Sainte-Dévote Chapel

The chapel of Sainte-Dévote stands in a narrow ravine near the port, on the spot where, by tradition, the boat carrying the martyred saint's body came ashore in the fourth century. She is Monaco's patron. On 26 January each year a boat is burned in front of the chapel in a ceremony attended by the princely family, and the Grand Prix circuit passes directly outside the door. The saint's relics are held in the chapel and carried in procession on her feast day.

Background

Records first mention the chapel in 1070, when it stood against the wall of the Vallon des Gaumates, where the Chapel of Relics is now. Restoration followed in the 16th century, Prince Honoré II added a span in 1606, and a porch came in 1637. In 1870 the façade was rebuilt, and in 1891 it was reworked in an 18th-century Neo-Greek style. Nicolas Lorin of Chartres made the stained-glass windows, which Fassi Cadet of Nice restored in 1948. The chapel has been the parish church since 1887 and houses the Catholic charity Caritas Monaco. By local custom, a bride who marries the Prince of Monaco lays her bouquet here after the wedding.

Source: Wikipedia, "Sainte-Dévote Chapel"

What's there

• The chapel - the building on the traditional landing spot.
• The ravine setting - the narrow cut the chapel sits in.
• The 26 January ceremony - the boat burned in front of the chapel each year.
• The Grand Prix corner - the circuit turn named after the chapel.

When to go

Year round. The feast and boat burning fall on 26 January. Grand Prix week in May closes the area entirely.

Good to know

The chapel is small and the visit takes minutes. The ravine is now dominated by road and rail infrastructure. It closes during Grand Prix preparations.

Nearby

The port is below, and Monte-Carlo is east.

Key facts