Monaco Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-Immaculée), is the white stone church on the Rock of Monaco-Ville, a few minutes' walk from the Prince's Palace. It was built between 1875 and 1903 on the site of a 13th-century church of St Nicholas. Its best-known moments belong to one couple: Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly were married here in April 1956, and both are buried behind the high altar.
Monaco Cathedral at a glance
- Where: Rue du Colonel Bellando de Castro, in the old town on the Rock (Monaco-Ville), between the Prince's Palace and the Saint-Martin Gardens.
- Built: first stone laid on 6 January 1875, completed in 1903, consecrated on 11 June 1911.
- By: the architect Charles Lenormand, under Prince Charles III.
- What it is today: the seat of the Archdiocese of Monaco and the burial place of most of Monaco's princes, open to visitors outside services.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes inside, longer if you stay for an organ recital or Sunday Mass with the choir.
From St Nicholas to Our Lady Immaculate
In 1247 the pope authorised a church on the Rock, and the parish church of St Nicholas stood here for more than 500 years. Prince Charles III, the ruler who founded Monte-Carlo, had it demolished in 1874 to make way for a larger building suited to Monaco's new prosperity. Its replacement, designed by Charles Lenormand in a neo-Romanesque style with Byzantine touches, was built of white stone from the quarries of La Turbie, just above Monaco. Work began on 6 January 1875 and lasted almost thirty years.
The church was completed on 12 November 1903 and consecrated in 1911. In 1956 it became world-famous when the religious wedding of Prince Rainier III and the American actress Grace Kelly took place here on 19 April, with some 600 guests and a television audience across Europe. In 1981 the diocese was raised to an archdiocese. Grace was buried here after her death in 1982, and Rainier beside her in 2005.
What to look for
- The tombs in the ambulatory: the graves of Monaco's princes, from medieval lords to Prince Louis II, line the walk behind the altar; Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III lie side by side, usually with fresh flowers.
- The St Nicholas altarpiece: an altarpiece of around 1500 by the Nice painter Louis Bréa, made up of eighteen panels, saved from the old church.
- The high altar and the bishop's throne: both carved from white Carrara marble.
- The great organ above the entrance: built in 1976 and rebuilt in 2009–2011, with four keyboards and about 7,000 pipes; its front panels can be lit to match the music.
- The old bell: in the lane beside the cathedral hangs a bell cast in 1484 for the church of St Nicholas, which rang in 1641 when Prince Honoré II drove the Spanish garrison out of Monaco.
Feast days on the Rock
The cathedral is at its busiest on two dates. On 27 January, the feast of Sainte Dévote, Monaco's patron saint, the princely family attends a pontifical Mass here; on 19 November, Monaco's National Day, there is a solemn Mass and Te Deum before the celebrations at the palace. From September to June, the boys and girls of the cathedral choir school, the Petits Chanteurs de Monaco, sing at Sunday morning Mass.
Tips for your visit
- Entry is free outside services; dress respectfully, with shoulders and knees covered, and keep your voice down near the princely tombs.
- Come early in the morning, before the tour groups that visit the palace and cathedral together arrive.
- Step back across the square for a photo: the white façade with its three portals and arched windows fits best in the frame from the far side of the street.
- Mass times and concerts change through the year, so check the cathedral's programme before planning around them.
Nearby
- The Prince's Palace: the Grimaldi residence on Place du Palais, where the guard changes daily just before noon.
- The Oceanographic Museum: Prince Albert I's palace of the sea, built on the cliff edge and opened in 1910.
- The Saint-Martin Gardens: shaded paths along the cliffs on the south side of the Rock, with views over the sea.
See Monaco with World City Trail
Our Monaco scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 24 minutes of walking. It includes the Prince's Palace and a viewpoint over Fontvieille.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Monaco.
Play the Monaco scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Monaco →
Play the outdoor escape game in Monaco →
Facts checked in October 2026.