Cathédrale de Sainte Réparate

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Dating from the 18th century, this impressive cathedral overlooking Nice's prettiest square was built in honour of the city's patron saint. The Sainte Réparate in question, a teenage girl martyred in the Holy Land in 250 AD, and then came the short way to France, being transported to Nice in a flower-filled boat towed by angels (hence the Baie des Anges). Modelled on Santa Susanna in Rome, the Baroque interior of Sainte Réparate mirrors the traditional basilican cruciform design and then complements that with various ornate touches, such as the brightly coloured Genoese-style tiling on the dome. Musicologists will find much to admire in the cathedrals three organs, especially the largest example (the one overlooking the narthex), which was lovingly restored in the 1970s by the renowned organ builder Jean-Loup Boisseau.