At the confluence of the Var and Vésubie rivers, atop a steep slope, Utelle is a beautiful medieval village.
The village is made up of several hamlets: Le Blaquet, Le Chaudan, Le Cros d'Utelle, Le Figaret, and Saint-Jean-la-Rivière.
Its stepped streets and alleyways allow visitors to discover old stone houses, ancient doors and their lintels to decipher, highly original trompe l'oeil facades, fountains, including one with a lion's head dating from the 19th century, and 17th-century sundials.
A small path runs around the village and offers panoramic views of the peaks of the Haute Vésubie.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna of Utelle
The Madonna of Miracles is one of the three great Marian sanctuaries of the former County of Nice.
According to legend, around the year 850, a Spanish ship was sailing along the coast of Provence.
Arriving at the mouth of the Var, the crew was caught in a terrible storm. They prayed to the heavens to spare them and vowed to build an oratory dedicated to the Virgin Mary if they survived.
The Virgin Mary appeared and showed them a mountain overlooking all the valleys of the region.
True to their promise, they erected a "Pilon" in memory of the miracle.
Later, the "Pilon" was enlarged to become a chapel.
Today, small star-shaped stones can be seen at this location, which some explain as a natural phenomenon, fossils brought to higher altitudes during the uplift of the Alpes-Maritimes. Others consider these small stars to be a gift from the Virgin Mary to teach us humility and simplicity.
Today, the sanctuary has become a major place of Christian worship, visited by thousands of pilgrims.
This site, the starting point for numerous hiking trails, offers breathtaking views from the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea.
Utelle boasts numerous churches and chapels, such as the Church of Saint-Véran, begun in the Romanesque style and completed in the Baroque style. It houses a carved wooden altarpiece, which is said to have been the envy of Napoleon.
Its size is astonishing for a town of this size.
Also worthy of mention are the chapels of Sainte-Croix and San Sébastien, but this list is not exhaustive.
Let's not forget the Cepoun waterfall or the Revenge of the Cuckolded Husbands...
Utelle Town Hall
06450 Utelle
Tel.: +33 4 93 03 17 01
