Origin and history
The convent Saint-François de Nice, founded in the 13th century, is a former Franciscan convent located in the Old Nice. Originally established in 1239 near the port Lympia under the name of Saint-Récuperat, it was moved in 1250 on a plot given by the miller Augier Badat, at the foot of the hill of the Castle. This site, now marked by Rue de la Tour and Place Saint-François, houses a church originally dedicated to Sainte-Croix, then to Saint Francis. The Franciscans developed a Conventual ensemble including a chapel (consecrated in 1377), altars (1448), and a cemetery where a cross, now known as the Cross of Cimiez, was erected in 1477.
In the 15th century, major works transformed the church: the vault was renewed in 1483, and cellars were enlarged. The convent, however, suffered considerable damage during the sieges of Nice, notably in 1705-1706. After the annexation of Nice County by France in 1792, the brothers were expelled, and the places became a guard corps, a court, and even a stable for Napoleonic troops. In 1798, the convent and its church were auctioned to private individuals, Jean-Louis Truchi and Joseph Pollan, then transformed into a hotel (the Golden Eagle) or industrial premises (ice factory, cinema).
The clocher tower, an emblematic part of the site, was preserved by the municipality in 1798 to install a public clock, the only alternative to that of the Rusca tower. Despite delays due to financial constraints, architect Joseph Vernier led his renovation in 1837: the dome was replaced by a square attic, and a clock, manufactured in Morez (Jura), was installed there in 1838. The bell, originally ordered from a Nice smelter, was finally delivered by the Genoese foundry Pagano and Boero in 1840, after the events related to its weight (1,500 kg). The works were completed in 1841, marking the final transformation of the tower into an urban symbol.
In the 19th century, the ensemble was fragmented and sold to individuals, who changed their use (housing, commerce). In the 21st century, the municipality of Nice undertook a vast rehabilitation: the gradual acquisition of the buildings from 2016, restoration of the convent and the Municipal Palace (2016), then the tower and the church (2018-2021). Place Saint-François, the heart of this heritage, is also renovated between 2018 and 2019. This work, among the most ambitious of the decade in France, aims to restore the site's original appearance while integrating into modern life.
Today, only remains of the convent, including the tower of the bell tower (41 m), the choir and the east facade of the church, inscribed in historical monuments since 1993. A second protection, in 2020, covers all the conventual remains (cloister, galleries, northern access) still held by the city. These elements bear witness to the architectural evolution of the site, marked by Gothic additions (15th century), Baroque additions (18th century), and subsequent urban adaptations.
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