Église Notre-Dame des Laves, Catholic church in Sainte-Rose, Réunion Island, France.
Église Notre-Dame des Laves is a Catholic church on eastern Réunion Island, distinguished by its pale pink exterior walls. Inside, stained glass windows created by artist Guy Lefèvre cast colored light throughout the interior space.
The church was shaped by the 1977 eruption of Piton de la Fournaise volcano, when lava flows surrounded the building. The molten rock advanced three meters into the interior but left the structure largely standing.
The name Notre-Dame-des-Laves was adopted after the 1977 eruption, on the initiative of Bishop Gilbert Aubry and Father Eugène Willer. The church also houses the Vierge au Parasol, a statue moved here from Grand Brûlé in the 2000s when lava threatened to bury it.
The church stands on the east side of Route nationale 2 in the centre of Piton Sainte-Rose, with the Chemin de l'Église running south of it; it marks the start of the Route des Laves. Entrance steps are cut from the surrounding lava rock, so the ground level differs from the street. The La Métisse 77 memorial stands opposite.
The solidified lava flows from 1977 remain visible around the church and shape the surrounding ground. Stairs have been carved directly into the volcanic rock to help visitors navigate these formations.
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