Église Saint-Louis

It was therefore essential for Vichy to be able to welcome Catholics to a church that was worthy of the town's growing reputation in the 19th century. On his first visit to Vichy in 1861, Emperor Napoleon III attended services in the small church of Saint-Blaise. Reacting to the church's small size and dilapidated condition, he included the construction of a new church and presbytery in the decree ordering major works in Vichy. Work began in 1862 under the direction of Jean Le Faure, the state architect for the Compagnie Fermière de Vichy. This neo-medieval-style religious building is dedicated to Saint Louis. The architectural style combines references to Auvergne Romanesque art (general layout of the church and the mosaic on the façade pediment), Burgundian Romanesque style (fluted pilasters on the transept) and Gothic style, in particular the rose window on the façade. The stained glass windows in the choir, created by master stained-glass artist Antoine Lusson, are dedicated to the patron saints of the members of the imperial family, and are inspired by their features. Eugénie, Hortense and Napoleon 1st are depicted on either side of Christ. The church was officially opened for worship in July 1865, in the absence of the emperor, who would only be able to come and visit it the following year. In 1915, Alphonse Osbert, whose paintings also adorn the hall of the first-class spa establishment, painted a large canvas for the choir, To the Glory of Saint Louis, illustrating the main events in the saint's life.