Church of Saint Devota
Église Sainte-Dévote
A small chapel dedicated to Monaco's patron saint, beside the first corner of the F1 circuit. Each January a boat is burned in a traditional festival.
The Church of Saint Devota stands at the bottom of the Gardes valley, at the northwest corner of the harbour, and is dedicated to Saint Devota, Monaco's patron saint. Legend says that the body of this Corsican martyr drifted to the shore in a small boat in the 4th century, and a church was later built in her memory. The current building dates from a 19th-century reconstruction. On the evening of 26 January each year, the princely family attends a commemorative ceremony in which a small boat is burned in front of the church, a distinctive sight. The church sits right beside the first corner of the F1 circuit, Virage Sainte-Dévote, and car fans often come here to take photos. It is about five minutes' walk from Monaco station.
Opening hours
Daily (except during Mass)
Nearby sights
- Monaco Top Cars Collection
- Circuit de Monaco
- Port Hercules
- Prince's Palace of Monaco
- Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo
- Monaco-Ville (Le Rocher)
- Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate
- Oceanographic Museum of Monaco