The Cathedral of Antibes

Antibes was the seat of the bishopric between 442 and 1244, when the episcopal see was transferred to Grasse. However, it retained its title of Cathedral.

The first bishop, Saint Armentaire, a monk of the Abbey of Lérins, had a church built, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, in 442. Excavations carried out under the Chapel of the Holy Spirit corroborate this version of the story. According to popular belief, the foundations of this church were built on a temple dedicated to Diana and Minerva.

The cathedral was destroyed by the Saracens in 1124, then rebuilt in 1125.
In 1746, the façade was damaged in a bombardment during the War of the Austrian Succession, then restored by Louis XV with funds from the royal treasury.
The facade was subsequently modified in the 19th century.

Its magnificent doors were created by the Antibes sculptor Joseph Dolle in the 18th century.

In the Cathedral, you can admire the altarpiece of the "Virgin of the Rosary," painted by Ludovico (Louis) Bréa in 1513, which has been preserved in its entirety. Around the image of Mary, the 15 scenes from the "Mysteries of the Rosary" unfold.

The complex, consisting of the church, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, and the Grimaldi Tower, is listed as a historic monument by decree of October 16, 1945.

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