Brec d'Utelle

A rocky and curved summit located on the dividing line between the Tinée-Vésubie waters, the Brec d’Utelle boasts, when the weather is clear, an unforgettable view over the Mercantour, the Côte d’Azur and the surrounding valleys (Var, Tinée, Vésubie). An important site in the Napoleonic era, Brec d’Utelle was, between 1792 and 1794, a pocket of resistance to the Austro-Sardinian troops. A young officer from Nice, General Masséna, tried to dislodge them.To achieve this, in 1793 he transported a canyon to the Col du Castel Ginesté despite the rough path.But let’s listen to his words: “I brought a 4 piece from Utelle; we carried it be hand, with two thousand people, general, officers, soldiers, all helping; finally, after 7 hours of extraordinary effort that only thoughts of liberty can inspire, it was installed in the forward position of Castel Ginesté, and rained down on the Sardinian slaves. Imagine their surprise and horror!”.