Tour Saint-Nicolas
The tower of a 16th-century parish church that became a prison, a town hall and an exhibition hall.
- Heritage site
- 1 h 19 from Beaune
- Allow 15 to 30 minutes
- Paray-le-Monial
€285one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Official website
- tourisme-paraylemonial.fr
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 19 by road (109 km), €285 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
Facing the town hall, the Tour Saint-Nicolas is what remains of the old parish church of Paray-le-Monial, built in the 1530s. Its tall square tower, topped by a dome and a lantern, is one of the landmarks of the town centre. Today the former church hosts temporary exhibitions.
What you will see
Walk round the building to see how the tower rises above the shortened church, from its plain lower storeys to the belfry, the dome and the lantern on top. Look for the corbelled turret on the gable, dated 1658. When an exhibition is on, step inside the former nave, where artists and local associations show their work under the old vaults. From the foot of the tower, the carved façade of the town hall fills the other side of the square.
History
While the monks prayed in their priory church, today's basilica, the people of Paray had their own parish church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas. It was built in the 1530s and consecrated in 1535, and its massive bell tower followed in a later building campaign. A corbelled turret on the gable carries the date 1658.
At the Revolution the monks' church became the parish church, and Saint-Nicolas was closed to worship. It served in turn as a prison, a guardhouse and the town hall, until the council moved across the square into the Renaissance house of Pierre Jayet in the 1850s. Part of the church was then pulled down to widen the road, and what remains has been listed as a historic monument since 1950.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
The tower can be seen from the square at any time. The inside opens only during temporary exhibitions, and entry is then free. Allow 15 minutes, or longer when an exhibition is on. It faces the town hall, so the two are best seen together on a walk between the basilica and the Musée du Hiéron.
Around here
What to combine with Tour Saint-Nicolas on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Tour Saint-Nicolas is about 1 h 19 from Beaune by road (109 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €285 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Closed to worship at the Revolution, Saint-Nicolas never became a church again: the people of Paray took over the monks' church, now the basilica, as their parish church.
Sources
Tour Saint-Nicolas with a private driver
€285 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests