Église Notre-Dame-des-Passes d'Arcachon, Byzantine Revival church in Arcachon, France.
Église Notre-Dame-des-Passes stands on a dune above the Moulleau district of Arcachon. Its symmetrical red-brick facade, banded and framed with pale stone, has two square towers with terracotta-tiled roofs, tall arched openings and a round clock on the left tower. A stone cross rises between the towers above a circular rose window and a deep arched entrance. The two domed bell towers of 1863 were replaced by terrace roofs during the 1927-1928 enlargement.
Notre-Dame-des-Passes was built in 1863 as the chapel of a Dominican convent, designed by the Bordeaux architect Louis Garros in a Greek Orthodox style recalling the Byzantine churches the fathers had known on their missions. Cardinal Donnet inaugurated it on 24 May 1864. After the 1905 law it changed owners several times, and in 1927-1928 it was enlarged and became the parish church of the Moulleau district. It was restored in 1993.
The church serves as a gathering place for religious services and community events, maintaining Catholic traditions in the Arcachon area. Visitors can observe how the space is used by locals for worship and occasions that mark their lives.
The main entrance is located on Boulevard du Général Leclerc and is easy to find when visiting the area. Regular mass services are held throughout the week, so check timing if you plan to explore the interior when services are not taking place.
The church's two towers once ended in ornamented domes, which were removed when the building was enlarged in 1927-1928 and replaced by flat terrace roofs. The round clock face on the left tower and the stone cross between the towers remain visible on the brick and stone facade.
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