Fréjus Episcopal City (Cité Épiscopale)
Tucked inside the old town, the Episcopal City is a layered architectural gem: a 5th-century baptistery (one of the oldest in France), a Romanesque cathedral, a Gothic cloister with 1,200 painted ceiling panels, and a small but excellent archaeology museum — all clustered around a single cloister garden of aromatic herbs.
The Baptistery and Cathedral
The octagonal baptistery dates to the late 4th or early 5th century and is one of only a handful of early Christian baptisteries still standing in France. Eight re-used Roman granite columns ring the immersion pool — the recycling of pagan material for Christian use written in stone.
The adjoining cathedral of Saint-Léonce was built in stages from the 10th to the 13th century and retains a beautifully carved wooden door depicting scenes from the lives of the saints. Step inside for the cool silence and the early Gothic nave that feels intimate rather than monumental.
The Painted Cloister Ceiling
The two-storey Romanesque-Gothic cloister is the highlight for most visitors. Its wooden ceiling is divided into 1,200 small painted panels depicting animals, monsters, saints and scenes from daily medieval life — a medieval graphic novel overhead. Take binoculars or use your phone zoom to catch the detail.
The small archaeology museum attached to the complex displays finds from the Roman city: glassware, coins, bronze statuettes and a reconstructed model of Forum Julii at its 1st-century peak. It adds essential context to everything else you'll see in Fréjus.
More of Fréjus
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Fréjus →
