Cathedral Notre-Dame De La Nativité – France’s Smallest

Here in the middle of the old medieval town of Vence, you will find France’s smallest cathedral.

Normally, you expect cathedrals to be large and impressive, but what determines whether it’s a church or a cathedral is simply whether the church houses a bishop or not.

And Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité became the bishop’s seat around the year 449 when Saint-Véran became the first bishop of Vence, and the cathedral has held this bishop’s seat for nearly 1500 years.

Dates Back to the Romans

The church originally dates from the year 300 AD and is built on the remains of a former Roman temple. The Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité as we see it today took its form around the 12th century, and many religious artifacts are still preserved. Due to the cathedral’s long life and ongoing additions, it today represents several styles; including Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque.

The cathedral became a national monument in 1944 along with a long list of furniture and other items in the cathedral, including the tomb, stalls, busts of Saint Véran and Saint Lambert, the baptismal font, pulpit, funeral plaques, paintings, several statues, and much more.

Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité Seen from the Outside

There are two places where you can see the extent of the Cathedral; from Place Clemenceau where the entrance to the cathedral is located and at the back, on Place Godeau. The area at Place Godeau was formerly the church’s parish yard, and here you can see the old church tower from the 14th century, which is the tallest building in Vence.

At the entrance itself, pay special attention to the two stones with Roman inscriptions, which are embedded in the wall near the ground on each side of the entrance.

These are Roman dedication plaques, which depict the dedication from the city of Vintium (Vence). The left stone honors Emperor Gordian III. It dates back to the year 239. The stone on the right shows the dedication in honor of Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Pius Felix. It was engraved in the year 220.

The tower, Saint Lambert, to the left at the entrance to the cathedral is from the 12th century.

Inside the Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité

1. Inside the doors on the wall to the right is a fragment of a Carolingian sculpture of a bird drinking from an amphora.
2. Once inside, you encounter an overview of the choir from the 16th and 17th centuries as well as the Romanesque nave.
   
   

   

3. In the columns on each side of the choir aisle, several Carolingian fragments (from the year 600 to 800) are embedded, as well as on the walls at the entrance to the choir, which testify to the existence of a very beautiful Carolingian church from the 9th century.
4. The altar at the end of the choir in polychrome marble (red and white) is flanked by two silvered bust statues of Saint Véran and Saint Lambert, from 1825 and 1826 respectively, standing on glazed boxes containing the bones of the two saints.

   In the north wall of the nave to the left of the altar, there is an organ from 1871.

5. On the right side of the choir aisle, you will find the chapel dedicated to Saint Véran, bishop of Vence from 449. When Saint-Véran died in 492, his body was placed in a marble sarcophagus, which today is the altar in the chapel dedicated to him.
   
   

   

   To the left of the sarcophagus in a glass case are two busts of Saint Véran and Saint Lambert respectively.
   Here also hangs a Renaissance altarpiece representing Saint Véran blessing the people.

6. The Chapel of Saint Lambert, dedicated to the bishop of Vence from 1154. The altar is built over his sacred grave.
7. Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
8. Large cross with Christ from the 16th century by an unknown artist.
9. The corner with the baptismal font is decorated with a mosaic by Marc Chagall, representing Moses saved from the water. Chagall wanted to express the joy of baptism by taking the theme “Moses saved from the water.” And it is truly the joy that radiates from its mosaic with its bright and varied colors, the flowers or fruits of the trees on the shore, the colorful dresses of the women, the sun’s radiance, and its reflections on the water.
   
   

   

10. Magnificent altarpiece of the guardian angel Gabriel accompanying the young Tobias, from the 16th century. This chapel was formerly at the foot of the bell tower.
11. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Here you can admire one of the most beautiful Carolingian carved plaques in France. The highest plaque represents either a Phoenix (symbol of resurrection) or an eagle (symbol of St. John).

    Two paintings, undoubtedly representing Saint Véran and Saint Lambert, and to the right in the bell tower wall, the old door to the rectory, dating from the 15th century, has been preserved.

12. Access to the galleries on the 1st floor (only occasionally open). Here you will find the cathedral stalls from 1460. These are an excellent example of wood carving from the 15th century in Provence and were made by cabinetmaker Jacques Bellot from Grasse.
    
    

    

    The galleries provide access to the treasury, where you can see some truly amazing paperolles. Paperolles is a very special sculpture technique made in paper. It is quite an extraordinary level of detail that can be achieved in such small parts. You think it can’t be done, but it can, and it’s a great experience to see.

By Tommy Sverre – 2022