The Catholic basilica cathedral in Nice is dedicated to Saint Reparata, a saint unknown to Russian tourists. But for the locals it is "their" saint - she is the patron saint of Nice.
Reparata, a fifteen-year-old native of Caesarea Palestine, suffered for Christ in 250: her head was cut off. It is said that the body of the martyr was placed in a boat, which angels brought to the shores of Nice (this is one of the versions of the origin of the name "Bay of Angels").
The Cathedral of St Reparata stands on a small square among the narrow streets of the Old Town. The first church on this site appeared as early as the 13th century. The cathedral of Nice for a long time was located on the Castle Hill, but in the first half of the 16th century it was decided that the episcopal cathedra will be located below, and the parish church of St Reparata became a cathedral.
Over time, the small building was no longer able to accommodate the faithful, and in 1649 the architect Jean-André Hubert began reconstruction of the temple. Construction was slow - there was money, or there was not enough. The year 1658 was overshadowed by a terrible accident - the vault of the nave collapsed, the debris injured the bishop, who died a few hours later. Work resumed only five years later. Finally in 1699, a new cathedral in Baroque style, with a dome covered with coloured glazed tiles in the Genoese spirit, consecrated.
However, this was not the last of the alterations: between 1731 and 1757 a charming bell tower was added, and between 1825 and 1830 the already ornate façade was decorated with four statues of saints and a statue of the kneeling Saint Reparata directly above the entrance.
The façade of the cathedral has recently been restored. Work continues on the restoration of the luxurious interior, which is decorated in the same opulent Baroque style (rich decoration, Corinthian columns, gilding, frescoes). The ten chapels of the cathedral have an interesting history: once they belonged to private individuals who decorated them, maintained them and buried family members there. This practice stopped in the 18th century, when King Victor Amadeus III of the Kingdom of Sardinia banned burials in churches.
