Cimiez Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Cimiez Cathedral 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.
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 . Its high altar was consecrated in 1049. The building contained three aisles, but no transept
, and a choir with three apse
s..
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..
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..
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
in the south of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan 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 RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port of Cemenelum, the precursor of the modern Cimiez
Cimiez
Cimiez is a neighborhood in Nice, southern France. The area contains the Musée Matisse and the ruins of Cemenelum, capital of the Ancient Roman province Alpes Maritimae on the Ligurian coast...
, 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 . Its high altar was consecrated in 1049. The building contained three aisles, but no transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, and a choir with three apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
s..
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
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
of 1429..
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
Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. The son of a magistrate, Catinat was born in Paris on 1 September 1637...
in 1691, and was demolished entirely in 1706..
External links
- Inventaire des cathédrales en Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: official website of the Ministère de la Culture
- Nicerendezvous.com: Le donjon et les ruines de la cathédrale Sainte-Marie
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