St. Louis Cathedral, Fort-de-France

The Cathedral of Fort-de -France ( Cathédrale Saint -Louis de Fort -de -France ) is an in 1895 at the site of several previous buildings designed by the architect Pierre -Henry Picq ( 1833-1911 ) in Fort- de -France, the chief -lieu of the French overseas region of Martinique, and built the church dedicated to Saint Louis. She's Episcopal Church since 1850, since 1967 the seat of the Archdiocese of Saint- Pierre and Fort-de -France of the Roman Catholic Church. The church building is attributed to the historicism. It was restored in 1982 and again in the 1990s and is a historical monument since 1990.

History

The first, built in Fort- de -France in 1671, the humble chapel was already three years after its completion the arson attack on the Dutch victim. The second, formed at this location in 1703 and 1766 damaged by a tsunami, an earthquake destroyed the house of God in 1839., French architect César Jolly designed the 1850 finished third church. This drew the great fire of 1890 in Fort- de -France strongly affected, their remains destroyed a cyclone in 1891.

Architecture

The present cathedral is, as the also built by Pierre -Henry Picq in Fort- de -France Bibliothèque Schoelcher, a slight fire - and earthquake-resistant Metallskelettbau, which was erected in prefabricated construction. The items were prefabricated by the industrial companies Moinsant -Laurent- savey in France and shipped to Martinique.

The west facade is a facade with a three-storey tower, tapered upward to the side of buttress -based portal tower and two side portals.

The three-nave interior has round arches and a dome on an octagonal base. It is attributed to the neo- Byzantine style. The leaded stained glass windows depict scenes from the life of Christ and of the Holy Louis and local personalities. There are also shown native plants and traditional costumes from Martinique.

Furnishings

Noteworthy is the large organ case.