The Aigla Nissarda Awards at the Opera of Nice

This Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at the Villa Masséna, Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis, Deputy President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region, will present the Aigla Nissarda to the new recipients.

The Aigla Nissarda order was created in 1962 by Léon Baréty, former Minister, deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes, in order to honor people attached to Nice, who contribute to its influence and development. With this distinction, it was a question of rewarding the merits of all the people of Nice, whether they are by origin or by heart.

Gradually forgotten, this distinction was brought back to the agenda in November 2019 by its new President, François Daure, nephew of Jean-Paul Baréty (son of Léon Baréty and President of the Académia Nissarda for 40 years), and Jean-Paul David, President of the Acadèmia Nissarda. The aim was to bring this distinction into the modern era and to put the question of the identity of the County of Nice back at the heart of the debates and the influence of the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis.

A council of the order and an office are tasked with giving an opinion on the nomination proposals. Twice a year, they appoint people who have proven their talent or involvement in one of the following seven areas: neighborhood life; traditions and heritage of the former County; the influence and attractiveness of Nice; community life and solidarity; the environment, health and research; sports and culture.

The Acadèmia Nissarda

In 1898, several notables and scholars from Nice gathered around Doctor Alexandre Barety, and in particular Henri Sappia, creator of the journal Nice Historique. This group officially became the Acadèmia Nissarda on May 19, 1904. Its ambition was the defense of local dialects and traditions, the conservation of artistic riches and historical research. It took over the journal Nice Historique, created in 1898, which had the same goal. It made it its "official organ". The quarterly publication of the journal constituted the association's main activity. She has also published several works: the translation of Nicaea Civitas by Pierre Gioffredo in 1954, The country of Nice and its painters in 1998, The Port of Nice in 2004, Picturesque journey in the County of Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes in 2005, Dictionary of the Niçoise language by Jules Eynaudi and Louis Cappatti in 2009 and The life of the Niçoise nobility 1814-1860 in 2010. The Acadèmia Nissarda organizes each year a series of Niçois courses (language and singing), conferences, outings and a banquet, the famous past de l'An noù where the members, the socis, meet among Nissarts.