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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Divers
  3. Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur
  4. Alpes-Maritimes
  5. 06310 Beaulieu-sur-Mer

  6. Saint Michael

Saint Michael à Beaulieu-sur-Mer dans les Alpes-Maritimes

Saint Michael

    9 Chemin des Myrtes
    06310 Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Private property
Museums of France
Miscellaneous
Photo de Saint Michael

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1889
Initial project
1893
Construction of the nave
janvier 1894
Church Consecration
1903
Major expansion
1911-1913
Interior decoration
3 juillet 2020
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

In total, the following parts of the ensemble formed by "Saint Michael" and its surroundings, as defined in the plan annexed to the decree: the church, including its decorations, the landscape surrounding the church, the fence and its access gate, located 11 chemin des Myrtes, on Parcel No. 60, appearing in the cadastre section AD: inscription by order of 3 July 2020

Key figures

James Livesey - Engineer and donor Offered the land for construction in 1893.
Temple Moore - Architect Author of the initial plans of the church.
Aaron Messiah - Local architect Supervised the construction and expansion of 1903.
Bertrand Pleydell-Bouverie - Chapelain and artist Made the painted decorations (1911-1913).
Ernesto Bellandi - Painter Author of the altarpiece (Ascension, 1897).
Dr. Sandford - Bishop of Gibraltar Consecrated the church in 1894.

Origin and history

St Michael's Church is an Anglican church built in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, in the late 19th century. Its architecture, inspired by Italian models, reflects the historicist style popular with British communities in southern France. The building, originally conceived as a simple vaulted nave, was enlarged at the beginning of the 20th century to respond to the influx of faithful, with the addition of lower sides and a campanile.

The project originated in 1889, led by English residents such as Henry Samuelson and engineer James Livesey, who offered the land. The plans were designed by the architect Temple Moore, assisted on site by Aaron Messiah and the masterpiece Toussaint Giuge. The church was consecrated in January 1894 by the bishop of Gibraltar, Dr. Sandford. Between 1903 and 1913, expansion and decoration works, including high reliefs and paintings, were carried out under the direction of chaplain Bertrand Pleydell-Bouverie.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 2020, the church retains remarkable elements such as its altarpiece painted by Ernesto Bellandi (1897), its grey and gold interior polychromy, and its campanile adjacent to the south side. The site, including the landscape area and the fence, bears witness to the Anglo-Saxon cultural heritage in the region. Initial funding came from British donors, including Lord Salisbury, Prime Minister of Queen Victoria.

The building, with an elongated plan, combines a nave with a cradle, an apse in a cul-de-four, and arched bottoms. The ionic columns and the entably decorated with golden motifs reinforce its neo-baroque character. The organ stand, installed above the vestibule, dates from the 1903 enlargement. The official address, 11 chemin des Myrtes, places the church in a residential setting typical of the Belle Époque.

St Michael's Church embodies the rise of foreign colonies on the French Riviera, where the British, attracted by the climate, set up places of worship adapted to their traditions. Its history also reflects artistic exchanges between France and England, with local artisans (such as Aaron Messiah) working with British architects (Temple Moore).

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum