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Origin and history

Saint-Louis de La Roche-sur-Yon Church was designed as part of the Napoleonic foundation of the city in 1804. Its construction, financed by the decrees of 1808, began in 1809 under the direction of architect Simon Vallot, and was taken over by engineer Duvivier in 1813. Initial plans were based on Roman basilicas and early Christian churches, such as Saint-Philippe-du-Roule. Despite budgetary restrictions after 1815, Duvivier retained the main elements and proposed a monumental facade in 1822. The engineer Viollet completed the construction, in particular by creating an oak wood panelled cradle.

The church was consecrated in 1830 under the name of Saint-Louis, while the city was named Bourbon-Vendée. The works, which had not been completed for lack of funds, resumed in 1850 under the direction of Edmond Humblot and ended in 1859. The building, emblematic of neoclassical architecture, was classified as a Historic Monument in 1982. It underwent external restorations between 1999 and 2004, and renovations were launched in 2017 for a period of ten years.

The neoclassical exterior architecture is distinguished by a portico of six Tuscan columns surmounted by a triangular pediment, and two square bell towers of 33.5 metres. Inside, a Corinthian peristyle supports a crib arch, decorated with wooden boxes and trompe-l'oeil roses. The vault of the apse, entirely painted, incorporates a glory with the tetragrammaton. The imposing dimensions (72 m long, 51 m wide with the chapels) make it the largest church in Vendée.

The interior decor combines trompe-l'oeil, stained glass and sculptures. The stained glass windows, made between 1872 and 1875 by Lusson and Lefèvre, illustrate biblical scenes and saints, while the paintings include a monumental cross path and a monument to the dead of 1926. Lateral chapels, such as that of the Virgin (representing a 14th century statue) or that of Saint-Lienne (containing 183 relics), add a historical and spiritual dimension. The church also incorporates Republican symbols, such as stained glass windows with national colours.

The furniture, sober and inspired by the Styles of Directionoire and Restoration, includes a walnut chair carved by Grootaërs and a baroque baroque baroque stucco. Two organs animate the building: an eight-game Cavaillé-Coll and a grand organ of forty games (Koenig, 1989). The church, owned by the commune, remains an active place of worship and a major testimony of Napoleonic urban planning.

The building reflects the ideals of the 18th century Enlightenment and urbanists, with a rectangular plan and a voluntary remains, reminiscent of ancient civil basilicas. Its restored pediment bears the inscription D. N. IESV CHRISTO IN HONOR. S. LVDOVIC., while the pronaos houses statues of St. Louis (Gueniot, 1934) and St.Lienne (Fulconis, 1898).

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