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Cyril Bottollier-Lemallaz
Published on Sep 22, 2024 at 6:16 a.m.
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About 1h30 from Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), the village of Ilonse is perched at an altitude of 1,250 meters on a hillside, above the Tinée valley.
To get there, there have only been two roads since the 1950s. However, this village has existed since the Middle Ages and has many particularities, including the surprising nickname of the inhabitants.
A surprising nickname from the locals
On the other hand, it is difficult to know an explanation for this nickname of the Ilonsois, also called the “Cats”. According to the village siteit could be the independent and wild character of the inhabitants, or simply for the number of cats living and hunting rats and voles.
The agility of the inhabitants to climb the rock and remain living in Ilonse is another explanation. It must be said that to reach the locality, today, only two roads allow you to get there: from the Tinée valley by Marie (since 1948) or from the Cians gorges by Rigaud and Pierlas (since 2000).
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Panoramic view
In Ilonse it is possible to see many religious buildings, such as the Saint-Michel church, dating from the 15th century, at the highest point of the village, which was part of the old Grimaldi castle, where it is possible to admire the entire valley and the peaks of the Mercantour with an orientation table.
The chapels of Saint-Grat, Saint-Pons, Saint-Maur, Saint-Antoine and Sainte-Barbe are scattered between the town centre and the hamlets of Irougne, Abéliéra and Pous.
The soul of a lonely village
The origin of the name Ilonse comes from a Ligurian or Celtic root “Ille”, meaning “wooded height” or “inhabited fortress”. It is quite easy to understand why this name when you go there.
Small squares in the village allow you to admire the view and travel through time with different arcaded wash houses, vaulted passages and typical houses. In the Planet square, undoubtedly the one with one of the best views, it is possible to stop at the only inn in Ilonse, La Gruppio, opened in 1986 to replace the many shops that closed one after the other.
To learn more about the history of the village and even organize a photo rally to visit it better, the Ilonse website is full of advice and anecdotes.
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