Nevers (Nièvre)

Ducal Palace (Palais Ducal) (0.2 miles)

The Palais Ducal (15th-16th C), once the residence of the Counts of Nevers, is a fine example of Renaissance secular architecture. In 1810, Madame de Cousse-Brissac, heiress of the last Duke of Nevers, sold the main castle and its outer buildings to the City and Department of Nevers. The buildings were used as a town hall and law offices until 1850 when they were moved to the Hotel de Ville. Visitors will find spectacular architecture at the Ducal Palace, complete with octagonal turrets and an elegant central tower adorned with sculptures, dating back to the mid-17th century, illustrating the family history of the first duke, François de Clèves. The structure now houses an annex of the law courts. Read more...

Cathédrale Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte de Nevers (0.2 miles)

The Cathédrale de St-Cyr reveals a walled display of French architectural styles, from the 10th to the 16th centuries. St-Cyr has two opposite apses; one Gothic, the other Romanesque. A unique feature of the structure is its contemporary stained glass windows, which were created by several different artisans. After an air raid on July 16, 1944, which destroyed most of the original windows in the structure, local artisans were commissioned to replace the windows with their own designs. Read more...

Church of Saint Etienne (Église Saint-Étienne) (0.3 miles)

In the northeast of Nevers old town is the church of St-Etienne, a purely Romanesque church of 1097, with three Merovingian sarcophagi in the choir. Read more...