Sainte Devote is of course the patron saint of Monaco. The pretty little church, built in her honour, stands set back from one corner of the port and is where Princess Charlene recently laid her bouquet - a tradition with brides in the Princely family.
The original chapel dates back to before 1070, when it first appears in archived documents. It was restored and most probably enlarged in the 16
th century. In 1870, the façade was rebuilt, then extended in 1891 in a composite '18
th century Neo-Greek' style. The steeple, 15 metres high, dates from 1870.The work was carried out from 1885 to 1891. The chapel became the parish church in 1887.
The glazier, Nicolas Lorin from Chartres, was entrusted with the stained glass windows. Some were recuperated including those from the former Saint Charles School, established in the past on the Rocher by Monseigneur Theuret, the first Bishop of Monaco, and reassembled here. These windows, destroyed during the bombing of Monaco in August 1944, were restored or repaired, as for example this stained glass window of Saint Dévote made by Fassi Cadet of Nice in 1948. Click on the link to read the history of Saint Dévote herself and more information on the church.
There were so many yachts on the water but none as big as Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's megayacht Octopus. In the top photo you see one of his helicopters taking off.
