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Origin and history

The church of the Annunciation, located at 1 rue de la Poissonnerie in the Old Nice, is one of the oldest churches in the city, erected around the year 900. Originally dedicated to the Apostle James the Major, she was the second largest parish in Nice. In 1531 the monks of the abbey of Saint-Pons exchanged the priory of Sainte-Reparate against this church, which later became the site of the Carmelites after the destruction of their convent in 1543. The Carmelites undertook its reconstruction from 1610, with a first stone laid in 1677 and works until the 18th century.

The Baroque church was listed as a historic monument in 1942. It underwent several transformations, notably after a fire in 1834 which destroyed a major painting of Domenichino, replaced by the Annunciation of K.A. Chevelkine, offering its present name to the building. In 1934, the cult of Saint Rita was introduced, making the church a popular place of devotion under this term. The successive restorations, like those of 1983-1985, preserved its sumptuous decor, mixing frescoes, retables and marbles.

The interior, restructured in the 17th century, features a rectangular nave and a hemicycle choir, decorated with six side chapels. Among them, the chapel Sainte-Rita, formerly dedicated to the Holy Cross, houses a statue venerated since 1934. The chapel of Saint-Erasme, dedicated to sailors, and that of Saint-Pierre, linked to fishermen, reflect the church's ties with the Nice corporations. The bell tower, added in 1740-1741, dominates an architectural ensemble marked by the rococo and baroque influence.

The facade, although partially remodeled, retains original elements such as the white marble porch and carved walnut doors (1845). The lintel bears a Latin inscription recalling the presence of the Carmelites. The interior decoration, of exceptional richness, includes 19th-century frescoes, retables and statues, such as that of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel in white marble (1760-1771) by J.B. Ansaldi.

The church, originally parish, lost this status after the Revolution but remained an active place of worship. It was entrusted to the Oblate Fathers of the Virgin Mary in 1844, who restored the building and added elements such as carved doors. Today it combines artistic heritage, religious history and popular devotion, especially thanks to Saint Rita, whose cult attracts many faithful.

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