Èze: €303,081 raised to restore an 18th-century church
In Èze, the restoration of the church Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption — an 18th-century Baroque building closed to visitors since 2022 — is underway. The public fundraising campaign, which the town hall is running together with Fondation du patrimoine, has exceeded its target: €236,990 was contributed by 127 donors, a further €66,091 came from patrons and grants — €303,081 against a stated €300,000. And on 19 and 20 September 2026, for European Heritage Days, the construction site was opened to the public for the first time.
What happened to the church
The church’s problem is water. There are capillary rises at the base of the walls, the roof had been leaking for years, a crack appeared in the chancel dome, and there are also concerns about the bell tower. The main reason people come here has suffered from damp: the Baroque painting in the side chapels, the stucco and trompe-l’œil have in places simply disappeared. The first phase — drying out the masonry using electro-osmosis — has already been completed; next in the works are the chapels and the floors, then the choir and the main altar.
Who is paying for this
The overall estimate, according to the project’s architect, is around €3 million. The Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes has allocated €1,078,818, the regional cultural authority DRAC PACA — €758,118.90; the remainder is being raised through subsidies and private donations, the collection for which the Èze town hall opened in January 2022.
What was shown on Heritage Days
Free tours of the village and the church were held on 19 and 20 September at 10:30 and 14:30, by appointment, from the town hall building. They were led by the director of the tourist office, Patrick Le Tiec: attendees were told how decisions are made for a listed monument, how restoration differs from archaeology and which 18th-century craftsmen’s techniques were revealed during the works.
What this church is known for
The church was built in 1764–1772 at the behest of the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emmanuel III; the architect was Antoine Spinelli, the designer of Place Garibaldi in Nice. The church was consecrated on 17 May 1772. From the outside it is Neoclassical: an ochre façade with Corinthian pilasters and a circular oculus; inside — a Baroque single nave with side chapels. The clock face on the bell tower is blue — the colour of the Virgin Mary. The church has been listed as a historic monument since 5 December 1984.
The town hall has not yet announced the reopening date after restoration. More about the village itself — in our guide to Èze, and about what is happening further up the slope — in the piece on Fort La Revère.
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Photo: GFreihalter / Wikimedia Commons