About Église de Sainte-Dévote (Church of Saint Devota) in Monte Carlo, Monaco:
Built in its present form during the reign of Prince Charles III (r. 1856 to 1889), the church replaced an old chapel and was established as a parish in 1871. It is dedicated to Saint Devota.
About Saint Devota:
Patron saint of Monaco, Devota was a 4th-century Christian martyr from Corsica, tortured and martyred around 303 A.D. during Roman persecutions. The story of Saint Devota is necessarily interwoven with traditions. She was reportedly a young woman in Corsica, at the beginning of the 4th century (303/312), who bore witness to her Christian faith through her life. After her martyrdom, to prevent her body from being burned, Christians placed it on a boat bound for Africa. A storm arose, but a dove emerged from her mouth, guiding the boat to Monaco’s shores in the Vallon des Gaumates (near the current St. Devota Church) on January 27th. Local fishermen discovered the boat and buried her body, later building an oratory where her tomb was found. There, even though they did not know her name, people recognized her as a “pious” person, that is, “devoted to God,” hence her name “The Devout,” and they immediately venerated her as a saint because of her many miracles leading to her veneration. She was eventually proclaimed as patron saint under Prince Honoré II.
She became a symbol of the Principality’s faith and protection and is honored annually with ceremonies including a symbolic boat burning on January 26th and 27th.
A recent study of the relics has confirmed many of the traditional conclusions: they are indeed the remains of a young woman who was probably killed by blows, and the various bones remaining in the Principality and in Corsica belong to the same body.
Even today, the saint is a symbol of Monegasque unity and identity, and the reigning family is very attached to her.
Every January 26, the eve of the patron saint’s day, the historical event are recalled:
The relics arrive in port on a boat, a dove is released, prayers are recited, then the Prince himself, accompanied by the highest authorities, sets fire to a boat, recalling an attempt to steal the relics in medieval times, thwarted by the Monegasques with the burning of the criminals’ boats.
The following day (accompanied by the sound of the national anthem), the Prince’s Palace, the city and the sea are blessed during a solemn procession of the relics of Saint Devota.
Traveling to Église de Sainte-Dévote (Church of Saint Devota) in Monte Carlo, Monaco:
The church is near the port, at the entrance to the natural valley of the Gaumates.
Address:1 Rle Sainte-Dévote, 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 99 99 14 10