Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of the Sacred Heart of La Tremblade was founded by the confiscation on 8 September 1681 of the first Protestant temple of the village by the Catholic authorities. Bishop de la Brunetière, bishop of Saintes, then consecrated the building to the Virgin Mary, thus responding to the absence of a place of Catholic worship in this predominantly Protestant village. This initial building, reused as a parish church, marks the beginning of a turbulent religious history in this locality of fishermen.

In 1880, the construction of a new sanctuary was launched under the direction of architect Jean-Michel Alaux, known for his neo-Gothic works in the region, as in Saint-Georges-de-Didonne. Partly financed by Abbé Barbotin, parish priest, the site officially began on 15 May 1880 in the presence of Bishop Thomas, bishop of La Rochelle and Saintes. The main work ended in 1884, followed by the building of the bell tower between 1886 and 1894, the year of the solemn consecration by Bishop Bonnefoy.

The bell tower, surmounted by a typical 19th century octagonal arrow, became a local symbol until its collapse during storm Martin in 1999, quickly rebuilt. The church, of neo-Gothic style, is distinguished by its Latin cross, its cross vaults, and its stained glass windows narrate biblical scenes. In 2023, it was closed for risk of collapse, transferring parish activities to other churches on the Presquíle d'Arvert.

Inside, there is a working neo-Gothic high altar and a collection of contemporary paintings, the polyptych of the cross, made by Michel Genty. The facade, decorated with a statue of the Sacred Heart and the inscription Venite ad me omnes, illustrates the religious and artistic influence of the period. The centenary of the church, celebrated in 1994 by Bishop David, highlights its anchoring in local history.

Today, the Church of the Sacred Heart remains a major architectural and historical testimony of the Charente-Maritime, reflecting past religious tensions and the urban evolution of La Tremblade. Its recent closure recalls the challenges of preserving the heritage in the face of climatic and structural hazards.

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