Nice Cathedral

Nice, France

Nice Cathedral was built between 1650 and 1699, the year of its consecration. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Reparata.

On the site, the first cathedral was consecrated in 1049. In 1060, relics belonging to St. Reparate (For whom the current cathedral is named) arrived in the city of Nice. By the year 1075 there was construction of a chapel dedicated to St. Reparate. During the later half of the twelfth century, the chapel became the priory of the abbey of Saint-Pons.

The next church on the site was built in the early 13th century on land belonging to the Abbey of St. Pons and became a parish church in 1246.

During the first half of the 16th century a series of acts gradually effected the transfer of the seat of the bishops of Nice from Cimiez Cathedral on the hill of the castle overlooking the city to the church of Saint Reparata which in 1590, after an official ceremony presided over by the then bishop, Luigi Pallavicini, and in the presence of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, was recognised as a chiesa-cattedrale.

However, in 1649, judging the building too small, bishop Didier Palletis commissioned the architect Jean-André Guibert to produce a structure more in keeping with the importance of the city. 1650 to 1685, The construction of a new cathedral (The current main building) occurs during this time. In 1699 the new cathedral is officially consecrated but the construction is an ongoing process.

From 1731 to 1759 the now widely recognized bell tower is built. 1900 marked the most recent addition to the cathedral with the construction of new side chapels which replaced the former heavy baroque ornamentation. The cathedral was declared a minor basilica on 27 May 1949.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Place Rossetti 3, Nice, France
See all sites in Nice

Details

Founded: 1650-1699
Category: Religious sites in France

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Victoria Prokurat (8 months ago)
Beautiful cathedral in the city center.
Steve W (9 months ago)
Ornate, yet not overstated. Magnificent work of art in itself. Worth a visit if you appreciate art.
Horia Banciu (9 months ago)
The Cathedral of Nice was built during 17th century and was dedicated to a Christian martyr girl. The Saint Reparate is Nice and Florence patron Saint, and her relics rest in the altar of this Cathedral. We were lucky to witness a solemn orgue concert that enriched our experience.
1girl 1passport (2 years ago)
Nice Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in the city of Nice in southern France. The cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Nice. Can’t miss this beautiful cathedral while in the old town. The construction of the main part of the current cathedral's body started in 1650 and finished in 1685. The cathedral is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. Admire the beautiful ornamentation and friezes in the refreshing cool of the cathedral. On the outside, the shimmering colours on the dome have become one of Nice’s landmarks.
Atlas (2 years ago)
Stunning little cathedral in the centre of Nice's old town. Free to visit and it appears a lot of the guided tours go here. The art inside is worth visiting alone, it's incredibly well preserved and feels almost as if it was painted last week! Flash photography isn't allowed, probably to better preserve the paintings. If you're taking your time it will still only take the maximum of an hour so it's a good thing to see if you're spending the day in the old town.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Linderhof Palace

Linderhof is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.

Ludwig II, who was crowned king in 1864, began his building activities in 1867-1868 by redesigning his rooms in the Munich Residenz and laying the foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle. In 1868 he was already making his first plans for Linderhof. However, neither the palace modelled on Versailles that was to be sited on the floor of the valley nor the large Byzantine palace envisaged by Ludwig II were ever built.

Instead, the new building developed around the forester's house belonging to his father Maximilian II, which was located in the open space in front of the present palace and was used by the king when crown prince on hunting expeditions with his father.