Top Historic Sights in Metz, France
Explore the historic highlights of Metz
Metz Cathedral
Saint-Étienne de Metz, also known as Metz Cathedral, is built on the site of an ancient the 5th century church dedicated to Saint Stephen protomartyr. According to Gregory of Tours, the shrine of Saint Stephen was the sole structure spared during the sack of 451 by Attila's Huns. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the walls of an Ottonian basilica dating from the 10th century. The integration i ...Temple Neuf
Temple Neuf ('New Temple') is a Protestant church in Metz. It is located on place de la Comédie (next to Opéra-Théâtre), at the center of the Jardin d"Amour on the southwestern edge of Île du Petit-Saulcy, which is surrounded by the Moselle. The church was built by Glod, with the first stone being laid on 25 November 1901 (when Metz was a part of the German Empire), following plans by architect Conrad ...Museums of Metz
The Museums of Metz were founded in 1839. They are also known as the Golden Courtyard Museums, in reference to the palace of Austrasia"s kings in Metz, whose buildings they occupy. The collections in this museum(s) are distributed through a 3,500 m² labyrinthal organization of rooms, incorporating the ancient Petites Carmes Abbey, the Chèvremont granary, and the Trinitaires church. The institution is orga ...Abbey of Saint-Arnould
The Abbey of Saint-Arnould is a Benedictine abbey residing in Metz since the 6th century. It was named the Church of the Holy Apostles in 715. It stood in front of medieval ramparts of the Hôpital Notre Dame de Bon Secours, near the Roman road leading to Toul and Lyon. In 717, the Abbey took the name of St. Arnulf, due to the relics of Arnulf of Metz, Bishop of Metz, having been interred there in 641. Charlemagne made ...Cloître des Recollets
Today European Institute of Ecology and the city archives, the cloisters of Cloître des Recollets (13th century) are remarkable in their elegance and simplicity. The garden, containing simple plants with medicinal properties, has been restored, making this place a little haven of serenity in the heart of the city.Germans' Gate
The Germans" Gate (Porte des Allemands) is a medieval bridge castle and city gate in Metz, France. It is named after the Teutonic Knights, hospitaller brothers of Notre Dame des Allemands, who founded a hospital nearby in the 13th century. It has two original round towers and two gun bastions of the 15th century.Basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains
The Basilica of Saint-Pierre-Aux-Nonnains is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world still standing. Erected sometime in the 4th century AD, it was originally part of a Roman-era spa when Divodurum, the former name of Metz, was a major military and trade center along the Germanic frontier. Specifically it was used as a pagan gymnasium when Christianity in Western Europe was still in its infancy. It was one of th ...Templars' Chapel
The first date known of the settlement of Templars in Metz is 1133. Between 1180 and 1220 the Templars built an octagonal chapel in Roman style outside. The inside presented a ribbed vault and the nave opens on a square choir and on a little apse. In 1312, as happened for the large majority of Templar places, the preceptory of Metz fell to the hands of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. In 1556, the chapel was converted ...Saint-Vincent Abbey
The former Benedictine abbey of Saint-Vincent was founded in the 10th century. The abbey church, rebuilt in 1248 and consecrated in 1376, is a superb example of Gothic architecture. After the Revolution, which marked the end of the abbey, the church became a parish church and then a basilica in 1933.Saint Quentin Church
Saint Quentin Church is a small 12th-century fortified church in Scy-Chazelles, in the suburbs of Metz. It is the burial place of Robert Schuman, one of the founders of the European Union.Fort de Queuleu
Fort de Queuleu construction began while part of Lorraine was under French rule in 1868. After the interruption of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the fort was improved between 1872 and 1875 by the German Empire, which had annexed the area as a result of the war. Renamed Fort Goeben, it formed part of the first ring of the fortifications of Metz. Functionally obsolete by the First World War, it saw no military action, ...Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings
Historic Site of the week
Monte d'Accoddi
Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.
The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.
The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.
Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.
The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.
The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.