St. Louis Cathedral, Fort-de-France

Before the present cathedral was completed in 1895, a total of six churches had previously been constructed on the site, the first of which was built in 1657. These were all destroyed by either fire, earthquakes or hurricanes. The loss of significant buildings was not uncommon in Fort-de-France, as devastating natural disasters frequently plagued the region. Pierre-Henri Picq was hired to be the architect. In the mid-1970s, the cathedral underwent an extensive program of restoration and refurbishment. Part of this entailed repainting the exterior to a tan and brown colour. The renovation was completed in 1978. and has been labelled "the religious centrepiece" of Martinique. ==Architecture==

and sanctuary.|alt= Exterior St. Louis Cathedral was built in a Gothic Revival style The cathedral's façade features a steeple that rises above the city, As a result, the cathedral is referred to in the Caribbean as the "Iron Cathedral" beautiful stained glass windows and balustrade made of iron. Located underneath the choir loft is a crypt containing the tombs of several previous governors of Martinique. ==References==