Locations

The lower part (below Rue Longue) only dates from the 20th century. During the war, a shell fell on the building on this site and the authorities extended the ramps to the Quai Bonaparte.

The ramps were built from 1753. The upper section was named after two priests from the parish of Saint-Michel, Canons Ortmans and Gouget. The ramps were extended from the Rue Longue to the Quai Bonaparte in 1941, giving a theatrical dimension to the Baroque ensemble of the forecourt and the two churches.

Anecdotes :
- Opposite the ramps of Saint-Michel stands the Hôtel Pretti de Saint Ambroise. In 1533, the Pretti family had a fine building constructed in the rue Longue. In 1705, Antoine 1er Grimaldi ennobled Alexandre Pretti and granted him the fiefdom of Saint-Ambroise in the Carnolès district. The imposing mass of this patrician residence is typical of 17th-century Genoese baroque architecture. This austerity is offset by a richly decorated interior and a monumental staircase enhanced by a mezzanino.
- On 25 May 1571, Pope Pius V founded the Holy League to wage the last crusade. Knights from all over Europe, except France, flocked to take part in the Battle of Lepanto in October 1571. Fourteen people from Menton signed up under the Spanish banner and embarked on two galleys belonging to the Grimaldis, "La Capitana" and "La Patrona", commanded by two of their number: Laurent Rossi and Jacques Laurenti. Both ships were badly damaged during the contact. Eight Mentonnais lost their lives. One glorious survivor, Barthélémy Pretti, brought back two Turkish spears and a flag as a trophy, the flagpole of which is still used today as a processional cross at the Basilica of Saint-Michel.