Elie di Russo: "Winter tourism was born in Hyères"
As honorary deputy mayor of Hyères, Elie di Russo sends his best wishes of happiness and peace to all residents of Hyères...
The former elected official recalls: "Our municipality has an exceptional historical, environmental, and architectural heritage. It stretches from the shores of the îles d'Or of the tombolo of the presqu'île de Giens to the hills of the Maures in the Borrels and Sauvebonne. It deserves all our care and respect. As former deputy for agriculture, I have a special thought for our farmers who, in a complicated context, are entitled to our support and all our gratitude."
BIRTH OF THE CÔTE D'AZUR
As a great local historian, he continues: "It was by discovering and describing Hyères that Stephen Liégeard, the poet prefect, invented the famous phrase Côte d'Azur. Speaking of Hyères, the representative of the State admitted: 'This beach bathed in rays which deserves our baptism of Côte d'Azur'. Also, for Elie di Russo: 'Let those who would like to limit the Côte d'Azur to the Alpes Maritimes not forget that it was by admiring our coastline that Stéphen Liégeard created the famous expression 'Côte d'Azur'. For the elected official, moreover, 'the Côte d'Azur extends from Marseille to Menton'. 'Let us not forget that winter tourism with the arrival of the English began in Hyères before Cannes and Nice. Indeed, it was in 1892 that Reine Victoria stayed in our municipality at the hôtel de Costebelle, which has since become the hôtel d'Albion. In the afternoon, the Reine discovers the surroundings of Hyères in her famous 'landau'. She discovers, among other things, the valley of the Borrels, one of her favorite places. In the evening, she notes: 'It is a strange country where the air is invigorating'. 'Our municipality has many assets, a tourist town, an agricultural town, agriculture is in its DNA, national capital of the cut flower, its beauty lies in its diversity', concludes EIie di Russo, honorary deputy of the mairie d'Hyères."