Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Looking far to the right, that last apartment building on the sea was the headquarters
for the US Navy's Sixth Fleet following World War II, and remained so until 1966, when
deGaullepulledFranceoutofthemilitarywingofNATO.(TheSixthFleethasbeenbased
in Naples ever since.) A wall plaque at the bottom of Rue de l'Eglise commemorates the
US Navy's presence in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Citadel
Thetown'smammothcastlewasbuiltinthe1500sbytheDukeofSavoytodefendagainst
the French. When the region joined France in 1860, it became just a barracks. In the 20th
century, the city had no military use for the space, and started using the citadel to house its
