Church of the Holy Trinity

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of the Holy Trinity of Lamentin, located in Guadeloupe, has undergone several reconstructions since its foundation in the seventeenth century. The 1843 earthquake destroyed the original building, rebuilt in 1855 and blessed in 1859. An organ, commissioned in 1887 at the Didier d'Épinal workshops, was installed before a cyclone in 1899 and Hurricane Okeechobee in 1928 destroyed the church permanently.

The reconstruction began in 1931 under the direction of architect Ali Tur, specialist in post-cyclonic buildings in Guadeloupe. Using reinforced concrete, he kept the original basilica (central nave and lower side) while integrating Art Deco elements: claustras, mucharabieh stained glass windows, and a remarkable openwork staircase. The church was listed as Historic Monument in 2017 and labeled Heritage of the 20th Century.

The architecture combines technical modernity (cradle vault and concrete frame) and stylized ornaments, such as baptismal fonts or checker tiles. Christ on the facade, surrounded by claustras, symbolizes this fusion between religious tradition and innovation. The budget of CHF 1.23 million (borrowed from the Colonial Land Credit) excludes the adjacent presbytery, also designed by Tur.

Ali Tur, author of more than 100 buildings in Guadeloupe, has a ternary and symmetrical architectural vocabulary, visible on the side façades and the main façade. The interior decoration, sober and coherent, extends the Art Deco style outside. Some liturgical elements (dwellers, chairs) were specially designed by the architect, marking his mark on this exceptional heritage.

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