St. Andrew's Church

Bayonne, France

St. Andrew's Church is a neo-Gothic parish church in central Bayonne. The church was designed by architects Hippolyte Durand and Hippolyte Guichenné and built in the neo-Gothic style between 1856 and 1869, under Napoléon III's reign. It was built on the site of a former Jansenist high school. Its construction was mainly funded by a bequest from banker Jacques Taurin de Lormand, who died in 1847. The town council allocated additional money for ending the works and purchasing furniture. The church was consecrated on March 7, 1862. The Capuchins' Church neighboring St Andrew's was demolished.

On December 13, 1895, the vault partly collapsed on the organ lofts because the ground was swampy. The 74-meter-high spires, which were too heavy, were demolished in 1901 and replaced by the two current belfry towers in 1903.

In the shape of a Latin cross, the church's design was inspired from the 13th-century Gothic churches with two front towers and an imposing rosette over the doors. It has three ribbed naves.

The inside of the church features a painting by Léon Bonnat (1833-1922) of Bayonne, which represents the Assumption of Mary. Another painting by Joseph Pascau (1875-1944) of Bayonne shows the Holy Family. The pipe organ was donated by Napoléon III in 1862 and inaugurated on April 9, 1836.

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Details

Founded: 1856-1869
Category: Religious sites in France

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

3.9/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Maria Ní Cheallaigh (2 years ago)
Friendly staff, interesting pieces and good information provided
Κολόκας Ιωάννης (3 years ago)
Small and not well organized museum. Although the building that used to be an Anglican church is beautiful.
Ulysses Papadopoulos (3 years ago)
Collection of pictures, posters, clothing and other artifacts detailing the 1000 year history of Biarritz. It is in the converted Anglican Church ans features only part of the material assembled from donations of the major families of Biarritz since 1980 when it was founded. Some English information provided. Could benefit from more displays and additional space. Parking is a challenge.
Bruno Chopart (4 years ago)
Belle exposition sur Biarritz de ses débuts à maintenant Dommage que le lieux ne soit pas mieux indiqué
ludovic primault (4 years ago)
Small museum in an old church from the 19th century but which traces the history of the city well.
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