Saint Paul’s Collegiate Church

Listed as a Monument Historique, Saint-Paul church retains elements of a 12th-century nave, spared when it was built in the late Gothic style in the 16th century. It was only converted into a collegiate church in 1572.

The Collegiale Saint-Paul d'Hyères houses a remarkable collection of some 430 painted ex-voto statues, mainly from the former sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Consolation. Dated from the XVIIᵉ to the XXᵉ century (with a strong XIXᵉ majority), these small votive paintings thank the Virgin or the saints for protection or healing. They mostly depict illness, domestic or traffic accidents, sometimes maritime dramas. Made on canvas, wood, paper or cardboard, they are both a testimony to popular devotion and a precious chronicle of everyday life and the risks of yesteryear.

Don't miss this extraordinary collection as you stroll through the historic center of Hyères.

From the top of this church, you can contemplate nine centuries of Christianity. A listed historic monument, the Collégiale Saint-Paul is as much part of the landscape as it is part of the soul of Hyères. Built in the 12th century, this Provençal Romanesque edifice stands side by side with a radiant Gothic second part, giving it its distinctive character.

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