From the esplanade of the Monastery where you can contemplate Saorge "village in the sky" hanging in ampitheatre from the restanques, enter a world of serenity: the baroque Franciscan convent, with the church and its terraced garden in a green valley.
The village of Saorge overlooks the Roya Gorge at the gates of Mercantour Park. Listed at the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, the Monastery, a former Francosiscan convent founded in 1633, is baroque in style. It has retained its original structure, painted decorations and food garden. The Church has remarkable walnut woodwork, paintings and liturgical objects. The cloister is decorated with 17th century frescoes illustrating the episodes of the life of St Francis of Assisi, as well as an exceptional set of nine period sundials. The refectory preserves 17th-century frescoes on monastic virtues. The garden, a veritable haven of peace open to the mountains, consists of an organic vegetable garden and an orchard, arranged in terraces with several irrigation basins linked together.
The monastery welcomes writers, translators, writers-in-residence writing from April to October.
- For the visually impaired public, the Monastery offers mediation tools: a tactile model and tour guides in Braille and thermoformed leaflets, very well designed, produced by a specialised association in collaboration with the Valentin Haüy association.
- For the mentally handicapped public, adapted tours are offered, in-house, by reservation.
- For the deaf and hearing-impaired, the Monastery can call upon the services of LSF interpreters, externally, by reservation and only for groups.
- To date, for the time being, no specific accessibility equipment is available for people with motor disabilities.
Guided tours included in the entrance fee at 10.30 am, 2.30 pm, 4 pm.
Duration approx. 1 hour.
Free of charge for :
- Under 18s (families and school groups excluded)
- 18-25 years old (European Union citizens and non-European legal residents in France)
- Disabled people and their companions
- Jobseekers (on presentation of a certificate less than 6 months old)
- Education pass (valid)
- The first Sunday in January, February, March and November
For all other free rates and measures, please contact us.
Payment methods
Payment methods
Payment methods
Bank/credit card
Check
Cash
Openings
Openings
From 1 February 2025 until 31 May 2025
From 1 February 2025 until 31 May 2025
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
10:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:00
Thursday
10:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:00
Friday
10:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:00
Saturday
10:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:00
Sunday
10:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:00
From 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm
Guided tour at 11am and 2.30pm
Exceptional closure on 1 May.
Location
Location
Franciscan Monastery of Saorge and Notre-Dame des Miracles church