Overlooking the harbor of Villefranche-sur-Mer, the 16th-century Citadelle, a listed historic monument, is steeped in history.
In 1543, war reached the shore: Barbarossa's galleys struck the town, leaving ruins and ashes in their wake. To protect the coast, the Citadel was built in 1554 by order of Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy, to plans by engineer Gian Maria Olgiatti.
After becoming a barracks in 1860, it was bought by the commune in 1965, restored in 1979 and transformed into a cultural center in 1981. Today, it invites visitors to discover a place where history and the present meet.