Fort du Mont Alban was built by order of Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, between 1557 and 1560 and is one of the most exemplary French military architectural structures dating back to the 16th century.
The purpose of its construction was to reinforce the defense line considerably debilitate as a result of the siege of Nice (in 1543). But what is striking about Fort du Mont Alban is it has survived, as said, in good condition, despite the fact it was considerably affected in World War II.
At present, Fort du Mont Alban is one of the best lookouts on the French Riviera. This feature is owed to its location on a 220 meters high hilly region from where visitors can see virtually the entire Nice at west and Baie des Anges at east.
Fort du Mont Alban stands out as an excellent daytrip idea for people who vacation in Nice.
References:The Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls was part of the federal sanctuary of the three Gauls dedicated to the cult of Rome and Augustus celebrated by the 60 Gallic tribes when they gathered at Lugdunum (Lyon). The amphitheatre was built at the foot of the La Croix-Rousse hill at what was then the confluence of the Rhône and Saône.
Excavations have revealed a basement of three elliptical walls linked by cross-walls and a channel surrounding the oval central arena. The arena was slightly sloped, with the building"s south part supported by a now-vanished vault. The arena"s dimensions are 67,6m by 42m. This phase of the amphitheatre housed games which accompanied the imperial cult, with its low capacity (1,800 seats) being enough for delegations from the 60 Gallic tribes.
The amphitheatre was expanded at the start of the 2nd century. Two galleries were added around the old amphitheatre, raising its width from 25 metres to 105 metres and its capacity to about 20,000 seats. In so doing it made it a building open to the whole population of Lugdunum and its environs.