Le Chateau

At last, you take the road right to the Château des Comtes Lascaris (Lascaris Counts castle) built in the 14th century, mainly to protect the village from invasion from the neighbouring Provence Counts. To reach it you’ll need to climb a stairway at the end of the outer wall, before seeing the only circular tower, transformed into a clock in the 19th century. Today, these relics house a tiered graveyard with magnificent local family chapels.

Imposing and majestic, you may spot a section of wall of the highest keep. The Lascaris Counts became quiet wealthy through the toll taxes on travellers and merchants those using the « salt road » leading to the Piedmont and the Provence regions. In the 17th century, Louis XIV sent his troops to destroy all strongholds (les « oppidum »), anything that shadowed his authority, thus enabling him to take back any territories belonging to the House of Savoie, to whom the County of Tende was alleged since 1581. It was therefore in 1692 that the king’s soldiers reached Tende and destroyed its castle. 

BEATRICE LASCARIS ( Opéra of Bellini ) Her true name was Catherine, she was probably born in 1376. Daughter of Pietro Balbo II whose brother was Guillielmo Pietro, first Count Lascaris of Tende, she lived her childhood in the severe Lascaris castle. At this period troops of soldiers and mercenaries guarded them from possible Angevin invasions. Their Captain, Facino Cane, fell in love with Béatrice; and they wed in 1403 and left for MILAN. The last Duke of Milan had just deceased, leaving behind two sons, too young for their succession. The duchy fell apart. The Milan Council order could no longer keep the peace in the provinces, which were uprising against the authorities. The elder of the two sons, Giovanni Maria Visconti, was also Lord of Cremona, Como, Piacenza and Bergamo to name the larger provinces.

The younger son, Filippo Maria Visconti was Count of Pavia, Verone and Alessandria amongst others. The Bishop of Piacenza wanted to « eliminate » Giovanni who was in the way of his political schemes. He had him killed through a conspiracy. Giovanni was only 24. His brother was imprisoned for his extremist ideas. Prison made him bitter, clever and calculating, surely because of the moral and physical sufferings whilst inflicted upon him. Once released, he put his diabolical plan into action and has Facino Cane assassinated allowing him, thanks to Béatrice, certain financial help to regain his Duchy. When finally all is restored Béatrice became, at last, the Duchess of Milan, something that she had always dreamed of. However, Filippo had fallen in love with an influent woman by the name of Agnès de Maine, and to rid himself of Béatrice, 20 years his older, he had her accused of adultery with the butler. Verdict was passed without trail and Béatrice, the butler and her servants were decapitated in the BINASCO castle in TURIN, Visconti domain, on the 14th September 1418.