Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Voyage Church

With La Croisette and the Palais des Festivals just around the corner, it’s true that the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Voyage Church doesn’t exactly steal the spotlight in Cannes. But its presence offers a rare chance to discover a quieter, more authentic side of the city. Consecrated in 1879, the church as we see it today was designed by architect Laurent Vianney, in a Romanesque-inspired style. However, its origins lay in the 15th century, where it was once a much smaller chapel, first known as Notre-Dame des Sables — Our Lady of the Sands — and later as Notre-Dame de Bon Port, or Our Lady of Safe Harbor. All names reflect its location near the Mediterranean and its role as a place where sailors came to pray to the Virgin Mary — either before setting out to sea or to give thanks upon their safe return. While Napoleon may not have stepped inside the church, he did set up camp just outside it, during the night of March 1st to 2nd, 1815. Returning from exile on the island of Elba, he had just landed at Golfe-Juan and was determined to reclaim power. His brief stop in Cannes marked the very beginning of what would later become known as the Route Napoléon — the historic path he followed through the Alps to Grenoble and then on to Paris, in a final attempt to restore his empire. A plaque on Rue Bivouac-Napoléon still commemorates this short but significant moment in history.