A fortified village in the Mercantour National Park and the Valley of Marvels, Tende is the largest departmental town in the region with 17, 747 hectares, two urban centers (Tende and Saint-Dalmas de Tende) and tree hamlets (Granile, Casterino and Vievola).

Fortress of col of Tende

The village of Tende has had a tumultuous history, belonging successively to the Counts of Provence, the Counts of Lascaris, the Dukes of Savoy, the French Republic, the Napoleonic Empire, the Piedmont-Sardinian Kingdom, the Italian Kingdom, before becoming part of the French nation in 1947.

The houses of the village are situated at the foot of the mountain where the vestiges of the Lascaris castle remain after it had been dismantled at the end of the 17th century.

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In Saint-Dalmas de Tende one can discover such contrasting architectural structures such as the "Prieure" which is the oldest Benedictine convent in the department or the SNCF train station which was erected in pure paladio-style under Mussolini.

The collegiate church of Our Lady of the Assumption, built in 1518, presents a unique style of Roman, Lombard, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. In addition to three naves each constructed with the native green stone, one can also admire two small chapels dedicated individually to the Black Penitents and the White Penitents.

Classified as a national historic monument site, the Valley of Marvels boasts some of the most important rock drawings in the world.