The Palace of the Prefecture Maritime Alps, also known as the Palace of the Dukes of Savoy or of the kings of Sardinia, is the former residence of the monarchs of Sardinia, located in Old nice. Its impressive façade of the building overlooks the pedestrian street of Cours Saleya, not notice it is simply impossible.

The exact date of the beginning of construction of the Palace is not defined. We only know that after the siege of the city by the troops of Francis the First and Suleiman the Magnificent in 1543 Duke Emmanuel Philibert, nicknamed Zelenogolovaja decided to build next with the local Dominican monastery of his residence. Worked on the project of Italian architect and military engineer Domenico Ponselle. To 1573 were ready seven bedrooms and kitchen, while the gardener Antonio Giordano laid around the garden.

The status of a genuine residence of the monarch, the Palace was acquired in 1613, when it was settled by the Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I. the mansion was considerably extended. In the mid-eighteenth century, the rulers of Piedmont-Sardinia bought part of the Dominican monastery to double the size of the building. In 1792 nice was captured by the troops of revolutionary France under the command of General Anselme. The Palace was looted and turned into a military hospital, a beautiful garden destroyed.

In 1814, after the fall of Napoleon, returned to the king of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy decided to restore the residence, raising its rank to the Royal. The work was led by the city architect Jean-Antoine Scope. In new Royal apartments furniture was brought from the palaces of Turin and Genoa. The first inhabitants of the Royal Palace after the abdication of Victor Emmanuel began in 1826 the forsaken brother of the monarch, king Charles Felix of Savoy and his wife Maria Christina.

In 1860, after the annexation of nice by the French, the former Royal residence became the headquarters of the Prefecture of the Maritime Alps. For forty years the Palace was continuously expanded: he was supposed to be a place for brilliant techniques on the Cote d'azur. It was here in 1864, Emperor Napoleon III met with the Russian Emperor Alexander II.

After all the changes from the old Palace of the Dukes of Savoy were only lobby and Central staircase. In the West wing now houses a magnificent winter garden. The interiors are richly decorated with wonderful frescoes, Corinthian columns, wood carving, gilding. Ceilings decorated in neo-Baroque style. An important part of the Palace is a gallery of works by the artist Jules Cheret, who lived and died in nice.

In 1960, when he was a hundred years since the annexation of nice by France, the Palace hosted President Charles de Gaulle – he gave a gala dinner in honor of this event. In 2001, there was signed the nice Treaty, paving the way for EU enlargement. Here in 2008 passed the summit Russia-EU, which discussed ways of overcoming the global financial crisis. The Palace really has become the center of world-class events. However, its doors are open for tourists.