Église Notre-Dame d'Obezine, Neo-Gothic church in Angoulême, France.
The Église Notre-Dame d'Obézine is a neo-Gothic parish church in south-east Angoulême, built from 1895 to 1960 to plans by Raymond Barbaud and Édouard Bauhain on the site of the old Chapelle des Bézines. It loosely follows the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, with a shallow Latin-cross plan, a five-bay nave and brick rib vaults over metal and concrete roof frames. The octagonal spire, added last in 1960, rises above a pinnacled stone tower, and a rose window and tall pointed windows light the interior.
Built from 1895 to 1960 to plans by architects Raymond Barbaud and Édouard Bauhain, the church replaced the former chapel of the Bézines, demolished at the end of the 18th century. The nave of five bays was finished in 1899, the crypt was built until 1914, the choir rose in 1929, and the spire was added last in 1960. It was listed as a monument historique on 19 September 2001.
The stained glass was added in 1942 by the Mauméjean brothers. It shows New Testament scenes such as the Visitation, the Annunciation and the Wedding at Cana, and also depicts the "modern" saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. The church is also called Notre-Dame d'Obézine, d'Obezines or des Bézines.
The church stands on the south-east side of Angoulême, in the Obézine district. The nave was finished in 1899, but the crypt works ran to 1914 and the choir only rose in 1929, so the interior combines parts built decades apart. Look for the 1942 windows by the Mauméjean brothers.
The building shows an unusual mix of traditional brick and modern steel and concrete in its supporting structure. This combination was uncommon when it was built and shows how builders experimented with old and new methods together.
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