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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Marguerite de Lucéram, located in the Alpes-Maritimes, has its origins at the end of the 15th century. A marble plaque indicated that its construction began on June 6, 1487, financed by Jacques Bonfils and led by the priest Jean Bonfils. It was erected on the site of the former Luceram Castle, whose northern gate is still visible in the building wall. The work lasted 36 years, and the church was consecrated to St.Marguerite of Antioch on 20 July 1525 by Barthélemy Portalenqui, bishop of Troade and coadjutor of Fréjus.

Between 1723 and 1779, the interior was transformed into a baroque rococo style, with studded decorations and a reorganisation of the altarpieces. The present court, added in 1926, completes this architectural ensemble. The church houses five major altarpieces, including that of Saint Marguerite (1498), attributed to Louis Bréa, and a altarpiece of Saint Anthony of Padua (1492) by Giovanni Canavesio. These works, partially dismembered in the eighteenth century, illustrate the primitive religious art of Nice.

Classified as a historic monument on September 21, 1983, the church also retains a remarkable liturgical treasure: silver statuettes, altar crosses and candlesticks from the 16th and 17th centuries. Among the notable pieces are a 17th century Virgin Dalbâtre and a relic of Saint Rosalie offered in 1626 by Pierre Salerno Barralis, a Jesuit from Lucéram. The 15th century murals, rediscovered in the early 2000s, also bear witness to its rich artistic past.

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