Wender·Vista
Saint Augustin Basilica
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileAlgeria
on the hill above Annaba, looking down on the ruins of Hippo

Saint Augustin Basilica

— — white stone holding a fourth-century name.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The basilica sits on a low hill above Annaba, on the Algerian coast, opposite the ruins of Hippo Regius where Augustine served as bishop from 395 to 430. The walls are pale local limestone over Romano-Byzantine bones. A relic of his right arm rests inside, given by the cathedral of Pavia. From the terrace, the bay opens out and the old city quiets. People come for the relic, then stay for the light off the sea.

from the studio
Saint Augustin Basilica
— bring it home

Saint Augustin Basilica, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Saint Augustin Basilica

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Basilica of Saint Augustine stands on a hill in Annaba, in northeastern Algeria, directly across a shallow valley from the archaeological park of Hippo Regius. Augustine of Hippo served as bishop here from 395 until his death in 430, during the Vandal siege of the city. The basilica itself is far younger, consecrated in 1900 after construction begun in 1881 under Cardinal Charles Lavigerie. The architect Jean Pougnet drew on Romano-Byzantine form: a single nave, an apse, a tall central dome. Annaba is the fourth largest city in Algeria and the country's chief eastern port.

— the stone

The walls are dressed in pale local limestone, the inner surfaces in coloured marble and mosaic. A side chapel holds a silver-gilt reliquary containing a fragment of Augustine's right arm, given to Annaba in 1842 by the cathedral chapter of Pavia, where the bulk of his remains were translated in the eighth century. The interior carries traces of the late nineteenth-century French ecclesial taste that Lavigerie favoured for North Africa: gilt apse, marble inlay, a quieter palette than a European basilica of the same scale would have shown.

— the visit

The basilica is a working Catholic church under the diocese of Constantine and a pilgrimage site for visitors with an interest in Augustine and the early African church. Modest dress is expected. The ruins of Hippo Regius and the small archaeological museum sit a short walk downhill and read best in the same visit; Augustine's episcopal basilica and baptistery are visible in the excavation. Algeria requires a visa for most non-African travellers; Annaba has its own international airport, Rabah Bitat, with regular service from Algiers and Paris.

— where
Algeria · Annaba Province
— position
36.8825° N · 7.7472° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km E
Hippo Regius
Roman archaeological site
3 km N
Annaba
Mediterranean port city
N
Saint Augustin Basilica
Hippo Regius
Annaba
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Saint Augustin Basilica — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

It stands on a hill in Annaba, in northeastern Algeria, directly opposite the ruins of Hippo Regius. Annaba is on the Mediterranean coast near the Tunisian border, about 540 kilometres east of Algiers.

Augustine of Hippo served as bishop of Hippo Regius from 395 until his death during the Vandal siege in 430. The Roman city occupied the valley below the modern basilica, and his episcopal complex has been excavated there.

Construction began in 1881 at the direction of Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, archbishop of Algiers and Carthage. The architect was Jean Pougnet, who drew on Romano-Byzantine forms. The basilica was consecrated in 1900.

Yes. A silver-gilt reliquary in a side chapel contains a fragment of Augustine's right arm, given to Annaba in 1842 by the cathedral chapter of Pavia, where most of his remains were translated in the eighth century.

Yes. It serves the small Catholic community of Annaba under the diocese of Constantine and receives visitors and pilgrims year by year. Modest dress is expected and quiet behaviour observed inside.

Annaba has its own international airport, Rabah Bitat, with scheduled flights from Algiers, Paris and a few other European cities. Most non-African travellers require an Algerian visa arranged before arrival.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for theology students, clergy, and readers of the Confessions. The basilica is the most visible modern marker of Augustine's see, and a Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note carries the place well.

The pale stone and warm interior colour read well in Mediterranean-modern, Old-World Catholic and warm Minimalist rooms. The artwork holds its own beside dark wood, brass and lime-washed plaster walls.

A single Large reads cleanly above a console or a narrow sofa. Above a full sofa, a four-tile Mural gives the basilica room to breathe; the nine-tile Mural carries a longer dining wall.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any room with steam or splatter. Both are scratch-resistant and read calmly in low light; the Glossy finish is best reserved for dry framed display.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough. Avoid abrasive pads and harsh cleansers; the colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath a thin protective finish and asks for very little.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made in our family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee, under the eye of Reid Wender. The artwork is not licensed and is not sold through any other studio or print house.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.