Lovers of settings steeped in history should not be asked to attend the theatrical high masses in a former Franciscan church in Old Nice. Before long, the city will, in fact, deliver a new cultural place that is spectacular and very aesthetic to say the least, with its 14-metre high walls, its choir and its 13th century stones. The place will replace one of the halls of the National Theater of Nice (TNN) whose demolition is scheduled.
The resurrection of this religious building, located in Old Nice within the Franciscan convent, also converted into rehearsal rooms and offices of the TNN, however, was not obvious. Somewhat forgotten by history, occupied in turn by a storage area, then a cinema, a nightclub and even a dumpster, the church owes its salvation to intense archaeological excavations launched from 2012. walls were hidden, floors segmented the place.
20 tons of lime and sand to consolidate the walls
The redevelopment project, at 8 million euros, led by the municipality was not easy either. “It was necessary to preserve and solidify the masonry by injecting, for example, more than 20 tonnes of lime and sand to consolidate the walls”, explains Stéphane Morabito, director of the city’s heritage. 1,500 tonnes of rubble were also removed from the building to restore the whole building to its original volume. The medieval tombs, buried under the church, on the other hand, will continue their deserved eternal rest, without having been touched.
In terms of reception capacity, 214 to 304 seated spectators (or 584 standing) will attend the plays. “We are in beauty, the sacred. We will be able to offer productions with great texts, great artists, enthuses Muriel Mayette-Holtz, director of the TNN, but we will not be obliged to load the scenography because the place itself takes us away as soon as we enter it. . The first performance is expected on April 26 with “Darwin’s Smile”, performed by actress Isabella Rossellini.
–
