Eglise Saint-Michel

Description

Completed in 1964, it is the last public building in the reconstruction of the city and another remarkable example in Le Havre of religious concrete architecture. It succeeded a church dating from 1661, destroyed during the bombardments of 1944. Its construction entrusted to Henri COLBOC (Second Grand Prix de Rome) began in 1960. Its roof represents an open book, the Bible and its bell tower (a height 42m), detached from the building, a candle.

The building has a set of stained glass windows in the upper belt by Jacqueline ARCHEPEL-LELIÈVRE, while those of the two side chapels are the work of Paul MARTINEAU.

Inside, you will discover a magnificent set of windows made by the master glassmaker Boutzen.

A large tapestry entitled Joie Pascale, the work of Geneviève SALLES (artist and assistant curator of the Malraux Museum) has adorned the wall at the back of the choir since 1976.

A curiosity: inside the church is a stone from the old town hall of Le Havre.

The church also retains “The Silver Virgin” (actually in electroplating, made following the wish expressed by the people of Le Havre not to see their city occupied by the Prussians in 1870), priestly vestments, a monstrance which would have been offered by Napoleon III, an altar in black marble combined with stone.