Romanesque Revival: St. John the Evangelist in Plaquemine, Louisiana

The gothic revival is very well known of course, but what is less known (and less seen, more's the shame) are examples of 'Romanesque Revival'  -- or Neo-Romanesque -- which was founded in the mid-19th century -- slightly later and rather less popular than its gothic revival counterpart.  The matter of "why" is no doubt mixed up in all sorts of cultural considerations but, artistically speaking, I feel no hesitation in saying that the Romanesque was as artistically and liturgically deserving of a revival as was its gothic counterpart.

One very good example of the Romanesque revival comes in the form of St. John the Evangelist Church in Plaquemine, Louisiana, designed by the American architect Emile Weil, a son of the same state it, in fact, appears in the United States "National Register of Historic Places."  To my mind, it is one of the purest instantiations of neo-Romanesque that I have come across, from its bell tower to its portico.


Moving inside, you are greeted by various features typical of the Roman basilicas, from the classical columns lining the nave, to the great ciborium magnum covering the high altar.



Regrettably, I do not have additional photos to share beyond these, but even these most basic features seemed more than worthy of sharing with our readers.

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