Église Saint-François-de-Paule, Neoclassical church in Old Town, Nice, France
Église Saint-François-de-Paule is a Baroque church in the Old Town of Nice with a rectangular nave divided by four side chapels. Large paintings in grey and neutral tones decorate the walls, reflecting the artistic traditions of the region.
The first stone was laid in 1733 for a church and adjoining convent of the Minimes, the order founded by Saint Francis of Paola; construction was supervised by Bernardo Vittone, with renovations in 1741 and 1762 and the facade completed in 1775. After the Revolution dissolved the order, the church became a parish in 1802 and was joined to Sainte-Réparate under the Dominicans in 1939.
The decoration follows the iconography of the Minimes and the Dominicans who later served here. Above the high altar hangs a painting of the Apotheosis of Saint Francis of Paola, and the choir holds four scenes painted by Olivotto Gastaldi in 1934, among them Saint Dominic receiving the rosary from the Virgin.
Entry to the church is free and it welcomes visitors throughout most days of the week. The entrance on Rue Saint-François de Paule is easy to locate, situated near the waterfront in the heart of Old Town.
Above the portal, a medallion carries the Minimes' motto, Charitas. The order was founded by François de Paule, to whom the church is dedicated, and the Latin dedication on the door frame reads DIVO FRANCISCO A PAULA DICATUM. The facade was renovated in 2004.
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