Notre-Dame des Laves
The interior of Notre-Dame des Laves is notable for one unique feature: a hardened lava flow. Except for a thin trickle of lava that reached 3 m (10 ft) deep into the nave's interior, this modest Catholic church escaped the 1977 volcanic explosion intact. Guy Lefevre, a Madagascar-born artist, designed the massive front stained glass windows depicting the eruption. Since 2000, a statue of the "woman with a parasol" has stood in the church's courtyard, rumored to have magical powers to protect the island from volcanic eruptions.
The name of the church, which means "Our Lady of the Lava," and a collection of stained glass windows representing the eruption serves as a constant reminder of the narrow escape. Many volcanic boulders were removed during the post-eruption cleanup but were later reinstalled to recreate the landscape following the 1977 eruption.
The chapel, which is painted in bright colors and sticks out vividly against the sea of black lava, seems like something straight out of Wes Anderson's mind. The Piton de la Fournaise volcano continues to erupt (it's still active as I write this), but wherever the lava flows, the photogenic wonder of Notre Dame des Laves will take some beating.
Location: Sainte-Rose, Reunion
