This Monday, December 6, Saint-Pons Abbey received the honorary title “Heritage Ribbons,” which rewards municipalities that have carried out renovation or enhancement work on their built heritage.
Begun in 2016, the renovation program of Saint-Pons Abbey led by the City of Nice involved the exterior, interior, and furniture renovation of the building, and was supervised by Antoine Gatier, chief architect of Historical Monuments.
The City of Nice wanted the renovation of this abbey because it is one of the oldest monasteries in the south of France, along with the Lérins Abbey and the Saint-Victor Abbey of Marseille. The renovation has thus allowed this baroque church, one of the most beautiful in the city, to regain all its splendor.
The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, who was present at the award ceremony this morning, declared that obtaining this red ribbon should encourage going much further regarding heritage restoration. According to him, it is these investments in heritage renovation – particularly religious – that contributed to Nice being included in the UNESCO World Heritage list last July.
