The Floral Naval Battle: A Carnival Tradition In Villefranche-sur-mer
On the fringe of the Nice Carnival, the neighboring town of Villefranche-sur-Mer upholds its own version of the Battle of Flowers... on the water! Each year in February, boats overloaded with carnations, mimosa, and other flowers engage in a floral naval battle to the delight of the crowd gathered on the docks.
A battle of flowers on the sea
The "floral naval battle" is one of the most picturesque traditions of the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer near Nice.
Every year, in February, about 7,000 people crowd the quays of the Port de la Santé to witness this colorful spectacle.
About twenty boats (known as "pointus") overloaded with flowers make a lap of honor in the harbor before lining up along the docks and throwing flowers at the spectators: carnations, mimosa, and other local flowers then cover the port and the sea...
In theory, the public is supposed to throw the flowers back to the boats, which constitutes the "naval battle," but more often, the spectators keep their bouquets as precious keepsakes!
A local tradition
The origins of the Villefranche-sur-Mer naval flower battle date back to 1902. At that time, various carnival festivities were developing on the French Riviera (the first Nice flower battle took place on the Promenade des Anglais in 1876).
Villefranche-sur-Mer decided to celebrate the carnival in its own way too, by combining two symbols of its main economic activities: the pointus and the flowers! It was the first municipality to organize a flower battle on the waters of the Mediterranean.
Already during the Roaring Twenties, the entire "jet set" would come to admire the Mediterranean pointus (traditional fishing boats from the south of France) decorated for the occasion with carnations (Villefranche's main flower crop) and mimosas...
The tradition continues even today and it takes no less than 30,000 carnations, 600 kg of mimosas, 900 bouquets, and 80 boxwood garlands to decorate the twenty pointus participating in the battle.
2024 Edition
The 2024 edition of the Villefranche-sur-Mer Flowered Naval Combat will take place on Monday, February 19, 2024, at the Port de la Santé, located at the foot of the old town.
Program for the 2024 edition
11am: Stroll of the folk groups at the Octroi.
1:30pm: Carnival parade on the quays.
2pm: Launch of the FLOWERED NAVAL COMBAT at the Port de la Santé & entertainment by folk groups at Place Amélie Pollonnais and on the quays.
All day: Flowered walk in the city and Quiz with a dinner for two to win!
Practical information
The floral naval battle of Villefranche-sur-Mer will take place on Monday, February 19, 2024.
Address
Port de la Santé
06230 VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER
Schedule
parade on the docks at 11 am
start of the naval battle at 2 pm
Rate
Access to the entire event is free.
