Niza

"Niza (en francés Nice [nis], en occitano Niça, en nizardo Nissa, en italiano Nizza) es una ciudad francesa situada en el departamento de los Alpes Marítimos, en la región de Provenza-Alpes-Costa Azul. Es uno de los centros de la turística Costa Azul, junto al mar Mediterráneo, próximo a la frontera con Italia (30 km) y Mónaco (20 km), encontrándose en las estribaciones de los Alpes, al este del río Var. Niza está situada a 960 km de París, 230 km de Marsella, la capital regional, 195 km de Génova y 215 km de Turín. Se trata de la ciudad más grande de la Costa Azul, extendida de Hyères a Menton. Sus balnearios y playas atraen a un turismo de alto nivel adquisitivo, al igual que sus paseos, sus museos, su vida nocturna y sus magníficas vistas del mar constituyen un atractivo para el turismo. Por su área urbana, es también la séptima ciudad de Francia. Niza, capital histórica del Condado de Niza, estuvo ligada a Italia hasta su invasión y anexión francesa a finales del siglo XIX. Una parte de su población conserva el dialecto nizardo, una variedad de la lengua ligur fuertemente influida por la lengua occitana después de 1860. En zonas cercanas a la ciudad se hablan variantes del ligur, incluyendo la monegasca y la del valle del Roya. Es muy probable que en la Edad Media el ligur fuera la lengua vehicular de la ciudad."

"Nice (/nis/, French pronunciation: [nis]; Niçard Occitan: Niça, classical norm, or Nissa, nonstandard, pronounced [nisa]; Italian: Nizza [nittsa]; Greek: ; Latin: Nicaea) is the fifth most populous city in France and the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes département. The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of about 1 million on an area of 721 km2 (278 sq mi). Located in the French Riviera, on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the Alps. Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region after Marseille. Nice is about 13 kilometres (8 miles) from the principality of Monaco, and its airport is a gateway to the principality as well. The city is nicknamed Nice la Belle (Nissa La Bella in Niçard), which means Nice the Beautiful, which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written by Menica Rondelly in 1912. The area of today's Nice contains Terra Amata, an archaeological site which displays evidence of a very early use of fire. Around 350 BC, Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia, after Nike, the goddess of victory. Through the ages, the town has changed hands many times. Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength. For centuries it was a dominion of Savoy, and was then part of France between 1792 and 1815, when it was returned to Piedmont-Sardinia until its re-annexation by France in 1860. The natural beauty of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winters there. The city's main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais ("Walkway of the English') owes its name to visitors to the resort.For decades now, the picturesque Nicean surroundings have attracted not only those in search of relaxation, but also those seeking inspiration. The clear air and soft light have particularly appealed to some of Western culture's most outstanding painters, such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle and Arman. Their work is commemorated in many of the city's museums, including Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts.Nice has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it is one of its most visited cities, receiving 4 million tourists every year. It also has the third busiest airport in France, after the two main Parisian ones. It is the historical capital city of the County of Nice (Comté de Nice)."