Religious Heritage

Chapels Has the weight of tradition determined the taste of artists for decorated chapels? Whatever the case, the French Riviera offers several remarkable creations.  Chapels slide show

Riviera monasteries & abbeys From the islands and shores of the Riviera to the remotest hamlets, discover stirring sanctuaries, monasteries and abbeys. Cistercian monks on the Isles of Lérins still sing Gregorian chant during Mass.  Visiting these sites in the heart of the French Riviera’s most splendid settings is a constant source of wonder.

ABBAYE DE LERINS - ILE SAINT-HONORAT  - CANNES Founded in 410 A.D. by Saint Honorat, this monastery was a landmark for Christianity in the west throughout the 5th and 6th centuries. The Abbey's influence covered a considerable area of the mainland. After undergoing looting and destruction, it was rebuilt in 1869 and has since been home to a community of Cistercian monks. You can visit the church, museum and fortified monastery. Accommodation, spiritual retreats and facilities for prayer.

SANCTUAIRE DE NOTRE-DAME-DE-LAGHET  - LA TRINITE Still attracts pilgrims from all over the region, from Provence to Italy. Crowned by a statue of the Virgin Mary covered in gold-leaf, this Italian baroque-style church dates back to 1656. The museum in the cloister contains very precious ex-votos, preserved since the 19th century. 4Accommodation provided by the Benedictine nuns for those seeking spiritual nourishment.

MONASTERE DE L'ANNONCIADE  - MENTON The oldest sanctuary in the region around Menton, founded in the 14th century. It is reached by climbing the Sentier du Rosaire which, bordered by oratories, offers the challenge of 464 steps ! Crowning the hill and offering a superb panorama of Menton's shoreline, the monastery has been run by Capucine monks since 1867. Very fine ex-votos, paintings and altar-pieces (1642). Musical evenings are held every year in this old monastery in the month of July.

MUSEE FRANCISCAIN - EGLISE ET MONASTERE DE CIMIEZ  - NICE The Franciscan monks have held on to this monastery since the 16th century. The very beautiful church boasts three major works by Louis Bréa and a monumental altar-piece of hand-carved wood decorated with gold-leaf.Also worth a visit, the garden, the monks' old vegetable garden, the Franciscan museum and the monumental cemetery where Matisse and Dufy are buried.

ABBAYE CHALAISIENNE  - VALBONNE The history of Valbonne has long been connected to this monastery, founded in the 13th century by the Benedictine monks of the Order of Chalais. In 1346, it was entrusted to the Abbey of Lérins which transformed it into a priory. Built on the Cistercian architectural model, you can still see what remains of the cloister, the monks' dormitory, the chapter on the ground-floor.