Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

Property of a diocesan association

Museums of France

Photo de Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

Crédit photo : Nnoel77 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle

Époque contemporaine

1900

2000

1902

Catastrophe of Saint Peter

29 juin 1904

Blessing of the first stone

1906

Transfer of the statue of Notre-Dame de la Délivrande

14 janvier 1924

Erection in Parish

15 août 1932

Installation of bells

8 décembre 2009

Registration for historical monuments

Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The entire church (Box BV 140): inscription by decree of 8 December 2009

Key figures

Alfred de Cormont - Project Initiator	Construction began after 1902.
Abbé Timoléon Fournioux - First aumonier	Initial spiritual leader.
Paul Lequien - Bishop of Martinique	Erected the Redout in the parish.
Révérend Père Alexandre Ritter - First priest	Supervised the completion of the church.

Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame du Rosaire de Redoute is a Catholic church located in Fort-de-France, Martinique, on the heights of the La Redoute district. Built after the catastrophe of 1902 that ravaged Saint-Pierre, it was conceived by Alfred de Cormont as a place of worship and pilgrimage. The first stone was blessed on 29 June 1904, and Abbé Timoleon Fournioux became the first to do so. The statue of Notre-Dame de la Délivrande, miraculously intact after the destruction of the Morne-Rouge, was transferred there in 1906, reinforcing its symbolic character.

In 1924, Paul Lequien officially erected the Redout as a parish and appointed the Reverend Father Alexander Ritter as the first parish priest. Under his leadership, the church's work, which remained unfinished, was taken over by the parishioners. The bells were finally installed on August 15, 1932, marking a key step in its construction. The bell tower, culminating at 37.35 meters, and the metal frame of 21 tons testify to an ambitious architecture for the era.

The building, listed as a historical monument in 2009, is distinguished by its remarkable architectural elements: six columns of 1,500 kg each, eight stained glass windows, a Gothic gate and side chapels. Its position overlooking Fort-de-France at 215 meters altitude makes it a major visual and spiritual landmark of Martinique. The residence of Alfred de Cormont, transformed into a small convent, also recalls its role in the foundation of the place.