Acropolium of Carthage

Deconsecrated French cathedral on Byrsa hill, now a cultural centre

The Acropolium — formally Saint Louis Cathedral — is the substantial late-19th-century church that dominates the top of Byrsa hill. It was built by the French colonial administration in 1890 to commemorate Saint Louis IX, who died near here during the Eighth Crusade in 1270, and was the seat of the Archdiocese of Carthage until Tunisian independence.

The cathedral was deconsecrated after independence and is now used as a concert hall and cultural centre — the acoustics are remarkable and the calendar of evening recitals (mostly classical, some jazz) is worth checking. Even when nothing is on, the building is open to visitors during the day and the interior, with its Moorish-influenced details and Byzantine arches, is worth a look. Combined with the Carthage National Museum next door, it makes a natural visit.

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A story
Saint Louis IX of France died here in 1270 during the Eighth Crusade — felled not in battle but by dysentery in the besieger's camp at the foot of Byrsa hill. The cathedral was built six hundred years later, in 1890, to commemorate him; the French colonial state declared the site French territory in perpetuity. After Tunisian independence the cathedral was secularised and the building handed back to Tunisia in 1964.