Levens
Levens is a commune with 4709 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur; it belongs to Arrondissement Nice and Canton Levens. She is a member of the Association of Municipalities Communauté urbaine Nice Côte d' Azur.
Geography
Levens is located about 25 km north of Nice at about 600 meters above sea level, above the confluence of the rivers Estéron, Vésubie and Var.
History
Levens was the center of the Ligurian tribe of the Leponti; from this name Leventi developed at the time of the Romans and Leventio in the Middle Ages. The place was on the way from Cimiez (now a hamlet of Nice) to Saint -Martin- Lantosque, its center is now the former castle of the Counts of Provence.
The Knights Templar built in Levens to 1135, the Commandery Notre -Dame -des- Prés, they were arrested on 20 January 1307 command Charles of Anjou. From the end of the 14th century Levens was separated from Provence and shared the fate of the County of Nice. The town came under the rule of the Grimaldi family.
Demographics
Attractions
- City consumption Remains of the old castle
- Church of Saint -Antonin, first mentioned in 1286
- Chapel of the Penitents Blancs (early 14th century)
- Chapel of the Penitents Noirs (late 16th century )
Medieval town
Chapel of the Penitents Blancs
Chapel of the Penitents Noirs
- Outside The Peira tourgnola ( pierre tournante ), a several -meter-high stone on the way to Albarea
- Chapel of Saint -Antoine -de- Siga
- Chapel Sainte -Claire
- Chapel Sainte- Pétronille
- Chapel of Saint -Joseph
- Chapel Saint -Michel
- The former commandery of the Knights Templar of Notre- Dame-des- Prés
Personalities
- Pierre Giletta ( 1600), professor of theology in Nice, author of a Catholic Déclaration de foi against the Calvinists.
- Malausséna François (1814-1882), mayor of Nice, President of the General Council of Alpes - Maritimes.
- Frédéric Maurandi (1863-1943), author of the Annales de Levens ( 1931).