Église Saint-Martin Saint-Augustin

Église Saint-Martin Saint-Augustin stands in Nice’s old town as one of the oldest churches in the city’s lower town. Its parish was already organised in the year 1249. The original Romanesque building gave way to a Baroque church during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Augustinian hermits served here until 1792 during the Revolution. Its Italian Baroque character reflects Nice’s historical links with Savoy, Genoa, and Turin across the region. The façade carries a serliana and triangular pediment above the entrance. One bell tower remains after an earthquake destroyed the second tower in 1887. White marble marks the main altar by Nicolas Ravenna inside. The nave and choir display statues of the four evangelists alongside eighteenth-century paintings of Augustinian saints. A Renaissance pietà is attributed to Louis Bréa. A small convent adjoins the church, with exposed brickwork and a gallery inspired by Piedmontese architecture. Saint Rita’s statue stands in the first chapel on the left. Historical records associate this site with Martin Luther’s mass and Joseph Garibaldi’s baptism. The building became a historical monument in 1946.