Cimiez Cathedral

Cathedral ruins

Cimiez Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Cimiez, also Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Château), was the former Roman Catholic cathedral of Nice in the south of France, sited on the hill of the castle overlooking the city (the château de Nice). The bishop's seat was transferred to the present Nice Cathedral in 1590 and the former cathedral was demolished in 1706 after suffering damage in the Siege of Nice of 1691. Only ruins remain.

History

Cimiez Cathedral was initially the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Cimiez established in the Roman port of Cemenelum, the precursor of the modern Cimiez, and joined to the Diocese of Nice as early as 465, after which its cathedral became the seat of the Bishops of Nice.

The first cathedral on the castle hill site was built in Pre-Romanesque style at the end of the 10th century ^[1]. Its high altar was consecrated in 1049. The building contained three aisles, but no transept, and a choir with three apses.^[1].

Plan of the cathedral based on archaeological investigations in 1875

This church had become extremely dilapidated by the 13th century, when it was rebuilt on the same plan, but with an extension to the east. Further works were carried out in the 15th century, including the addition of several chapels, as confirmed by a bull of Pope Martin V of 1429.^[1].

The bishop's functions were gradually transferred to the church, later cathedral, of St. Reparata in the early 16th century. The formal transfer of the bishop's seat to St. Reparata's, with its consequent elevation to a cathedral, was finally confirmed in 1590.

The former cathedral was severely damaged during the Siege of Nice by Catinat in 1691, and was demolished entirely in 1706.^[1].

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Françoise Hildesheimer (dir.), Les diocèses de Nice et Monaco, Beauchesne, Paris 1997, pp. 75-76

External links

• Inventaire des cathédrales en Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: official website of the Ministère de la Culture (French)
• Nicerendezvous.com: Le donjon et les ruines de la cathédrale Sainte-Marie (French)

Sources

• Hildesheimer, Françoise (dir.), 1997: Les diocèses de Nice et Monaco. Beauchesne, coll. Histoire des diocèses de France, Paris ISBN 978-2701010953 Online at googlebooks

Coordinates: 43°41′45″N 7°16′52″E / 43.69583°N 7.28111°E / 43.69583; 7.28111