ST. LOUIS'S CHURCH
Its neobyzantine style inspired by Sainte Sophie-de-Constantinople makes it quite unusual in the landscape of the Loire estuary. This church was drawn up on the occasion of a architects' competition after the war of 1870. The Parisians had indeed made a vow during the war against Prussians to build a basilica on Montmartre if the city was spared. The first prize of this competition was the Sacré-Coeur of Abadie and the fourth prize, awarded to two nantes architects, the Douillard brothers, was realized in Paimbœuf. The surprising Byzantine style was chosen because it escaped the quarrel between the Republic and the clergy. De facto, everything is in Byzantine style: from the Greek cross-shaped construction to the plan centered around a dome, passing through the symbolism of the light that is inscribed in the tiles and opposing the façade, austere and massive, evoking the ramparts of the heavenly Jerusalem. A magnificent Baroque altar (classified) consisting of fourteen precious marbles from Italy comes from the Cistercian abbey of Buzay (next to the Martinière Canal), and was purchased by the city for 610 pounds, as a national property in 1792.
Book the Best Activities with Get Your Guide
Members' reviews on ST. LOUIS'S CHURCH
