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Origin and history

The chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Chapel of the Blue Penitents, was built between 1782 and 1784 by architect Antoine Spinelli and entrepreneur André Laurenti on Place Garibaldi (then Vittoria Square) in Nice. It is part of an urban project inspired by contemporary Piedmontese developments, aimed at creating a solemn space marking the entrance to the city. The building replaces an old chapel, Notre-Dame du Sincaire, erected after the siege of Nice in 1543 to commemorate divine protection during the Franco-Turkish attack. The new chapel, of neoclassical style and late baroque style, incorporates remains of the old, such as cut stones and Turkish cannon balls hung on the facade.

The facade, structured in three registers, combines symbolic and historical elements. The white limestone balcony, added in 1841 to order by the Dukes of Savoie, served as a royal gallery during their visits. It bears their crown and the figure of Victor Emmanuel, recalling their role as priors of honor of the brotherhood. The three bay windows, framed by Corinthian pilasters, surmount a triangular pediment formerly adorned with a dedication to Our Lady of the Assumption and a cross of the Holy Sepulcher, now erased. Inside, the chapel preserves major works, such as an articulated 17th century giss for the processions of Holy Week, and paintings by Louis van Loo (early 18th century), including an Assumption of Mary.

The interior, organized in three spans, reflects the civic and religious functions of the building. The first span housed a municipal lodge until 1860, where the consuls of Nice received complaints from the population on 15 August. The side walls display original lapidary elements, like a 16th century marble chaplain symbolizing Christ of pain. The second span hosts two altars dedicated to Saint Sebastian (wood statue of the 15th century) and Notre-Dame de l'Assumption, replacing the destroyed chapels to build the square. The banner of the brotherhood links its history to the crusade of Amédée VI of Savoie against the Turks (1366–1367).

Ranked a historic monument in 2000, the chapel illustrates the dual heritage of Nice: an active place of worship for the Archiconfrerie des Penitents Bleus, founded in the 15th century, and a symbol of urban identity, mixing memory of Ottoman seats, Marian devotion and Savoyard influence. Its triangular bell tower, typical of the brotherhoods of penitents, and its domes painted in the 19th century by Emmanuel Costa (representing the glorious Cross and the Assumption) complete to make this monument a unique testimony of the religious and political history of Nice before its attachment to France.

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