Église Saint-Charles

You are now in front of the Church of Saint-Charles, on Boulevard Gambetta. Before it was a church, this place was a garden: that of the Doctrinarian fathers, teaching priests who settled here from 1686. In the early 1770s, a new parish was created by the bishop, Monseigneur de Becdelièvre, with the king’s approval, and the architect Claude Rollin built the church in this garden. Look at the facade: a large, very simple triangular pediment, engaged pilasters, and above the main door, a carved shell motif. The style is neoclassical, with a few Louis the Fifteenth touches. Go in if it is open: the single nave, in the manner of Jesuit churches, is lined with chapels and galleries with stone balustrades. The vault rises to 18.65 metres. During the Revolution, the church was damaged and lost its original furnishings, then it became a parish again in 1801. In the nineteenth century, it was extended with a new choir. It is dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, a saint and Catholic reformer. It has been listed as a historic monument since 2010.

History

The Doctrinarians, priests of the Christian Doctrine, settled on the site in 1686. In 1772 and 1773, the parish of Saint-Charles was founded by Monseigneur de Becdelièvre and the king, and the architect Claude Rollin built the church in the fathers’ garden. The Revolution damaged it, and it lost its original furnishings; it was re-established as a parish in 1801.

The idea of an extension appeared in 1844. The choir was lengthened from 1865, two bays were added to the sanctuary in 1867, and a staircase was built on the west side. The church, its outbuildings and its forecourt were listed as historic monuments by an order of 9 August 2010. It belongs to the town.

Art and architecture

The facade, neoclassical with a few Louis XV elements, has a vast, very simple triangular pediment, engaged pilasters with their capitals, and a carved shell above the door. Inside, the single Jesuit-style nave is lined with side chapels topped by galleries with stone balustrades. The vault reaches 18.65 metres. The bell tower rises above the nave, with round-arched openings framed by pilasters.

After 1831, a richly decorated chapel in the troubadour style replaced a former passage. Three other chapels have wood panelling in the same spirit and decorative paintings from the late 19th century.

Anecdotes

The church’s patron saint, Charles Borromeo, was a saint and a reformer of the Catholic Church. His name is a reminder that the church was founded in a town where Protestantism remained very present. The troubadour style of some chapels, inspired by an idealised Middle Ages, was fashionable in the first half of the 19th century.

What to look for

In front of the facade, look for the shell above the door and the engaged pilasters. Inside, take in the height of the vault, observe the galleries and their balustrades, then spot the troubadour-style chapel and the panelling of the neighbouring chapels.

Practical

The church faces Boulevard Gambetta, to the north of the Écusson. Entry is free; opening times and service times are published on the diocese website, nimes-catholique.fr. This is a place of worship: visit in silence and avoid mass times.

Nearby

Fort Vauban and the Roman castellum are a little further to the north-west. Heading back south, you reach the Place aux Herbes and the cathedral, where you can compare two periods of religious architecture in Nîmes.

Test yourself

Sources

• Wikipedia: Church of Saint-Charles, Nîmes
• POP Mérimée: Church of Saint-Charles (PA30000079)
• Tourisme Gard: Church of Saint-Charles

Information checked on 6 October 2026.