An emblematic Montpellier landmark, the former church of Sainte-Anne is the tallest building in the Écusson, rising 68 metres above the old town. Built in the neo-Gothic style between 1866 and 1872 at the initiative of Jules Pagézy, then mayor of the city, it stands on the site of a former 13th-century church — a striking silhouette over the historic centre.
Deconsecrated in the late 1980s, the church was reinvented by the city as a space dedicated to contemporary art: the Carré Sainte-Anne. For more than 25 years, its immense nave hosted a demanding, adventurous artistic programme well off the beaten track, welcoming many major artists along the way — among them Marc Desgrandchamps, Gérard Garouste, Bernard Pagès, Hervé Di Rosa, Manuel Ocampo, and Jean-Michel Othoniel.
In 2017 the building had to close its doors, its structure grown too fragile, and the city undertook a major programme of preservation and restoration. Renovated and reborn, it reopened in 2025 with around 700 m² of exhibition space — the soaring neo-Gothic architecture now a spectacular setting for contemporary creation, and entry remains free.
A meeting of bold contemporary art and breathtaking sacred architecture, the Carré Sainte-Anne is a genuinely unique place to experience — right in the heart of Montpellier.