Basilica St Michel Menton Tourist Attractions Cote d'Azur
Possibly the most central element in Menton's old town is the Basilica of Saint Michel who is also called the archangel Michael. He is the patron saint of Israel and the one who gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. There were only 4 archangels in Christian and Jewish religious scripture, so his religious importance is very high. The area, or even the whole neighbourhood, around the basilica is replete with Baroque treasures, one of which is the Chapel of the Conception or Chapel of the White Brotherhood. Pope John Paul II proclaimed it a basilica in March 1999.
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Menton France
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Menton was under the control of Monaco from 1346 to 1848, and then became part of France in 1861. Most of the principal monuments and buildings that are now famous tourist attractions in the south of France date from the XVIIth Century. This was a time of flourishing Italian Baroque art.
St Michel was founded as the Chateau de Puypin in the early part of the XIth Century by the Count of Ventimiglia, later changed to Vintimille. This was a powerful and wealthy local noble family owning the Lascaris Palace in Nice.
It is situated in the heart of the Square Saint Michel, where the festival of chamber music is annually held each August. Connecting the church to the square is a wonderful set of steps with two ramps, which is an attraction on its own. Honore II, the first person to officially hold the position of Prince of Monaco, started the construction process in 1619, but it was only until 1640 that things really got moving. By 1653, much work had been done, although it would continue over the next two centuries. Part of its facade was reworked during the XIXth Century. |
The basilica is built in two levels which the bell tower, a typical Italian feature, joins together as one. This part was constructed between 1701 and 1702. It has both square and cylindrical features. SOme pillars separate multiple console sections. A small frieze of human-like masks is located just below a shell-covered dome. In a seeming display of architectural talent, a balustrade and a cupola lead to another shell-covered dome on which a cross is placed.
It is worth taking a brief pause to consider the nave. Based around four spans that give on to lateral chapels, the entrance with its arc of triumph leads to a chancel, which is as narrow as other churches in the area are. The nave is supported by wide columns, whose tops are capped by stunning archways. The deep sanctuary is clearly separated from the rest of the building. Stop and admire the way that light and shade play together between the statues and columns. |
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The artistic treasures that await you inside are something to behold: a few trompe-l'oeil paintings by Cerrutti-Maori in the central vault and a beautiful purplish Genoese damask, which is a firm, lustrous fabric whose woven design appears on both sides of the material, but the latter is only rarely brought out in the open.
The square is quite a sight with its thousands of black and white pebbles representing the official arms of the Grimaldi family. The ramp along the Rue Longue was built by Honore III between 1757 and 1758 and is designed to accentuate the basilica's presence.
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