The Église Sainte-Croix stands on a small square in the Bouffay quarter, the medieval core of Nantes. From below you notice its odd silhouette: a 17th-century church front topped by a tower that carries the old city belfry, with a ring of angels blowing trumpets to the four points of the compass. Its big bell and public clock once rang from the Bouffay castle that stood nearby.
Église Sainte-Croix at a glance
- Where: Place Sainte-Croix, in the pedestrian Bouffay quarter, a few minutes from the Loire quays and the castle.
- Built: rebuilt from 1669, with the façade completed in 1685; the choir was redone in the 19th century and the belfry was placed on the tower around 1860.
- What it is today: a working Catholic parish church, open to visitors outside services.
- Time needed: 15–20 minutes, more if you wander the Bouffay lanes around it.
From castle chapel to city belfry
Sainte-Croix is an old foundation. By the 11th century the church belonged to the Benedictine monks of Marmoutier, and it may first have served as a chapel for the Bouffay castle, the fortress that guarded this corner of Nantes. In 1669 the building was found to be close to collapse and was rebuilt: the nave kept a Gothic style, while the front received a classical Baroque façade with columns and pediments, finished in 1685. In the 19th century the choir was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style.
The tower is the part with the best story. The Bouffay's own tower, which held the city's bell and clock, was demolished in 1848. The city architect Henri-Théodore Driollet decided to give the old belfry a new home on top of Sainte-Croix, and the church took its present shape around 1860. The great bell, cast in 1663, still hangs in the campanile with the public clock. Among the people baptised here was Jules Verne, born on the nearby Île Feydeau in 1828.
What to look for
- The belfry on top of the tower, with its open lantern and the ring of angels sounding trumpets towards north, south, east and west.
- The public clock on the tower: it is the city clock that once belonged to the Bouffay.
- The 17th-century façade, with its classical columns and pediments, a contrast to the Gothic nave behind it.
- Inside, the white marble high altar, consecrated in 1844, and the 18th-century mahogany pulpit with its wrought-iron rail.
- The marble statue of Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours surrounded by ex-votos, small plaques of thanks left by worshippers over many years.
Why the bell belongs to the city
For centuries the Bouffay was the seat of justice and a prison as well as a fortress, and its bell marked civic time for the whole town. When the castle came down, Nantes did not want to lose that voice. Moving the belfry onto a parish church was a practical solution, and it means that a church tower in Nantes still carries a piece of the city's secular history. That is why the clock face looks out over the square like a town hall clock rather than a church one.
Tips for your visit
- Look at the belfry from the far side of Place Sainte-Croix: from there you can see the angels against the sky.
- Visit in the morning when the square is quiet; in the evening it fills with café and restaurant terraces.
- Go inside quietly and avoid visiting during Mass.
- Combine it with a stroll through the Bouffay's narrow streets, where several timber-framed houses survive.
Nearby
- Place du Bouffay: the square where the castle and its tower once stood, now lined with cafés.
- Château des ducs de Bretagne: the white stone castle of the Dukes of Brittany, a short walk east, with walls you can walk along.
- Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul: the tall Gothic cathedral with the tomb of Francis II of Brittany, a few minutes' walk north-east.
- Île Feydeau: the former island of shipowners' mansions just south of the Bouffay, where Jules Verne was born.
See Nantes with World City Trail
Our Nantes scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 36 minutes of walking. It includes the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Nantes.
Play the Nantes scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Nantes →
Play the outdoor escape game in Nantes →
Facts checked in October 2026.