Former Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Cathedral, currently Mouilleille church

Museums of France

Crédit photo : Anneli Salo - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes

Révolution/Empire

XIXe siècle

Époque contemporaine

1700

1800

1900

2000

1654

Foundation of the Chapel

1667

Destruction by bombardment

1675

Neoclassical reconstruction

1850-1856

Magnification in cathedral

8 mai 1902

Destruction by eruption

1923-1929

Reconstruction of reinforced concrete

Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Church, in its entirety, including stained glass windows, the court and fence walls (cf. A 58): by order of 16 March 1995

Key figures

Père Boulogne - Founder of the Dominican convent	Initiator of the chapel in 1654.
Mgr Étienne-Jean-François Le Herpeur - First Bishop of Saint-Pierre	Chosen Saint Peter as episcopal seat in 1851.
Scheffler et Robinet - Military engineers	Design expansion plans (1855).
Victor Depaz - Sponsor industrial	Finances post-1902 reconstruction.
Victor Anicet - Martinic artist	Inspired by the 2006 stained glass windows.

Origin and history

The former Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assumption, originally the Mouilleille church, found its origins in 1654 with the construction of a private chapel by Father Boulogne for a Dominican convent in Saint-Pierre, Martinique. Destroyed in 1667 by an English bombardment, it was rebuilt in 1675 thanks to the help of sailors of the royal fleet and parishioners. In a neo-classical style, it adopts a Latin cross plan with a vaulted nave supported by wooden doric columns. In 1694 it became the parish church of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Port, dedicated to the Virgin of the Marins.

In the 18th century, the church was enriched with a high altar in white marble (1784), representing La Cène and the evangelists, framed by ionic columns. In 1816, a bell tower was added after a parish mobilization. In 1850, with the erection of the diocese of Martinique, Bishop Le Herpeur chose Saint-Pierre as his temporary episcopal seat, for lack of an operational cathedral in Fort-de-France. The church, considered too small, was enlarged between 1855 and 1856 under the direction of engineers Scheffler and Robinet, despite delays due to structural collapses. The neo-classical facade was replaced in 1861 by a neo-baroque style, and the bell tower was completed in 1885.

On May 8, 1902, the eruption of Mount Pelee almost completely destroyed the cathedral, killing hundreds of faithful during the Ascension Mass. Only the first level of the facade, a twisted bell, and the marble high altar, saved then exhibited at the Cluny Museum in Paris, remain. Reconstruction began in 1923 under the impetus of Bishop Lequien and industrialist Victor Depaz, using reinforced concrete (a first in Martinique) while reusing the original stones. The work was completed in 1929, with a bell tower completed in 1950. The high altar returned to Martinique in 1939, but was not resettled.

In 1979, the surviving bell, preserved in the Vatican, was repatriated and exhibited at the Franck-A.-Perret Museum. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1995, the cocathedral was restored from 2015, revealing an crypt that housed the burials of three bishops. In 2006, new abstract stained glass windows, inspired by artist Victor Anicet, replaced degraded glass windows. The building, a symbol of resilience, was re-opened on 2 April 2024 after decades of construction.

The current building combines the remains of the original facade (lower stone level) with a modern reinforced concrete structure. Its interior, sober, preserves historical elements such as statues of saints and an unusable neo-Gothic harmonium. The crypt, rediscovered during restorations, houses the tombs of the bishops Le Herpeur (transferred to Fort-de-France), Porchez and Tanoux. The site, linked to the memory of the disaster of 1902, remains a place of pilgrimage and commemoration, especially for the Virgin of the Mariners.