How the Bay of Angels Got Its Name
The Postcard #2 With love from Nice
I am writing this Postcard over breakfast at a lovely little café on the Place du Palais de Justice in Vieux Nice — the pictureque old part of town.
To my left is the imposing Colline du Château, Castle Hill, from where you have probably the most famous view of Nice: the shimmering ocean of the Baie des Anges, the Bay of Angels.
Everywhere in Nice one is surrounded by wondrous stories of all kinds, some true, some fiction, and one of my favourites is the story of how the breathtaking bay got its name—a story of courage, faith, divine grace, and miracles.
Réparate was a very young girl who lived in the Roman province of Caesarea. Around the year 250, at the age of approximately 15, she was arrested by the Roman soldiers and was repeatedly tortured to get her to renounce her Christian faith.
They set her on fire, but a sudden torrent of rain put out the flames. They made her drink boiling pitch, yet they still did not manage to break her spirit, and she still refused to obey. Finally they decapitated her.
The legend goes that, as her body was taken from the place of execution, a dove appeared, and her body was lain in a boat, and that angels with their breath blew her and laid her to rest in this very bay, which was named Baie des Anges, the Bay of Angels.
Réparate is now the parton saint of Nice, and a series of vivid paintings of her torture and martyrdom can be found in the cathedral which is named for her, the majestic Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate.
If you ever visit Nice, I highly recommend a visit to the cathedral on the lovely Place Rossetti. If you do, make sure not to miss the baptismal font with my very favourite sculpture of John the Baptist—and notice the moving shadow that he and his cross cast on the walls behind him as the sun moves around the church in the course of the day. Truly unforgettable.
And of course, make the climb up little streets and stairs from Place Rossetti to the top of Castle Hill so you can see the view of the bay for yourself. I think the breathtaking view takes on a much deeper, more beautiful and haunting significance when we connect ourselves with the story of the bravery and grace of young Réparate who was laid to rest here after her agony and tribulations.
I will share more stories from this magical city with you soon.
With love,
Annette 🫖
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The Postcard 💌
The Postcard is a cozy, personal note from my favourite corners of the world: cafés or parks or bookshops or benches in London, Copenhagen, Paris, Nice, Dublin or Edinburgh. It will arrive in your inbox every 4th Saturday of the month.
Over a cup of tea or coffee, I will share with you my adventures in the places I travel to, or things that matter to me at the moment: books I am reading, restaurants I love, thoughts I am having, or the simple joys of life.
I hope The Postcard will give you an insight into my life and work and a moment of inspiration and reflection.
Thanks for making us see Nice through your eyes, and for the story! Loved it. Have an awesome trip!