Saint-Roman residents say Roquebrune town hall ignores area
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Residents of Saint-Roman, the Roquebrune-Cap-Martin district bordering Monaco's eastern edge, say years of municipal neglect have left the area far below what its position beside the Principality should warrant.
Saint-Roman sits at the eastern gateway to Monaco, the first stretch of French territory drivers and pedestrians pass through when crossing from Cap Martin towards Larvotto and the Port Hercule side of the border. Long-standing residents describe a district that has had little investment from Roquebrune-Cap-Martin's town hall despite its visibility to the tens of thousands who pass through daily, many of them Monaco residents, workers and visitors forming their first impression of the commune there.
Complaints centre on pavements, lighting and general upkeep that locals say lag behind what would be expected of a neighbourhood acting as the commune's shop window to its wealthy neighbour. Several residents quoted in Nice Matin used the phrase that the town hall shows them no interest at all, pointing to a sense that attention and budget go elsewhere in the commune while Saint-Roman is treated as an afterthought.
For Monaco residents and property owners on the eastern side of the Principality, the state of Saint-Roman matters beyond municipal politics in Roquebrune. The district forms part of the daily commute and streetscape for anyone moving between Monaco and the French Riviera along the coast road, and its condition shapes perceptions of the wider border zone that many in Monaco pass through without a second thought.