SAINT-EPVRE : Square and basilica

The Saint Epvre Church towers above one of the largest and busiest squares in the old town. Up till the end of the 19th century the square with its fountain topped by a statue of Duke Rene II was the site of the town's market. The present-day Basilica (it is not the cathedral) was built in the second half of the 19th century in the current gothic revival style. Among its generous donors were Napoleon III of France and the Emperor Francis Joseph I of Austria. Much of the interior decoration was due to artists from numerous European countries.