Religious Sights in Saint-Tropez — 8 of Our Favourites

Construction of the chapel started in 1635, finishing only a year later. The Black Penitent Brotherhood's mission was to visit and help the sick and transport the dead.

Exceptional items featuring there include the serpentine stone door, from a quarry between La Croix-Valmer and Cavalaire-sur-Mer, and the bell tower with its tile glazed dome

This monument belongs to the village. 

The present community of monks have inhabited the island since the arrival of the first Cistercian monks from Senanque (near Avignon) in 1869.

There are many ancient chapels surrounding the monastery, plus stunning flora and fauna for you to stroll in and around whilst you discover the beauty of the site. You can visit the historic monument of the fortified monastery and discover the ancient chapels dotted around the perimeter of the island. The island itself is maintained, cultivated and ecologically preserved. 

It's also possible to participate with the monastic community and, although there are parts not accessible to the public, the church is still open. If you want to visit for longer to really recharge, enjoy the silence, and pray... there is the opportunity to stay on the island, in the hospitality of the Abbey.

Its walls are decorated with many ex-votos, thanking Saint Anne, patron of seamen, for her help. The chapel sits on the highest point of a hill overlooking the village of Saint Tropez, therefore offering breath-taking panoramic views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea.

If you're a Rolling Stones fan, you must visit this chapel where Mick and Bianca Jagger got married on May 12th 1971, when she was four months pregnant. Guests included Paul and Linda McCartney, Ringo Starr, film director Roger Vadim, Eric Clapton, as well as Jagger's bandmates. The ceremony turned out to be not the quiet affair Mick had imagined and pararazzi surrounded the tiny chapel. The pictures of Bianca wearing a white trouser suit by Tommy Nutter, with a bit more cleavage on show than what is normal for a Catholic wedding, are iconic.

The impressive abbey is formed of large stone walls and cloisters. There is a church, a cellar, a fountain and the old monks quarters which housed the original stone dormitories.

The simplicity and purity of its lines are a great example of Cistercian architecture, known for its austerity. Famous contemporary architects like Le Corbusier, who visited the site in 1953, have been inspired by this building.

Because of its great acoustic, live music events and concerts are often celebrated at this monastery.

Each Sunday mass is celebrated in the Abbey and guided tours are available or you can wander around on your own.

Inaugurated in 1887, it was named in honour of the famous Lepanto sea battle in 1571, when the Holy League defeated the fleet of the Ottoman Empire (and where famous Spanish writer Cervantes, author of Don Quijote, lost his hand). The Vatican elevated it to the rank of Basilica in 2004.

Created with a mixture of Byzantine style, Moorish influence and inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the church is a very striking building in the centre of St Raphael. Built mostly in pink sandstone from the Esterel mountain range, it covers an area on 950 square metres and at its highest point is 35 metres tall. On its façade there is a statue of the archangel Saint Raphael, protector of the town

Masses are said regularly, and the active parish surrounding this church hosts aperitifs following special Sunday celebrations.

The first bishop of Fréjus was Saint Leontinus of Fréjus who started the church here for the first time, hence it's referred to as Cathedrale Saint Leonce.

The cloisters were built between the 11th and 14th centuries: a series of pointed arches resting on double Corinthian columns surround the small patio. The ceilings are painted with beautiful small medieval images made in the second half of the 14th century. They depict the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ, Saint Peter, canons, priests, demons, angels, animals and fantastic creatures like a mermaid, a dragon or a centaur. There are also very interesting depictions of normal people, such as a butcher, a juggler or a knight.

Entry into the cloister is charged for, and if you're there on a Saturday you may be lucky enough to catch one of the many weddings that take place within the cathedral.

This building replaced an older 16th-century church which became unstable when the current chapel was erected. There had been an earlier 11th-century religious construction on this same site, destroyed during Queen Jeanne's succession wars.

Inside, you can admire statues and wood carvings dating back to the early 19th century, along with the bust of Saint-Tropez, which is paraded through the streets every year during the famous 'Bravades' celebration.

The Romanesque church was built in 1174, however in 1264 and 1271 it was burned down. It wasn't until the sixteenth century that the present chapel and the great south gate were built.

The current Chartreuse is a lovely and imposing set of buildings, completely isolated in a hilly forest of pine, oak and chestnut, overlooking the artificial lake, Lac de la Verne.

The drive up to the monastery is a beautiful scenic trip. A community of nuns still lives in the building, making ceramics and other crafts for sale at their shop.