Saint-Nazaire Church

The church of Saint-Nazaire

The Saint-Nazaire audio-guided tour presents you with the church of the city, a sanctuary of stone and luminous stained glass with a destiny several times begun anew.

A church with three lives

In the sixteenth century, as the local population grew, a new place of worship was built on the site of a former priory: this is the first life of the church. In 1891, on the initiative of the municipality, the building was replaced by a larger version, in the taste of the end of the nineteenth century; thus began its second life. But around 1945, the bombings of the Second World War struck hard the largest church of the city. On their return, in 1947, the inhabitants celebrated mass in a gutted building, before an altar of planks, in the cold and the rain. A Nantes architect then undertook a vast project and rebuilt, in about ten years, a much more spacious church. This is the third life of the sanctuary, the one that stands today before us, all in stone and stained glass, open free of charge to the public.

What there is to see

The church invites contemplation in its stone nave bathed by the light of the stained glass. It preserves a religious heritage inherited from its successive versions and bears witness, by its reconstructions, to the resilience of a city wounded by the war. It is a peaceful stage, open free of charge, that mixes history and spirituality.

Practical information

The church of Saint-Nazaire is in the centre of the city. A place of worship, it is open free of charge to the public and can be visited with respect for the services, according to hours to be checked on site.

Why does one speak of the three lives of the church?

Because it was built in the sixteenth century, rebuilt in 1891, then raised again after the bombings of the Second World War.

Can the church be visited freely?

Yes, it is open free of charge to the public, with respect for the services and the hours displayed on site.