Our History
From 18th century to the present day...
The British love affair with Nice
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In the middle of the 18th century tuberculosis was the prevalent disease, and in an era before antibiotics, was incurable. The best hope of prolonging life, for those who could afford it, was a sojourn in a warmer, Mediterranean climate. Italy was the favoured destination, but in the early 1760s naval surgeon, author and tuberculosis sufferer Tobias Smollett found the climate of Nizza, in the Kingdom of Sardinia, beneficial to his health and wrote about it in his book, 'Travels Through France and Italy' (1766.) Thus began the British love affair with Nice.
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By the end of the second decade of the 19th century, over 100 families were regularly wintering in Nice and the original burial ground of Mantega (located roughly where Boulevard Gambetta joins the Promenade today) was full. On 12th April 1820, a group of British residents in Nice met “to take into consideration the necessity of establishing a permanent place of Worship for Protestants occasionally residing here and also for obtaining an additional Burial Ground.” Substantial sums were raised by subscription, the greatest benefactor being Lady Olivia Sparrow, the doyenne of Nice of the British community in Nice, who donated £300, over £30,000 in today's money.
The original Church
On 19th January 1821, King Vittorio Emanuele I of Sardinia granted a Patent to the British community, permitting them to purchase a piece of land on which they could create a new cemetery and build a place of worship – the latter on the proviso that it must not look like a church. For this reason, it was constructed to look like a villa.
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The British Episcopal Chapel, as it was then known, was the first purpose-built place of Anglican worship on the continent of Europe and opened its doors on Advent Sunday, 1st December 1822, with the first chaplain, Revd. Lewis Way presiding. Lewis Way was a great philanthropist and through his 'Beach Road' project was the driving force behind the construction of the first stretch of the Promenade des Anglais.
The current church
In October 1842 the See of Gibraltar was created, bringing the chaplaincies of continental Europe under one spiritual authority.
By the late 1850s, the original chapel in Nice was too small for the ever-increasing community and it was decided to construct a new church on the site. Demolition of the First Chapel began on 9th March 1859. The architect Thomas Smith, who was also responsible for the English Church in Naples [Images / links?] was engaged to design the new church and the foundation stone was laid in 1860, just before Nice ceased to be Sardinian and became part of France.
The new church was sufficiently completed for it to be consecrated on 22nd December 1862, by Dr George Tomlinson, the first Bishop of Gibraltar, who then consecrated the cemetery. It was one of the last official functions performed by Bishop Tomlinson before his retirement the following year.
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On 24th March 1862, the Building Committee wrote that “the church as now completed has, they are happy to say, obtained an approbation that has been almost universal as being not only the most handsome building at Nice but as being an English Church with which no other Church on the Continent can be compared for Architectural beauty and simple dignity.” The final cost of the new church was £5,187.7.10.
The Aspe and its windows
Holy Trinity was enlarged in 1913 with the addition of an apse at the east end of the church. The Lady Chapel (Chapelle de la Vierge) took its present form in 1917.
In 1929 the magnificent stained-glass windows created by (Maître) Lorin of Chartres, were placed in the apse.
The organ
Holy Trinity's organ was constructed in 1867 by J.W. Walker & Sons a renowned manufacturer whose organs grace Holy Trinity, Sloane Square, St Margaret's Westminster and the cathedrals of York, Rochester and Bristol among other churches. J.W. Walker was granted a Royal Warrant by Her Lat Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The organ was originally located in the gallery above the main (west) entrance to the church. In 1914 the organ was dismantled and shipped to London for refurbishment and was returned to Nice in 1919. Its present location is in the northeast corner of the church, next to the St Michael Chapel.
The Alter & Reredos
The marble altar and reredos in the St Michael Chapel came from Christ Church Carabacel, a Chapel of Ease constructed at around the same time as Holy Trinity, for the benefit of British residents in the Cimiez and Carabacel quartiers of Nice. Located towards the end of Avenue Notre Dame, just before it reaches Boulevard Carabacel, Christchurch was largely paid for by Revd Charles Childers, Holy Trinity's longest-serving chaplain (1843-1884.) Christchurch was closed in 1950 and subsequently demolished in 1953. The altar was a gift to Christchurch by Colonel E.C. Thompson.
The pulpit
The finely carved pulpit came from St Paul's Church, Cannes in 1956, as did the statue of Our Lady and the altar of the Lady Chapel.
The cemetery of Holy Trinity was officially opened in December 1822, however, three burials had already taken place by then, the first being of a Swiss infant. The third interment was of Colonel Vincent, who served on the first Committee of Holy Trinity and whose monument is the oldest surviving in the cemetery. A pyramid structure can be seen, along with Col. Vincent's memorial plaque, in the southeast corner of the cemetery. Also of interest is the grave of Revd Henry Francis Lyte, the author of the hymns 'Abide With Me' and 'Praise My Soul the King of Heaven,' which lies near the centre of the cemetery. Revd Lyte died in Nice on 20th November 1847, another victim of tuberculosis.
One of the grandest tombs in the cemetery is that of Adolphe Lacroix, who succeeded his father Pierre as British Consul in December 1842 and died in May 1871. His was the last burial permitted in Holy Trinity which officially closed (apart from the interment of ashes) in 1868. Consul Lacroix was much loved by the British community as there are two memorials for him within the church, one a stained-glass window in the Mary Chapel and the other, the great brass eagle lectern which is still used today.
At a council meeting on 5 October 1960, it was decided to raise the level of the churchyard by 20 cm, thereby covering cracked and illegible gravestones, which is why only a certain number remain visible today.
There have been three church halls, the first located at the end of what is now the presbytery garden, was constructed by Thomas Smith, the architect of the present church; the second, constructed in the mid-1890s by Aaron Messiah, who also built the presbytery (1894), stood on Rue de France about 90 metres forward from where the third and present hall is situated. [Images?] The present hall dates from 1960.
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In 2022, Holy Trinity celebrated 200 years of continuous worship in Nice. [Link to gallery page photos] There were various bicentenary celebrations which started in June with a concert and Scottish tea dance in the churchyard. (photo gallery link) and culminated in November with a Bicentenary Service jointly led by Archdeacon Peter Hooper. (Link to photos and bicentenary article)
There have been 22 chaplains, including Revd Henry Olivier, grandfather of the actor Laurence Olivier. [Link to short page about chaplains?]
We are delighted to welcome our 23rd chaplain ….. in Advent 2023.