Though Nice’s Basilique Notre Dame is today one of the emblems of the city, when it was built, it was a sign of a fundamental shift in culture. It was constructed in the mid 1860s, just after the city was annexed. The Gothic façade, inspired by Angers Cathedral but gesturing to Paris’ Notre Dame, was an attempt to “Frenchify” the city after centuries of Italian dominance. Visit Basilique Notre Dame today and notice how its gray stone exterior is a bit at odds with its surroundings, more like the busy commercial street that Avenue Jean-Médecin has become.
Spot the basilica easily on a walk through the upper sections of Nice’s commercial district, where it sits on the way from the train station to the Old Town. Admire the elaborate exterior stonework, a clear homage to earlier models of church decoration. At night, lighting casts dark shadows onto the gargoyles and statuary, making them seem somehow alive.
Enter through the door to be suffused in a riot of colored light streaming through the windows set into the 19 chapels. Wander around the edge to visit them, each dedicated to a different important city saint. Turn and look at the most magnificent stained glass, the main rose window featuring a scene of the Assumption of Mary.
Sit silently or return on Sunday to see the church lit up and the organ playing, full of the religious faith of the city’s Italian and French cultures.
The Basilique Notre Dame is in the heart of Nice’s tourist district, a few blocks from the massive Nice Étoile shopping mall. Walk here from the train station in 7 minutes. Travel by cab from the port in about 15 minutes or the tram in about half an hour. Parking can be difficult to find in the area.
The basilica is open for visitors daily from early morning to midday, then again from mid-afternoon to evening. There is no entrance fee. Mass times are available on the basilica’s website.
