Église Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir, church in Istres, France

The church of Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir in Istres has a Romanesque facade of light tan stone blocks, with two round towers projecting forward on either side. The central wall rises to a flat top crowned by a small sculpted figure on a base with a worn inscription. A recessed circular rose window sits above a narrow arched opening, and a large arched doorway with a dark red double door is framed by a metal arch.

The first parts of this church were built in the 13th century, and construction continued in stages up to the 16th and 18th centuries. It was listed as a historic monument in 1997, and the facade was renovated in 2017 and 2018 to keep the original Romanesque appearance.

Locals have long used alternate names for this place, such as Belveyre or Beauvezer, which shows how closely it is tied to everyday speech in the region. On the square outside, people gather for markets and small local events, turning the area into a simple meeting point.

You can enter the building all year round on most days, but it is closed to visitors during weddings and baptisms. The entrance is free, and from the church square you can easily continue on foot through the narrow streets of the old town.

Since April 2019 the parish has kept a stone from Mount Golgotha in Jerusalem, given by the Custody of the Holy Land, the Franciscan body that guards the Christian holy places. Look for it inside the church, a link between this Provençal building and Jerusalem.