The Sainte-Croix church of Nantes

Nantes – Saint Croix Church

The Sainte-Croix church is not a church you are going to go out of your way to admire, but the bell tower is something to be seen. This also happens to be the church where the famous sci-fi writer Jules Verne was baptised.

The church was built in the 17th century, but they have found parts of the church’s structure built on a chapel founded by the Benedictine monks in the 11th century.

The church is nestled in between the houses, and it’s quite difficult to get a complete picture of the church.

The steeple of the Sainte-croix church in Nantes
The steeple of the Sainte-croix church in Nantes

One of the more interesting parts of the church is the belltower:

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The belltower of the Sainte-Croix church in NantesThe belltower of the Sainte-Croix church in Nantes
The top of the belltower of the Sainte-Croix church in NantesThe top of the belltower of the Sainte-Croix church in Nantes

The belltower was added in 1860 using the City Hall’s bells. The main bell came before that from a castle (Château Bouffay) and weighs 8096 kilos.

As stated before, the church is built pretty much up against the houses in the neighbourhood. However, there is one small part reserved for the church garden.

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Path to the Sainte-Croix church gardensPath to the Sainte-Croix church gardens
Sainte-Croix church gardens in NantesSainte-Croix church gardens in Nantes

Inside

The inside of the church is well adorned. The neighbourhood was pretty well affluent so it shows.

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The main area of the St-Croix church in NantesThe main area of the St-Croix church in Nantes
The arches of the St-Croix church in NantesThe arches of the St-Croix church in Nantes
Side chapel of the Sainte-Croix church in NantesSide chapel of the Sainte-Croix church in Nantes
The altar of the Sainte-Croix church in NantesThe altar of the Sainte-Croix church in Nantes
Another chapel of the Sainte-Croix church in NantesAnother chapel of the Sainte-Croix church in Nantes

Stained Glass Windows

Like all churches, the Sainte-Croix church has several stained-glass windows, but nothing that says wow.

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Stained glass windows of the Sainte-Croix church in NantesStained glass windows of the Sainte-Croix church in Nantes
Stained glass windows of the St-Croix church in NantesStained glass windows of the St-Croix church in Nantes

Conclusion

The Sainte-Croix church is not a church with a big wow factor, apart from its pretty belltower.

The inside is nice, even pretty, but not spectacular. But if you are in the neighbourhood, a quick visit can be of order.

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