A village towering above Monte Carlo, which can also be reached via the highway exiting at the La Turbie-Monaco interchange. On a plateau stands the famous Trophée des Alpes, one of the most imposing and significant remnants of Roman rule, dating back to the 6th century BC.
The surrounding white stone quarries provided the raw material to build it (the same stone was used to construct the cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco) to commemorate Augustus’ victory in Gaul.
Originally, the monument, 50 meters tall and marked by 24 Doric columns, supported a gigantic statue of the emperor, which was destroyed over the centuries and the entire complex damaged, until restorations preserved the current 35 meters in height by 38 in width.
In the very green park atop a rocky outcrop, you can visit the museum set up to preserve the many artifacts found in the area and admire a scale reconstruction of the original Trophée (open daily from 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 7:30 pm).
La Turbie is a charming village; from the ancient city walls, two gates and numerous buildings dating from the 11th to the 13th century survive as well as a Baroque church from the 18th century.
