Basilica St. Joseph des
Fins, Annecy
In Annecy,
at the base of the Alps, Bellot designed in 1937-1939 the church of St. Joseph
des Fins.
Natural
stone at the outside, concrete arches at the inside. The tower is in the middle
at the front of the church and contains 4 bells and the organ.
The nave
has at each side four gables and these gables continue in the outside of the
ambulatory. The roof is covered with slate in mosaic pattern.
|
|
interior to the east |
The church is
remarkably big: 54 meters long, 24 meters wide. The top of the nave is 15,40
meters. The ports in the walkways at the outher sides of the nave are covered
by a straigt lintel. The sanctuary has a ceiling of concrete and the arch is
covered with a great fresco about the life of st. Joseph. Around the sanctuary
is an ambulatory with 5 chapels. The ceiling of the sanctuary rests on small
pillars made of armed concrete.
Because of
Bellot leaving to Canada in 1939 architect Joseph Philippe started the construction
of the church in 1939. Philippe was a student of Bellot at Wisques abbey. He
was not able to continue the works because he was called for military service
to defend France in the second world war. Architect Francois Bérenger, another
Bellot student, would finish the church in 1942.
baptistery |
ceiling of the sanctuary |
ambulatory |
nave, southside |
The altar an the stained glass
windows are made by Henri Charlier, the fresco on the arch is made in 1942 by Rodolphe
Wimer. Several mosaic works made by Girod & Basso.
Next to the
tower are two chapels: to the north is the baptistery and to the south is a
chapel dedicated to st. Joseph.
The organ
was originaly build for the cathedral of Algiers by Sthier from the Elzas. It
was installed in this church in 1963.
The church
was already in use since 1942, yet this church is consecrated on 1 May 1962.
July 1964
pope Paul VI declared the church basilica minor.
The
sacristy and the parsonage were designed by M. Fluckiger in a similar style.
photo’s: A.W.A. Lukassen and
A.A. Lukassen, july 2009