Church · Sainte-Rose
Église Notre-Dame-des-Laves
A church in Piton Sainte-Rose surrounded by the lava flow of the April 1977 eruption without the lava entering the building. Originally dedicated to the Infant Jesus of Prague, it was enlarged in 1935 and then rebuilt after a cyclone in 1952. It took its present name after the 1977 eruption.
Why it matters
A rare place where religious heritage and volcanic memory overlap in spectacular fashion; a powerful symbol for the island's people in the face of the Piton de la Fournaise.
History
Originally dedicated to the Infant Jesus of Prague, the church was built in 1927 in the village of Piton Sainte-Rose. It was enlarged in 1935 and then rebuilt in 1952 after a cyclone. During the eruption of April 1977, the lava flow surrounded the building without entering it, sparing the church while neighbouring buildings were engulfed. The church then took the name Notre-Dame-des-Laves (Our Lady of the Lavas).
Sources (1)
- https://www.fondation-patrimoine.org/les-projets/eglise-notre-dame-des-laves-a-sainte-rose/100156
