Collégiale Saint-Paul

Hyères

The former collégiale Saint-Paul overlooks the old town of Hyères, at the top of a staircase that opens onto the roadstead and is listed together with it. From the first church survives the 12th-century nave, in Provençal Romanesque style, which became the narthex of the present building; in the 13th century the wall of the upper town came to enclose it, and the porte Saint-Paul became the main entrance. Towards the end of the 16th century, a new church in late Gothic style, of irregular plan, was joined to the old one: five bays lit by flamboyant windows, a three-sided apse, and a square Romanesque tower that dominates the whole. The church was raised to collegiate status in 1572. The portal, of Renaissance appearance, dates from 1787-1789, and the door and staircase facing the lower town from the 19th century. During the Revolution, the building housed the Cult of Reason. Its riches lie chiefly in its ex-votos: some 430 small votive paintings, painted on various supports, each showing a scene of everyday life in the face of danger; it is one of the most important such collections in Provence. Most come from the pilgrimage chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Consolation, on the hill of Costebelle, now vanished. A legend, unsupported by any document, holds that the treasure of the Templars, of whom Hyères was one of the strongholds, lies hidden beneath the collegiate church.

Wikipédia — Église Saint-Paul d'Hyères ↗

Getting there : Place Saint-Paul, in the old town, via the staircase from the lower town; access for people with reduced mobility is by the rear of the building (to be checked). Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm, except public holidays, free admission, according to the tourist office (to be checked).

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound