ClasséChurch · protected 1840église Saint-ÉtiennePhoto: Jochen Jahnke sur Wikipédia allemand · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ancienne église Notre-Dame dite église Saint-Genest · Photo: sybarite48 · CC BY 2.059historic monuments
History of Nevers · Monuments historiques
59 historic monuments, 20 classé
For every 10,000 residents Nevers counts 18 monuments, more per resident than 94% of compared French towns, against 2.5 in the median compared French town. A protected historic area (site patrimonial remarquable) is on the ministry’s list; its rules are still being drawn up. The oldest monuments in Nevers date from the 11th century. We have photos of 54 of Nevers’s monuments.
Monuments historiques
59
18 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
20
the highest protection
Inscrit
39
the second level
Oldest part
11th c.
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
9.7%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Nevers in 54 photos
Nearly every classé monument, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Cathédrale Saint-Cyr et Sainte-JulitteClassé
église Saint-ÉtienneClassé
Palais Ducal (ancien)Classé
Évêché (ancien)Classé
Porte de ParisClassé+49See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
Map
Where Nevers’ monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscritWithin 400 m of Cathédrale Saint-Cyr et Sainte-Julitte
13 of 20classé monuments stand within 400 m of Cathédrale Saint-Cyr et Sainte-Julitte, with 33 of the town’s 59 monuments.
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
59 monuments by protection
20 Classé39 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point.
Classé
20 classé monuments in Nevers
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 9 of the 20 are protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséChurch · protected 1923Ancienne église Notre-Dame dite église Saint-GenestPhoto: sybarite48 · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséCathedral · protected 1862Cathédrale Saint-Cyr et Sainte-JulittePhoto: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1941Église Saint-Sauveur (ancienne)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Cypris · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChapel · protected 2001Ancienne chapelle Saint-SylvainPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Cypris · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséBuilding · protected 1916Immeuble dénommé Avant-Porte du CrouxPhoto: Cypris · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1970Maison du 15e sièclePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Cypris · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown walls · protected 1945Remparts (anciens)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Cypris · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséMilitary building · protected 1945Tour de Cuffy dite tour GoguinPhoto: Original téléversé par Olivier2000 sur Wikipédia français . · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséHouse · protected 1916Maison du 16e sièclePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Cypris · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChapel · protected 1913Chapelle des Oratoriens (ancienne)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséBishop’s palace · protected 1913Évêché (ancien)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Cypris · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséConvent · protected 1862Couvent des Soeurs de la CharitéPart of the building is protectedPhoto: TCY · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHome · protected 1840Palais Ducal (ancien)Photo: Jochen Jahnke 14:40, 16. Mär. 2008 (CET) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséBuilding · protected 1932Immeuble, rue d'AuvergnePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Cypris · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Church · protected 2000Église Sainte-Bernadette du Banlay
Inscrit
39 inscrit monuments in Nevers
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
All 38, A to Z
"Maison dite " Villa Mauguière ""Abbaye de Fontmorigny (ancienne)Abbaye Saint-Genest (ancienne) ou ancienne abbaye Notre-DameAncien hôpitalAncien hôtel de la MonnaieAncien lycée MirangronAncienne faiencerie de l'AutrucheChambre des Comptes (ancienne)Chapelle funéraire de la famille Laborde, sise au cimetière Jean-GautherinConfiserie Au NegusHôtel Andras de MarcyHôtel de Fontenay (ancien)Hôtel de la Caisse d’ÉpargneHôtel de MaumignyHôtel de villeHôtel des Bordes et son jardinHôtel TiersonnierImmeuble dit Palais ou Tour de l'HorlogeImmeuble, 10 rue CreuseImmeuble, 11 rue des Belles-LunettesImmeuble, 3 quai des MariniersImmeuble, 65 rue de NièvreMagasin, 43 avenue Charles-de-GaulleMaison dite du Prieur de l'abbaye de Saint-MartinMaison, 13 rue des Belles-LunettesMaison, 17 rue Saint-EtienneMaison, 4 rue de l'EvêchéMaison, 40 rue de l'OratoireMarché Saint-ArigleMonument aux morts de la NièvrePetit château dit La GloriettePortail de la Cour des RécolletsRempart des CarmélitesRemparts (vestiges)Remparts de la tour du Havre à la LoireRemparts et vieux mursRotonde ferroviaireTour Saint-Trohé
10 more, named only by their kind
10 more are named in the list only by their kind: 4 buildings (immeubles), 4 houses (maisons) and 2 others, most from the 16th century. The 9 with an address are in the list above, by it.
14th c.1
16th c.2
17th c.1
18th c.2
19th c.1
20th c.1
undated2
What’s protected
Houses and homes are the largest group in Nevers
Each monument under the main domain Mérimée gives it.
Houses & homes23
Religious buildings11
Public & civic7
Military & fortified5
Shops & trade3
Tombs & cemeteries2
Bridges & engineering1
Industrial1
Houses & homes: 23 of 59 monuments (39%). 11 are religious buildings, 9 of them classé.
Mérimée files each monument under one main domain: a château with its chapel counts once. 6 have no domain on the list.
How old
How old Nevers’ monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.0
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.24
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution17
19th century 1801–19005
20th century and later since 19014
24 of 50 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: église Saint-Étienne (11th c.). 9 monuments have no date on the list.
Protected area
A protected historic area is on its way in Nevers
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR27-42 | ZPPAUP December 25, 2008 | Still being drawn up |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
When protected
14 of Nevers’ monuments were protected in 1946
Monuments by the year they were first protected.
1946 · 14
1840186018801900192019401960198020002020
First protected, in 1840: église Saint-Étienne and Palais Ducal (ancien). That was France’s first list of monuments historiques, drawn up in Prosper Mérimée’s time as inspector. 14 were protected in 1946 alone. 6 have been added since 2011.
Born before 1900
46 people born in Nevers before 1900
The 20 best known on the line, and eight of them below.
Jean Beaupère
Élisabeth de Bourgogne
Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien
Étienne Gounot
Pierre Philibert Fougère
Pierre Marandat d'Olliveau
Louis Gaspard Dard d'Espinay
Jacques Léonard Laplanche
Noël Joseph Clément
Claude, Hyacinthe Blaudin-Valière
Simon Robert
Pierre Auguste Adet
Pierre-Gaspard Chaumette
Antoine Darnay
Jacques André Manuel
Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot
Louis-Charles Malassez
La mère Poulard
Auguste Matisse
Jean Zyromski
13501500165018001950
ÉB
Élisabeth de Bourgogne1439–1483 · Duchess of Cleves by marriage
MC
Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien1641–1716 · queen of Poland
PA
Pierre Auguste Adet1763–1834 · Scientist, politician, diplomat
PG
Pierre-Gaspard Chaumette1763–1794 · French politician
AA
Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot1817–1882 · French general
LC
Louis-Charles Malassez1842–1909 · French anatomist and histologist
LP
La mère Poulard1851–1931 · French cook
AM
Auguste Matisse1866–1931 · French painter
Everyone born in Nevers Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Nevers has the 2nd most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 31,100 to 35,300 residents, by historic monuments.
Nevers59
#2 of 41for monuments per resident (18 per 10,000). Most per resident: Paris 3e, Nevers and Vienne.
The median town of these has 5. 5 of the 41 have none.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Nevers
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevers | 33,085 | 59 | 20 | Yes |
| Coulanges-lès-Nevers | 3,688 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Varennes-Vauzelles | 9,146 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Marzy | 3,623 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Fourchambault | 3,992 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Garchizy | 3,648 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Imphy | 3,182 | 0 | 0 | — |
In brief
Nevers in brief
For its size, Nevers has more historic monuments than 94% of compared French towns. In all there are 59 historic monuments, 20 of them classé, including Ancienne église Notre-Dame dite église Saint-Genest. The oldest is église Saint-Étienne, from the 11th century. Its classé monuments cluster together: 13 of them stand within 400 m of Cathédrale Saint-Cyr et Sainte-Julitte.
Only one of the 41 towns nearest its size has more historic monuments. Église Sainte-Bernadette du Banlay carries the Architecture contemporaine remarquable label. Of the 46 people born here before 1900, the best known include Élisabeth de Bourgogne (1439), Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien (1641) and Pierre Auguste Adet (1763). Beyond that, 9.7% of its homes were built before 1919, close to the 7.4% in the median compared French town.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Nevers
How many historic monuments are there in Nevers?
The Culture ministry lists 59 historic monuments in Nevers: 20 classé and 39 inscrit.
Which monuments in Nevers are classé?
20, among them église Saint-Étienne, Ancienne église Notre-Dame dite église Saint-Genest, Cathédrale Saint-Cyr et Sainte-Julitte, Église Saint-Sauveur (ancienne), Ancienne chapelle Saint-Sylvain and Porte du Croux.
How old are the monuments of Nevers?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from the 11th century.
Is Nevers a protected historic area?
One is on the way: a site patrimonial remarquable for Nevers is on the ministry’s list, but its rules are still being drawn up.
When were monuments in Nevers first protected?
The first in 1840, the latest in 2025.
How old are the homes in Nevers?
9.7% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 9, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.