About a mile eastwards from Mentone the Cornice Road crosses by the bold arch of the Pont St Louis the ravine which now forms the boundary between France and Italy. Since 1861 the limits of France have been extended considerably further eastwards than in ancient times, when La Turbie marked the boundary of Gaul. In the course of our journey we have observed that as we approach the frontier, the towns possess a good deal of the Italian character, and that both historically and architecturally they have much in common with Italy. The architectural styles of France and Italy were observed to overlap each other in the district we have just examined. But when we pass the modern boundary of France at the Pont St Louis, we may [Illustration: FIG. 264. WEST PORTAL OF CATHEDRAL, VENTIMIGLIA.] be said to have left nearly all trace of French and Provençal architecture behind, and in our further progress eastwards we shall meet with almost nothing which is not entirely Italian in style. We shall therefore in concluding our journey give only a rapid sketch of some of the more important buildings between Mentone and Genoa. [Illustration: FIG. 265. INTERIOR OF CATHEDRAL, VENTIMIGLIA.] The railway eastwards from Mentone follows the coast line, and cuts through some lofty rocks at the mouth of the [Illustration: FIG. 266. STREET IN DOLCE AQUA.] torrent of St Louis, famous from containing the caves in which have been discovered human remains, associated with the bones of extinct animals, such as the mammoth, the great bear, the elk, &c. [Illustration: FIG. 267. CASTLE OF THE DORIAS, DOLCE AQUA.] About seven miles from Mentone, the line passes [Illustration: FIG. 268. DOLCE AQUA (_from the S.W._)] [Illustration: FIG. 269. STREET IN SAN REMO.] through a tunnel, on emerging from which the frontier town of VENTIMIGLIA is seen towering above the plain of the river Roya. It stands on a bold rocky headland, defended on one side by the sea, and on the other by the river. Like all border towns, its possession was constantly disputed by the neighbouring suzerains, and it endured many sieges, but was generally under the authority of the town of Genoa. The streets are narrow and tortuous, and have the usual picturesque staircases and arches. The porch of the cathedral seen in the sketch (Fig. 264) is old, and is decidedly Italian in character, but the rest of the front is modern. The interior again (Fig. 265) might be a Provençal Cistertian design, such as that of Thoronet. Two miles eastwards from Ventimiglia, the valley of the Nervia opens to the left. An easy and agreeable walk of about five miles up the valley leads to the very quaint old town of DOLCE AQUA. On the way we pass through the decaying but picturesque town of Campo Rosso with an open “place” lined with arcaded footways. [Illustration: FIG. 270. HOUSES IN SAN REMO.]