Saint-Etienne Church

The influx of workers, mostly Catholics, made it necessary to build a second church, the Church of St. Mary (made Catholic in 1803) being too small to receive all the faithful. The first stone was laid in 1855 in a district undergoing urban remodelling, where orchards and vegetable gardens still dominate. The building, in neo-gothic style inspired by the great cathedrals and with high-quality interior decoration, was completed in 1860. Its radiant chapels and the perfect layering of the masses make it an undeniable architectural success.