Nanterre Cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral in Nanterre, France
Nanterre Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral west of Paris, built in a Romanesque style with rounded arches and a facade that also shows Art Deco influences. Inside, stained glass windows run along the nave and filter colored light through the building.
The church was built in the early 20th century and served as a parish church for the growing city of Nanterre. It became a cathedral in 1966 when the Diocese of Nanterre was created by splitting off territory from the Versailles and Paris dioceses.
The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, who was born in Nanterre. Visitors can see a shrine and artworks inside that celebrate her life and her connection to this part of the region.
The cathedral sits in the center of Nanterre and is easy to reach by metro, as the city is directly connected to the Paris network. Religious services take place regularly, so visiting outside of Mass times tends to give more space to look around.
The monumental entrance door of the 1974 facade is the work of Pierre Sabatier, not the building's architect. The architects were Georges Pradelle and Yves-Marie Froidevaux. Excavations during the 1972 demolition of the old nave uncovered trapezoidal Merovingian sarcophagi, placed with the head turned toward Jerusalem.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,807 contributors worldwide.
