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Origin and history

The Saint-Eloi church, known as the Cathedral of the Sands, has its origins in the middle of the 15th century, built by Gantoese masters of work on the site of the Saint John Hospice. In 1558, the French invasion led by the Marshal of Thermes destroyed the church, leaving only its tower standing. The reconstruction began around 1560 under Jean de Renneville, but was interrupted in 1585 for lack of funds, leaving the unfinished building and the isolated belfry, serving as bell tower, municipal belfry and bitter for the sailors.

In 1731, the space between the church and the belfry was transformed into a street. In 1782 the architect Victor Louis enlarged the building to respond to population growth, adding two side naves and a classical façade (1785). During the Revolution (1793-1795), the church houses the worship of Reason. The facade, degraded, was replaced in 1889 by a neo-Gothic style designed by Adolphe Van Moë and Jules Lecocq.

The church suffered heavy damage during the two world wars: shelling in 1915 and 1917, and almost total destruction in 1940 by incendiary bombs. Restored between 1940 and 1985, she returned to worship in 1977. Its architecture combines brick and white stone, with five vessels and a walkway with radiant chapels. It houses the burial of privateer Jean Bart (1650–1702), a local hero.

Ranked a historic monument in 1916, its belfry — an ancient tower of the early church — was established in 1840 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Belgian and French Belfast). The present furniture, post-1940, comes in part from the church Saint-Jean-Baptiste, while the stained glass windows are signed by Pierre Gaudin and Henry Lhotellier. The modern organ (1970) is the work of Gonzalez, restored by Bernard Dargassies.

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