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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Louis church was built between 1928 and 1930 in the mining town of Nouméa in Rouvoroy, under the leadership of Louis Dupont, banker and president of the Drocourt Mining Company, and Noël Beaugrand, director of Noeux. It was erected to serve the workers of nearby pits, in an architectural style marked by the use of brick-covered concrete, typical of post-First World War reconstructions. The building, inspired by Sainte-Sophie de Constantinople, adopts a Greek cross plan with a central dome decorated with frescoes today partially disappeared.

The church was blessed on 6 April 1930 by Bishop Charles Guillemant, and his bell Marie-Louise was baptized that same day, with Louis Dupont as godfather. In 1931 Rouuvroy-Noumea became an independent parish, and in 1934 the sisters of the Immaculate Conception settled there. Paris architects Charles Duval and Emmanuel Gonse designed the building, while renowned craftsmen such as Henri Marret (frescoes), Raymond Subes (ferronerie) and Jean Gaudin (glass windows) contributed to its interior decoration, mixing religious symbols and references to Saint Louis.

Ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012 among the 353 elements of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin, the Saint-Louis church is distinguished by its square bell tower with concrete pillars and absidioles housing secondary altars. The original frescoes, some of which represented the social works of Saint Louis or a Way of the Cross in frieze, mostly disappeared under layers of lime, with the exception of that of the Oak of Vincennes in the choir. The marble altar, offered in memory of Abbé Casimir Grabas, contains relics deposited in 1988.

The Nouméa city, where the church rises, had up to 10,000 inhabitants and was organized around a boulevard connecting the neighbouring mining towns (La Parisienne à Drocourt et du Maroc à Méricourt). The schools, French and Polish presbyteries, and the church formed a coherent brick ensemble, reflecting the working and multicultural identity of the region. Today, the church depends on the Diocese of Arras and receives more than a monthly mass, but remains a major testimony of the industrial and religious history of the Hauts-de-France.

The renovation works, such as the restoration of the slate roof in 1991 or the partial rediscovery of the Chemin de Croix in 2011, highlight the efforts to preserve this heritage. Antoine-Blanchant Square, where the church stands, was inaugurated in 1990 as a tribute to the parish priest of Rouvroy from 1968 to 1989. The building, owned by the municipality, has been protected since a decree of 9 October 2009 and draws attention to its unique blend of sacred art and mining architecture.

Future

The Church of Saint-Louis, its French and Polish presbyteries, are among the 353 elements distributed over 109 sites that were classified on June 30, 2012 as UNESCO World Heritage.

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