SAINT MICHAEL'S CATHEDRAL
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In the heart of the old town, on a beautiful sunny square stands Saint-Michel Cathedral, whose colourful façade is characteristic. It has a Lombard Romanesque bell tower that survived the destruction of the original Romanesque church and includes a high basement from the late 12th century pierced in its upper part by a narrow and high bay. Crowned by a gear-toothed band, it has two floors ending in a pyramidal arrow, probably dating back to the 13th century. The church became a cathedral in 1378, during the Great Schism, when Sospel supported the Pope of Avignon, and then deteriorated afterwards. During the plague epidemic of 1632, the people of Sospel vowed to rebuild their church. It was effectively rebuilt from 1641 to 1672 by the military engineer and architect Jean-André Guiberto from Nice, who embellished the second floor of the church's façade and pediment. The cathedral was restored again in 1888 following the earthquake of 23 February 1887 that affected eastern Provence and Liguria. It has been classified as a Historic Monument since April 18, 1951.
In the chapel to the left of the choir, François Bréa's altarpiece of the Immaculate Virgin is a Renaissance masterpiece. Opposite, the 15th century Pietà church has one of the oldest representations of penitents. The organ of the Agati brothers (1843), famous Tuscan builders, is located in the gallery. Spacious and bright, the cathedral is the largest in the Alpes Maritimes and offers many works of art from the 15th to 17th centuries. It regularly hosts Catholic Masses.
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