Trophée d’Auguste à La Turbie

The history of the Tropaeum Alpium (Trophée des Alpes in French, Victory Monument of the Alps) started two thousand years ago. It was built in honour of the emperor Augustus, during the 7th and 6th centuries BF, to celebrate his victory over the forty-five tribes which populated and controlled the traffic in the Alps. Over the centuries, the monument has been damaged. From the 8th to the 10th century, it was used as a watchtower during the barbarian invasions in the region. Two centuries later, the building was fortified during the fight opposing the Pope partisans and the King partisans. In 1706, Louis XIV decided to destroy it, refusing to give the Duke of Savoy any fortress during the war between France and Savoy. From that destruction, only remained the central core, used as a base in the restoration of the monument, during the 20th century.

The Trophy was listed as a French historical monument in 1865. In the early 20th century, it was partially restored thanks to the work of two local architects and a generous american benefactor. A museum was installed there in 1934. Today, the site is composed of the monument and of a natural park. It is also possible to enter the monument and reach the terrace from where visitors have a grandiose view on Monaco and on the Coast.