Chapelle Sancta Maria de Olivo
Tucked into the old quarter behind the market square, the tiny Romanesque Chapelle Sancta Maria de Olivo dates to the 12th century and was built on the site of an even older olive grove — hence the name. Most visitors to Beaulieu never find it, yet it holds a quietly moving collection of ex-voto paintings donated by sailors who survived Mediterranean storms.
Inside the Chapel
The interior is barely larger than a generous living room, with rough-hewn stone walls, a barrel-vaulted ceiling and a single shaft of light falling from a high south window onto a gilded wooden Madonna. The ex-votos — naive painted panels showing ships in distress, lightning-struck masts and miraculous rescues — line the walls in dense rows and tell two centuries of local maritime history more vividly than any museum could.
The chapel is maintained by the local parish and still holds occasional services; if you arrive during one, wait quietly outside and you will usually be waved in by a parishioner once it concludes.
The Surrounding Old Quarter
The lanes around the chapel — Rue Quincenet and Rue de la Gare Vieille — are among the oldest in Beaulieu, with ochre-washed houses, terracotta pots of geraniums and the occasional cat asleep on a window ledge providing an antidote to the grand Belle Époque boulevard just two blocks away.
A five-minute walk brings you to the Place de l'Église and the larger 19th-century parish church of Saint-Michel, whose bell tower is a useful landmark for navigating the old town on foot.
More of Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Beaulieu-sur-Mer →
