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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assumption of Terre-de-Haut, located in the archipelago of Saintes in Guadeloupe, is a Catholic building built mainly during the nineteenth century, with major renovations in the twentieth century. It is dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption in commemoration of the French victory against the English on August 15, 1666, when the Sieur du Lion established this cult on the island. The church then became the spiritual heart of Terre-de-Haut, home to an active parish community and a rich religious heritage, including an ex-voto offered by local sailors.

In 1945, Father Jean-Marie Offrédo, newly assigned to the parish, noted that the church was too small to welcome the faithful. He launched a project of enlargement, including a transept and the renovation of the bell tower, described as old. Thanks to the donations of the sailors of Jeanne d'Arc and a partnership with Mayor Théodore Samson, work began in 1955. The transept was blessed on 16 February 1956 by Bishop Jean Gay of Guadeloupe at a solemn ceremony marked by the presence of religious and civil authorities.

The bell tower, rebuilt in stone after 1956, was destroyed by an earthquake in 2004 (magnitude 6.3 on the Richter scale). A new wooden bell tower, inspired by the 1956 model, was erected in 2006. The church also houses four historic bells, one dating back to 1820 and another offered in 2006 by the municipality after the earthquake. Its ceiling, in the form of a spilled carriage, bears witness to the know-how of the saint's marine carpenters, while a marble bentier and an ex-voto painted by Charles Triclot in 1947 enrich his heritage.

The building, inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1979, embodies both the island's religious history and its maritime identity. The parish, attached to the diocese of Guadeloupe, remains a gathering place for the Saintois, mixing local traditions and colonial heritage. The triumphal arches and garlands erected for the inauguration of 1956 illustrate the population's attachment to this monument, a symbol of resilience and faith.

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