg record high F = 69.3
|Apr avg record high F = 76.3
|May avg record high F = 81.3
|Jun avg record high F = 89.2
|Jul avg record high F = 91.2
|Aug avg record high F = 93.2
|Sep avg record high F = 88.0
|Oct avg record high F = 79.2
|Nov avg record high F = 72.0
|Dec avg record high F = 65.5
|year avg record high F= 94.6
|Jan avg record low F = 37.9
|Feb avg record low F = 36.5
|Mar avg record low F = 40.3
|Apr avg record low F = 46.6
|May avg record low F = 50.4
|Jun avg record low F = 57.4
|Jul avg record low F = 64.0
|Aug avg record low F = 63.5
|Sep avg record low F = 59.0
|Oct avg record low F = 48.7
|Nov avg record low F = 44.4
|Dec avg record low F = 40.5
|year avg record low F= 35.1
|Jan record high F = 64.9
|Feb record high F = 68.9
|Mar record high F = 74.1
|Apr record high F = 81.0
|May record high F = 88.5
|Jun record high F = 92.7
|Jul record high F = 95.7
|Aug record high F = 97.7
|Sep record high F = 92.8
|Oct record high F = 83.4
|Nov record high F = 76.7
|Dec record high F = 68.0
|year record high F= 97.7
|Jan record low F = 32.2
|Feb record low F = 30.0
|Mar record low F = 36.9
|Apr record low F = 43.0
|May record low F = 46.6
|Jun record low F = 52.5
|Jul record low F = 58.3
|Aug record low F = 56.7
|Sep record low F = 54.1
|Oct record low F = 39.2
|Nov record low F = 39.9
|Dec record low F = 30.9
|year record low F= 30.0
|source = Météo Climat BZH<ref>{{cite web| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/relevmoisradom-79-12-2016--2009-2015-1-2009-2009.php
| title = Station Name: MENTON (FRANCE)
| date = March 2017
| access-date = 2017-03-15}}</ref>
}}<noinclude>{{notelist}}</noinclude>

==Townscape==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:France-Italy Border Checkpoint, Menton.jpg|The Pont Saint-Ludovic / Ponte San Ludovico border crossing point between Menton, France, and [[Ventimiglia, Italy]]
File:Menton vue de mer.jpg|Menton from the sea
File:Menton decorated window.JPG|Menton decorated window
</gallery>

Menton is known for its gardens, including the [[Jardin Serre de la Madone]], the [[Jardin botanique exotique de Menton]] ('Le Val Rahmeh'), the [[Fontana Rosa]], the Maria Serena garden, and the modernist gardens of [[Les Colombières]].<ref name="Men">{{cite web|title=The "Colombières" garden|url=http://www.menton.com/pages-gb/jardins-colombieres.html|work=Menton – Gardens|publisher=Menton.com|access-date=17 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206052335/http://www.menton.com/pages-gb/jardins-colombieres.html|archive-date=6 December 2013}}</ref> Le Val Rahmeh was established in 1905 by Englishman Sir Percy Radcliffe, the first owner of the gardens, and named for his wife. Villa Fontana Rosa was built in 1922 by [[Blasco Ibáñez]], a Spanish novelist and the gardens of the villa are now open to the public.

* The [[baroque]] [[basilica]] of Saint-Michel-Archange, with its bell tower, was built in 1619 by the Genoese architect Lorenzo Lavagna.
* The [[Bastion Museum]], which features decoration by [[Jean Cocteau]], is located in the Bastion of the port of Menton. The bastion, built overwater in 1636 as an advance defence for the port by the Princes of Monaco, is now located at the shoreline.
* The wedding room at the Mairie (town hall) was painted in the 1950s by Cocteau, transforming it into a giant work of art.
* Menton is home to at least half a dozen beaches.
* Menton is notable for its [[Palissy ware|Palissy]] majolica pottery depicting lemons.
<gallery>
File:Wall Plate, 9.6 ins., coloured glazes, Palissy style, Menton, France.jpg|
</gallery>
* The historic covered market was built in 1898 by local architect Adrien Rey. The market is open every day from 5&nbsp;am until 1&nbsp;pm in the summer; in the winter, it opens at 5:30&nbsp;am. Over 30 kiosks both inside and around the market sell local and imported vegetables. The [[Belle Époque]] structure was one of buildings constructed by the architect in the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rivierakitchen.com/project/2011/09/menton-market/ |title=Belle Epoque in Menton |publisher=Riviera Kitchen |date=2011-09-29 |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref>
* Next to the beach and the covered market is the [[Jean Cocteau Museum]]. It opened in 2011 and is close to the Bastion Museum.<ref name="Teleg12">{{cite news|last=Edwards|first=Natasha|title=Menton, France: On the Jean Cocteau museum trail|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=16 October 2012|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/riviera/9611674/Menton-France-On-the-Jean-Cocteau-museum-trail.html}}</ref>
* [[Mirazur]] is a French haute cuisine restaurant with three Michelin Guide stars.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mirazur – Menton - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant|url=https://guide.michelin.com/en/provence-alpes-cote-dazur/menton/restaurant/mirazur|access-date=2020-10-27|website=MICHELIN Guide|language=en-US}}</ref> The World's 50 Best Restaurants list ranks Mirazur as the best restaurant in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants - The 1-50 Winners List|url=https://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50|access-date=2020-10-27|website=UI - 50B - Restaurants - GLOBAL|language=en}}</ref>

==Population==

{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|22015|Menton}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-06083#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |3060
|1800 |3289
|1806 |3336
|1858 |4837
|1861 |4904
|1866 |5699
|1872 |6644
|1876 |7819
|1881 |11000
|1886 |9387
|1891 |9050
|1896 |9044
|1901 |9944
|1906 |13029
|1911 |18001
|1921 |18645
|1926 |22604
|1931 |23417
|1936 |21703
|1946 |13864
|1954 |17109
|1962 |19904
|1968 |25040
|1975 |25143
|1982 |25086
|1990 |29141
|1999 |28812
|2007 |28683
|2012 |29073
|2017 |28958
}}

==Education==
===Primary and secondary schools===
Public nurseries/Preschools include:<ref name=Nurseries>"[https://www.menton.fr/Les-ecoles-maternelles.html Les écoles maternelles]." Menton. Retrieved on 25 September 2018.</ref>
* Centre-ville/Vieille ville area: Adrien Camaret and the Section enfantine de l'Hôtel de Ville
* Borrigo: René Cassin, Germaine Coty, Robert Debré, and Manon des Sources
* Careï: Careï and Saint-Exupéry
* Garavan: Section enfantine Alphonse Daudet

Public primary schools include:<ref name=Primaries>"[https://www.menton.fr/Les-ecoles-primaires.html Les écoles primaires]." Menton. Retrieved on 25 September 2018.</ref>
* Centre-ville/Vieille ville area: élémentaire Frédéric Mistral and primaire de l'Hôtel de Ville
* Borrigo: élémentaire [[Anne Frank]] - André Guillevin, élémentaire Condamine Centenaire, and élementaire Marcel Pagnol
* Careï: élémentaire Careï [[Joan of Arc|Jeanne d'Arc]] and  élémentaire Saint-Exupéry
* Garavan: primaire Alphonse Daudet

There are two public junior high schools, Guillaume Vento and André Maurois.<ref name=JHS>"[https://www.menton.fr/Les-Colleges.html Les Collèges]." Menton. Retrieved on 25 September 2018.</ref> The two public sixth-form colleges/senior high schools are [[Lycée Pierre et Marie Curie]] and [[Lycée Professionnel Hôtelier Paul Valéry]].<ref>"[https://www.menton.fr/Les-Lycees.html Les Lycées]." Menton. Retrieved on 25 September 2018.</ref>

The private Institution Notre Dame du Sacré Cœur has the Villa Blanche preschool, primary, and junior high school in the Centre-ville area.<ref name=Nurseries/><ref name=Primaries/><ref name=JHS/>

===Colleges and universities===
* The [[Sciences Po Paris|Institut d'Etudes politiques de Paris]], the leading French university in social and political sciences, also known as Sciences Po, has been hosting a regional Middle East and Mediterranean campus in Menton since 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://menton.html/|title=Menton campus &#124; Sciences Po Undergraduate College|date=February 24, 2017|website=menton.html}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Mentonasc language==
The ''[[Mentonasc]]'' dialect is currently spoken by about 10% of the population in Menton, [[Roquebrune-Cap-Martin|Roquebrune]], and the surrounding villages.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} It is taught within the [[Education in France|French educational system]], as a variety of [[Niçard]] (i.e. [[Provençal dialect|Provençal]] and [[Occitan language|Occitan]]). However, in nineteenth-century linguistic descriptions,<ref>James Bruny Andrews, [https://books.google.com/books?id=f-oNAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA97 ''Il dialetto di Mentone, in quanto egli tramezzi ideologicamente tra il provenzale e il ligure''] (''The dialect of Menton, in which it is ideologically intermediate between Provençal and Ligurian'') in ''Archivio Glottologico Italiano'' XII, 1890/92, pp. 97-106. (in English)</ref> as well as in contemporary linguistic scholarship,<ref>J.-P. Dalbera, ''Interférences entre provençal et ligurien dans la génèse du système morphologique mentonnais'' (''Interferences between [[Provençal dialect|Provençal]] and [[Ligurian language|Ligurian]] in the genesis of the Mentonnais morphological system'') in ''Bulletin du Centre de romanistique et de latinité tardive'' 4-5, Nice, 1989, pp. 89-97.</ref><ref>W. Forner ''L'Intemelia linguistica'', in [http://www.intemelion.it/intemel1.htm ''Intemelion'' '''1'''], [[Sanremo]], 1995, pp. 67-82. (in Italian)</ref><ref>''Le mentonnais entre toutes les chaises ?'' in ''Lexique Français-Mentonnais'' (Caserio & al. 2001) (in French)</ref> Mentonasc is described as an intermediate between Niçard and the [[Intemelio]] dialect of [[Ligurian language (Romance)|Ligurian]]. Some scholars insist that Mentonasc is, at its base, a Ligurian dialect, with French influences coming only later.<ref>Werner Forner.''À propos du ligurien intémélien'' - La côte, l'arrière-pays, Travaux du Cercle linguistique de Nice, 7-8, 1986, pp. 29-62.</ref>

==Annual town events==
The [[Fête du Citron]] (Lemon Festival) takes place every February. The event follows a given theme each decade; past themes include Viva [[Spain|España]], Disney, [[Neverland]], and [[India]]. The carnival lasts a few days, with different bands passing through Menton's streets on foot or on truck trailers. The Casino Gardens in the centre of town are decorated in the theme of the festival, using lemons and oranges to cover the exhibits, and huge temporary statues are built and covered with citrus fruit.

The Casino Gardens are also the location for Menton's Christmas Festival.

The Menton Classical Musical Festival is also held every year in the centre of the old town.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px" caption="Menton Fête du Citron">
File:Menton Lemon Festival.jpg
File:Menton Lemon Festival2.jpg
File:Menton Lemon Festival3.jpg
File:Menton Lemon Festival4.jpg
</gallery>Also in Menton, celebrated on the first weekend of July,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jilly |title=Féte Saint Pierre |url=http://www.mentondailyphoto.com/2010/07/fete-saint-pierre.html |access-date=2024-08-05 |language=en}}</ref> is the procession and '''celebration of [[Saint Peter|Saint-Pierre]]''' (Sant Pie <ref>{{Cite book |last=Andrews |first=James Bruyn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AxQLAAAAQAAJ |title=Vocabulaire français-mentonais |date=1877 |publisher=Imprimerie niçoise |location=Nice, PACA, Fr |pages=146, 171 |language=fr |trans-title=French-Mentonasc Vocabulary}}</ref>), the patron of fishermen. The procession begins in the [https://lij.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_de_San_Mich%C3%A9_Arcangelo_(Ment%C3%A0n) Basilique Saint-Michel de Menton]. Dancers, singers, and musicians in traditional costumes from [https://lacapelinedementon.fr/ La Capelina de Menton] perform in the basilica.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-07 |title=Agenda |url=https://lacapelinedementon.fr/agenda/ |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=La Capeline de Menton |language=fr-FR}}</ref> The crowds then head to a dock where boats are filled with people throwing flowers into the port. They then pay tribute to those who have lost their lives at sea. After the boats return, they start celebrating with the traditional fish soup.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Les Mentonnais ont célébré saint Pierre - @villedementon |url=https://www.menton.fr/les-mentonnais-ont-celebre-saint-pierre.html |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Menton.fr |language=fr}}</ref>

==Sport and recreation==
Menton has a football team, [[Rapid de Menton]], who play at the stadium Stade Lucien Rhein. Menton also has a rugby team, Le rugby Club Webb Ellis de Menton.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyclub-webbellis.com/ |title=Rugby Club Webb Ellis Menton : présentation des règles du rugby, boutique maillot de rugby |publisher=Rugbyclub-webbellis.com |date=2012-12-15 |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref>

There is a municipal swimming pool, Piscine Alex Jany.<ref>"[https://www.menton.fr/Piscine-Alex-Jany.html Piscine Alex Jany]." Menton. Retrieved on 25 September 2018.</ref>

The town is famous in the cycling world as being the start of the climb of the Col de la Madone de Gorbio (generally shortened to Col de la Madone),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.climbbybike.com/climb/Col-de-la-Madone/8195 |title=Col de la Madone - Menton |website=climbbybike.com |access-date=2021-11-16}}</ref> which rises to 925 metres and was (in)famously used by Lance Armstrong to train for the Tour de France; many professionals based in neighbouring Monaco still use the climb for training and testing.

Menton was also the location of an international tennis tournament the [[Riviera Championships]] that ran from 1902 to 1976. It was hosted by the Menton Lawn Tennis Club. The event was part of the [[French Riviera circuit]] tour.

==Notable residents==
[[File:Emile Appay - Menton.JPG|200px|thumb|{{center|[[Émile Appay]] – Menton}}]]
Notables who were born, lived, or died in Menton include:

===Living people===
* [[Jérôme Alonzo]] (born 1972), French [[Ligue 1|first division]] [[Association football|football]] [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]], born in Menton 
* [[Richard Anconina]] (born 1953), French actor; before his film career he worked for several years at a holiday club for seniors in Menton
* [[Olivier Echouafni]] (born 1972), French first-division football [[Midfielder (association football)|midfielder]], born in Menton
* [[Sébastien Gattuso]] (born 1971), [[Monaco|Monégasque]] athlete specializing in [[Bobsleigh|bobsledding]]
* [[Cédric Varrault]] (born 1980), French first-division football [[Defender (association football)|defender]]. He began his career with the Menton football club.

===Historical figures===
* [[Émile Appay]] (1876–1935), French landscape painter. He spent time in Menton over the years capturing paintings of the sea.
*[[Ferdinand Bac]] (1859–1952), French illustrator, [[lithographer]], and writer. He developed the house and gardens of [[Les Colombières]] above Menton for Émile and Caroline Ladan-Bockairy. The house contains frescoes and modernist furniture by Bac, with a large garden set over several levels. Les Colombières is a [[Monument historique|Monument Historique]] and has been recently restored.<ref name="MH">{{Base Mérimée|PA00080761|Domaine des Colombières}}</ref><ref name="NYT">{{cite news|last=Foreman|first=Liza|title=More Than Just a Famous Garden |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=24 August 2013|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/24/greathomesanddestinations/24iht-rebac24.html}}</ref>
* [[Aubrey Vincent Beardsley]] (1872–1898), English illustrator and author
* [[Morton Betts]] (1847–1914), Leading English sportsman of the late 19th century. Scored the first goal in an English [[FA Cup Final]]. Died in Menton.
* [[Lesley Blanch]] (1904–2007), English-born writer<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/may/10/guardianobituaries.pressandpublishing | work=[[The Guardian]] | title=Obituary: Lesley Blanch | date=10 May 2007}}</ref>
* [[Vicente Blasco Ibáñez]] (1867–1928), Spanish author. At the end of his life, he lived on his estate, [[Fontana Rosa]], in Menton.<!--His family name was Blasco; so yes, he goes here. Do not "correct".-->
* [[Thomas Carlyle]] (1795–1881), Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. He lived at the home of [[Louisa Baring, Lady Ashburton]], from December 1866 to March 1867 following the death of his wife [[Jane Welsh Carlyle]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nichol |first=John |author-link=John Nichol (biographer) |date=1904 |title=Thomas Carlyle |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9784/pg9784.html.utf8 |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=[[Project Gutenberg]] |language=en}}</ref>
* [[René Clément]] (1913–1996), film director
* [[Jean Cocteau]] (1889–1963), French artist. He spent much time in Menton over the years; the [[Jean Cocteau Museum]] is in Menton. He decorated the wedding room in Menton's town hall, and the small stone bastion in Menton's harbour wall.<ref name="Teleg12"/> 
* [[Alfred Edersheim]] (1825–1889), Jewish Biblical scholar. He died in Menton.
* [[Michel Evdokimov]] (1930–2025), theologian and [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]] priest; born in Menton.
* [[Ivan Grigorovich]] (1853–1930), Imperial Russian Navy admiral. He lived in Menton after the Russian Revolution.
* Alfred Fréderic [[:nl:Alfred_Hegenscheidt|Hegenscheidt]] (1866-1964), Belgian professor of Geography (Université Libre de Bruxelles) and best known for his lyric drama ''Starkadd,'' published in 1897 in the famous Flemish Literary Magazine ''[[Van Nu en Straks]].''
* [[Panait Istrati]] (1884–1935), Romanian writer of French and Romanian expression (friends with Romain Rolland). He lived in Menton for a brief period and has a street in Menton named after him.
* [[Joseph Joffo]] (1931–2018), French author. He lived temporarily in Menton during [[World War II]].
* [[Paul Kruger|President Paul Kruger]] spent 2 years in Menton in Exile<ref>{{Cite web |title= Kruger's earring - LitNet| date=6 March 2024 |url=https://www.litnet.co.za/krugers-earring/?fbclid=IwAR1X7KWRz-t4Ed9AI0V-zxRwxRMWsG9_uIrbbZQWCOSzvEAOF00YKaJXsY4}}</ref>
* [[Anatoly Lunacharsky]] (1875–1933), Russian Marxist revolutionary and the first Soviet People's Commissar of Enlightenment responsible for culture and education. He died in Menton.
* [[George Macleay]] (1809–1891), Australian explorer and politician. He died in Menton.
* [[Katherine Mansfield]] (1888–1923), New Zealand modernist short story writer who lived and worked in a street now named after her. Her former home, the ''Villa Isola Bella'', is used as the residence for New Zealand writers who receive the [[Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship]] to live and write there for a year. 
* [[James Matheson]] (1796–1878), Scottish trader in [[India]], co-founder of [[History of Jardine, Matheson & Co.|Jardine Matheson & Co.]] He died in Menton 31 December 1878 (aged 82).
* [[Percy Radcliffe (British Army officer)|General Sir Percy Pollexfen de Blaquiere Radcliffe KCB KCMG DSO]] (1874–1934), British army officer. He owned a house in Menton from 1905 to 1934. Its gardens were the basis for the town's botanical gardens and are named after his first wife Rahmeh.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The history of the Garden |url=https://www.jardinbotaniquevalrahmehmenton.fr/en/garden-its-collections/history-garden-3893 |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Jardin botanique Val Rahmeh-Menton |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Anne Redpath]] (1895–1965), Scottish artist. 
* [[Charles Spurgeon|Charles H. Spurgeon]] (1834–1892), British Baptist preacher. He died in Menton.
* [[Graham Sutherland]] (1903–1980), English painter
* [[Philip Meadows Taylor]] (1808–1876), British Indian civil servant and author
* [[Hans-Georg Tersling]] (1857–1920), [[Denmark|Danish]] architect. He designed many buildings in the town.
* [[William Webb Ellis]] (1806–1872), inventor of [[rugby football|rugby]]. He lived in Menton at the end of his life and is buried in the old cemetery.<!--His family name was Webb Ellis; so yes, he goes here. Do not "correct".-->
* [[W. B. Yeats|William Butler Yeats]] (1865–1939), Irish writer and poet. He died in Menton.

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}
[[File:Menton 03092010.jpg|thumb|Menton]]
Menton is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Villes jumelées|url=https://www.menton.fr/Villes-jumelees.html|website=menton.fr|publisher=Menton|language=fr|access-date=2019-11-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Laguna Beach/Menton Relations|url=https://lagunabeachsistercities.com/laguna-menton/|website=Laguna Beach Sister Cities |publisher=Laguna Beach|access-date=2019-11-20}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Sanremo]], Italy
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Baden-Baden]], Germany
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Laguna Beach, California|Laguna Beach]], United States
*{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Montreux]], Switzerland
<!--Namur - not twinning-->
*{{flagicon|GRC}} [[Nafplio]], Greece
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Sochi]], Russia
<!--Valencia - not twinning-->
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[Knights of the Redeemer]]
* [[Mentonasc]]
* [[Roquebrune-Cap-Martin]]
* [[List of historical unrecognized states]]
* [[Former countries in Europe after 1815]]
* [[Intermelio]]
* [[Antoine Sartorio]]
* [[Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Menton}}
{{Wikivoyage|Menton}}
* [http://www.tourisme-menton.fr/ Tourist office website]
* [http://www.tourisme-menton.fr/-Menton-French-Riviera-.html?lang=en Tourist office website (English version)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020001100/http://www.tourisme-menton.fr/-Menton-French-Riviera-.html?lang=en |date=20 October 2017 }}
* [http://www.menton.fr/ City council website]


{{Alpes-Maritimes communes}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Menton| ]]
[[Category:Communes of Alpes-Maritimes]]