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Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church
Religious building, Historic site and monument
in Sainte-Marie
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Around 1688, a donation from M. Laquand made it possible to build a church, the worship taking place until then in the chapel of the Dominicans of Fond Saint-Jacques.
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Gémosat, the King's lieutenant, indicates that the original masonry construction, 14 metres long and 8 metres wide, stands in the middle of the cemetery. As is often the case in the West Indies, the bell tower is separated from the church. This provision limits the consequences of a collapse in the event of a hurricane.
Due to the regular increase in population, the church soon proved too small and the successive enlargements of the 1850s remained insufficient. In 1873, the factory council...Gémosat, the King's lieutenant, indicates that the original masonry construction, 14 metres long and 8 metres wide, stands in the middle of the cemetery. As is often the case in the West Indies, the bell tower is separated from the church. This provision limits the consequences of a collapse in the event of a hurricane.
Due to the regular increase in population, the church soon proved too small and the successive enlargements of the 1850s remained insufficient. In 1873, the factory council decided to build a new building in another healthier place, on a hill, its current location, and the following year Father Isaure kicked off the renovations. But once the masonry, the framework and the roof were completed, the credits were lacking and the construction was suspended. To cope with the growing number of parishioners, Father Fabre obtained, in 1879, that the building would be delivered to the cult in its present state. His successor, Father Aubrain, had the work resumed and on August 6th 1891, the church was consecrated by Mgr. Carméné.
Built according to a basilical plan, it takes the form of a vast rectangular building. Relics of St. Martial and St. Jucondine were brought in and sealed in the high altar. The 1891 and 1903 cyclones caused major damage: the roof and one of the towers were washed away. The parish feast takes place on August 15th, Assumption Day.
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