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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Louis de Toulon originated from the will of Monsignor de Chalucet, bishop of Toulon, who decided in 1705 to build a new church to serve the west of the city. In 1707 he established a parish in the church of Saint Sebastian, and in 1709 he obtained a concession from King Louis XIV on the Place d'Armes to build the church of Saint Louis. The first stone was laid that year, but the works, well advanced (the walls reach 3 meters), were interrupted in 1720 by an epidemic of plague that decimated half of the population of Toulouse.

The work did not resume until 1767, but was again stopped in 1776, when the building was almost completed. Louis XVI then ordered his demolition in 1780, arguing that the church interfered with military manoeuvres in the Place d'Armes. As compensation, and after an intervention by the Municipal Council accompanied by a present of 300 bottles of champagne, the king granted a new land, former convent of the Capuchins, to rebuild the church.

The new Saint Louis church, inspired by Greek temples, was built by architect Sigaud between 1782 and 1788. During the Revolution, it was transformed into a temple of Reason (1794), then into a depot of ammunition and barracks until 1803, when Napoleon I restored it to Catholic worship. However, it was consecrated only in 1858 by Bishop Jordany of Fréjus. Restored after the war, she was distinguished by her three doric double colonnade naves and her choir surrounded by Corinthian columns, surmounted by a lantern dome.

Ranked a historic monument in 1945, the Saint-Louis church today embodies a major architectural heritage of Toulon, combining a turbulent history and a neo-classical heritage. Its Greek temple-shaped plan, architraves and sober decoration make it a remarkable example of the ancient influence on 18th-century religious architecture in Provence.

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