Discover the impressive recycled church of Saint Grégoire in the city center

Cool in summer and warm in winter. Hospitable and peaceful. The parish church in the Provencal medieval village Tourettes-sur-Loup always welcomes you and the locals when the summer heat gets too intense or the winter winds at 400 meters altitude lure frozen tourists indoors.

The father of celibacy
The church is named after Pope Gregory the Great, who with a strong personality was a very important pope in the 6th century. He is referred to as a very pious advocate of clerical celibacy, which was problematic as his fellow priests often had to deny knowledge of their own children and cast them off to an uncertain fate.

However, Gregory was especially known as a strong missionary and administrator and for his great interest in art and music. He lived from 540 and became Pope at the age of 50 until his death in 604, after which he was immediately made a saint of musicians, singers, students and teachers. The sanctuary of St. Grégoire is not big and flashy, but definitely worth a visit with a simple yet colorful Catholic wall decoration and two beautifully carved and gilded 15th-century statues at the altar.

Recycling church
It probably wasn’t waste sorting and reducing CO2 reduction the priest was preaching about, but unknowingly, St. Grégoire has been a recycled church for many centuries, as it has been a gathering point in the mountains behind the Mediterranean coast with varying faiths over time in exactly the same place.

Therefore, a pagan altar stone has been integrated into the church’s decoration and the buildings have been rebuilt several times. Most recently from a Roman Renaissance church in 1551 to a Catholic church, which got its current appearance in 1861.

Newly renovated building
The church’s facades, bell tower and roof have just undergone extensive but gentle renovation in 2020 and 2021, after many years of neglected maintenance and looking a little worn. Green plants and even small trees had taken root and were growing here and there on the roof and cornices.

Now the church is beautiful again and ready for many more years of service to the local community, and the funds for the renovation were raised through sponsorships from local businesses.

A great lunch stop
The church is located in the heart of the old town on Place de la LiberationThe cafés and restaurants in the narrow streets around the church are a great place to enjoy lunch or a cup of coffee while visiting the church. And if you visit Tourettes-Sur-Loup in early March, you might even be lucky enough to see the church and the whole town decorated with thousands of blue violets and yellow mimosas.

By Mikael Mortensen/ 2020