Basilica Holy-Anne of Congo

The Basilique Holy-Anne of Congo is the most significant monument of Brazzaville, capital of the République of Congo.

It is as of 1936 that Mgr Biéchy decides, to face the surge of converts with Poto-Poto, of the creation of an important sanctuary in this district of Brazzaville. In 1943 ground an extremely innovative building due to the talent of the architect Roger Erell leaves (1907-1986). There Erell carries out an astonishing fusion of the European technical contributions and local cultural contributions. It makes enter for the first time of the artists autochtones, like Benoit Konongo, in a large colonial building site. The historical context is favorable: Brazzaville is the official capital of the free France, which needs strong symbols and visible. Felix Swept and De Gaulle are enthusiastic. The church Holy-Anne of Congo, whose building site evolves/moves slowly under the monitoring of the fathers Moysan and Lecomte, will be the " sanctuary memory of the free France ". And also an oecumenical sanctuary: Mohammed V and the emperor of Ethiopia contributed their share there…

On a traditional level in Latin cross Erell designs a building of vast proportions (85 m length, transept of 45 m width, 22 m height under vault, arrow envisaged of 83 m) using the very acute pointed arch inspired by the spearheads of the north of Congo, the boxes shell out of ground of Chad and the tunnels of giant bamboos of the Mayombe. The green tiles return to the generous nature of the equatorial medium; the tiles in the shapes of scales of snake evoke, the such waste-gas mains of the medieval cathedrals, the malignant one which remains out of the church. Interior lighting is zenith, and is done by stops roof where the ceramics tiles are replaced by tinted blades of glass. The superb platform which advances far in the nave without vertical support is decorated of a wrought iron balustrade carried out by a local artist who took as a starting point pre-colonial weapons. In 1949 the church which will become basilica is devoted with the made up Messe of the Paddlers for this occasion by Mrs. Barrat-Pepper. Work still continues a few years but for lack of means the arrow remains unfinished: its hastily covered base is the current bell-tower. " combattants" from 1997 did not respect the places, very reached. Work of restoration is in hand.

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