Sainte-Anne Church

The church at Sainte-Anne was a plain building until a priest, Father Daubemberger, set about decorating it from 1922 with the help of the parish, covering the facade and the interior with moulded and carved ornament, flowers, fruit, shells, angels and columns, until almost no flat surface remained. The result is unlike any other church on the island and was listed as a historic monument in 1982. It appeared in a Truffaut film in 1969. Much of the work was done by parishioners over years rather than by professional craftsmen, which is part of why the detail is so uneven and so exuberant.

What you actually see

• The encrusted facade - moulded decoration covering the whole front of the building.
• The interior ornament - carved and moulded work over every surface inside.
• The 1922 project - the parish decoration campaign that produced it.
• The listing - protection as a historic monument since 1982.

When to go

Year round; the church is open in daylight outside services. Mornings are quietest. Sunday services fill it.

Honest expectations

It is a single building and the visit is short. It closes during services. Interpretation is limited to a notice board.

Nearby

Saint-Benoit is south, and the Riviere de l'Est bridge is beyond it.