The chapel of the former Trois-Îlets hospital was selected among 100 sites which will benefit from the national collection in favor of religious heritage. This building, whose restoration will be financed, will be part of a vast renovation project of the town’s old hospital. The town hall hopes to make the whole, with other sites, religious tourist places.
The walls are fragile, soaked in humidity, the woodwork infested by termites, the chapel of the old hospital is struggling to bear the weight of 80 years of worship.
It was the sisters of Saint-Paul de Chartres who took care of the sick at the time and also participated in the organization of religious services, assisted by the priest of the commune. Around fifty patients could thus practice worship without traveling. The chapel gradually emptied and no longer had its purpose.
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©Patrice Chateau-Degat
The old building where prayers no longer resonate has been closed for two years now. But by opening its fragile shutters today, the light of day awakens the charm of this historic place. Time has stood still, the period decoration is tired but preserved. The earthenware tiling bears witness to the many footsteps of several generations of faithful.
The work will not be significant, it is above all a question of renovation rather than reconstruction.
Philippe Villard, delegate of the Heritage Foundation for Martinique
However, this will require following strict specifications because the chapel is a historic monument and the work will be supervised by the architects of Bâtiments de France. Its renovation has not yet been precisely costed and will be partly financed by donations from the heritage foundation.
The Balata church also benefited from this type of funding, as did the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre.
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©Patrice Chateau-Degat
Religious tourism is not very well known in Martinique, but it is practiced without any real established structures. The town of Trois-Îlets organizes visits to the town’s church and cemetery. She wants to make this heritage a cultural tourist asset. The chapel, once rehabilitated, will be a space where the treasures of the Trois-Îlets church will be exhibited.
The heritage objects that will be installed are among the oldest objects of worship in Martinique. Some date from 1698.
Serge Pain, responsible for culture and heritageinterviewed by Corinne Jean-Joseph
The long-term goal is for the entire hospital to be redeveloped with workshops for artists, a heritage interpretation center and arts and crafts stores.
It will be a heritage tourism project in the heart of the town.
The town of Trois-Îlets is very attached to religious heritage. She plans, with the help of the CTM, to rehabilitate another chapel where, this time, magico-religious rites were practiced.
The chapel of “la Calida” was known to be a place where wise people participated in ceremonies led by a gossip from Cuba.
The town of Trois-Îlets, which has numerous hotel structures by the sea, also wishes to become known for its heritage assets, by also bringing tourists to the town to enjoy things other than seaside activities.
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©Patrice Chateau-Degat
