St Louis Cathedral in Port Louis is one of the oldest churches in Mauritius. Built-in the year 1815, the church was later promoted to a cathedral in 1847. Looking at the timeline, it is interesting to know that the plans to build the Cathedral building was drawn up in 1736, the land on which the building was supposed to be built was confirmed in 1750 and the building itself completed construction in 1756.
Built-in a traditional European style, the Cathedral stands out from the surrounding structures in Mauritius. You got to admire the tenacity of Mauritians on not giving up on the church and building and rebuilding it on sites that fell apart time and again. That is probably why it is an iconic tourist destination in the country.
Right in front of the Cathedral is a park where you could take a stroll and click beautiful pictures with the Cathedral in the background.
The place was not used for worship for a long time. This was because of the war that took place for seven years (from 1756 to 1763). The building also took severe damage in 1760 due to a violent cyclone and then again in 1773 due to the same reason.
In 1778, the church got the authorisation to be rebuilt on Champ de Mars street. Everything was smooth sailing until 1795 when people noticed huge cracks in the architecture of the building and all church services were halted again. By the time the British rulership ended, the church was in the state of ruins.
The church was revived, yet again, in the year 1814. This structure stood for nearly a century, after which the effects of ageing were reasonably visible. It was decided to bring down the Cathedral building, and a brand new was built in the year 1933. The church was last renovated in 2005. Back then, the monument was famous for its fountain with four lion heads that provided water in many parts of the city but has lost its glory now.
There are several bus services from various spots that will drop you off at Port Louis. You can get an air conditioned bus from the airport or cities like Cassis, Plaine Verte, and Vaillee des Pretres. Immigration Square and Victoria Station are the two primary bus stops in Port Louis. You can get down at either of the bus stops and walk towards the Cathedral.
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