Former Senate of nice old Baroque-style building a stone's throw from the bustling Cours Saleya. Here was made the sovereign power of old nice, yet not become a plaything of the great powers, there was proclaimed the annexation of the city by France. This is not too noticeable now mansion found evidence of the power and prosperity of the medieval city.

Own the Senate gave nice in 1614 Duke Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy – energetic ruler, a brilliant warrior and diplomat. In fact they were and the Prefecture, and the Supreme court of the district. In 1655 for them close to the chapel of the Holy Trinity and the Holy shroud built a beautiful three-storey building in the Genoese style, with arcades along the side of the facade and a long balcony. Here is the President of the Senate, senators, officers of justice.

28 September 1792 they fled from the city to a nice rose French revolutionary troops. Restored the Senate was only in 1814, after the collapse of the Empire of Bonaparte. However, the interest of France to the Cote d'azur is not lost. In 1860, the Emperor Napoleon III after secret negotiations concluded with the Kingdom of Sardinia, Turin Treaty by which she ceded to France the County of nice in exchange for help in the struggle with Austria.

To keep up appearances, held a plebiscite where the people of nice were to Express their attitude to the move to the French citizenship. To speak "for" them solemnly asked the king of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel II, that spoke furiously against the native of nice Giuseppe Garibaldi. Two local Newspapers campaigned against the annexation, one for. The overwhelming majority of residents supported the annexation. Her critics (and they are there still) indicate that the voices of opponents were taken into account only if the voter could give "oral explanation" for his decision. A few residents spoke in French.

It is in the Palace of the Senate, and was solemnly proclaimed political annexation of nice, which officially expired in France on 14 June 1860.

From 1860 to 1892, the building housed the Palace of justice. Then came other times: banker Jules Gilli founded the bunkhouse (the name of the benefactor, now named the street on which the Senate goes). The social centre has existed here until the present day, when, during the restoration works under the old building were found the remains of powerful fortifications of the thirteenth century. Now archaeologists continue excavation, increasingly leaving the times.