Contes, Alpes-Maritimes

Contes (Còntes; Conti) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in south-eastern France.

Its inhabitants are Contois. Because the village sounds like the French word comte, the aristocratic title count, it called itself Point Libre during the revolutionary period.

Famous sons of Contes are Henri Charpentier, a chef who studied under Escoffier, Camous and Ritz. He worked for some of the most famous restaurants in Paris and then emigrated to the United States where he would open restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. The other, Humbert Ricolfi was actually a classmate of Charpentier and went on to become Minister of Finance for the Republique. He financed the Maginot Line and is remembered as an upholder of the great ideals of the French Republique.

It was probably mentioned in an ancient inscription DEO EGOMONI CVNTINO VIC CVN P.

Geography
Contes is a 7.52 sqmi commune in the Southeast of France. It is located on Paillon valley, between 130 and 480 metres AMSL (430–1580 ft). The inhabitants live mainly in the village, but also in hamlets like Sclos, La Vernéa, La Pointe.

Economy
Formerly a rural community, with olive, vineyard and cattle-based economy, it has converted in a secondary town with services activities and residential areas for people working in the 15 km far city of Nice. The town has an important Lafarge plaster factory.