I am surprise not to find a single post on this church in my blog! I could not find it and it was my church while living in Versailles! ouuffs so much to see and many thing even forgotten lol! Well this post is to remedy this forgetfulness of mine. This is it, if you are coming to see monuments away from the palace/museum , and you should, this is a must, the history of France, Europe, the world started here!!!
The Church of Notre-Dame is officially at 2 rue Baillet Reviron for the parish office but the main facade entrance is on Rue de la Paroisse corner with Rue Sainte-Geneviéve in the Notre-Dame district (mine!) and its facade facing the rue Hoche, formerly rue Dauphine, leading to Place Hoche and eventually the Place d’Armes and the palace/museum of Versailles!. It is notably the parish royal church of the Palace of Versailles since the monarchies. The closest train station is Gare Versailles Rive-Droite (mine!!!) but on the RER C rive gauche you can easily walk to it. Of course, it is in the Yvelines dept 78 of the region of Ïle de France!
The carved decoration is limited to the façade with figures of Religion and Charity with the spandrels of the Porte Royale (royal door). Statues of Religion and Martyrdom occupy the niches from 1812. Inside, the central nave extended by the choir ends in semicircle; it opens with large arches on the aisles and the ambulatory. The crossing of the transept is covered with a dome, surmounted by a lantern. A suite of thirteen chapels surrounds the church.
A bit of history I like
From 1682, the definitive installation of the king at Versailles, then that of the main administrative services of the monarchy, determines a strong increase of population: the small village becomes a real city, and in particular in the new district located north of the avenue of Paris, which becomes the Notre-Dame district (mine!!!) .The construction of a church, at once parish of the royal castle and the new city, is decided on the accounts of the King’s Buildings. For this project, king Louis XIV chose his first architect, Jules Hardouin-Mansart. On March 10, 1684 was the laying of the first stone by king Louis XIV and by October 30, 1686 ,the consecration of the church to Our Lady of the Assumption. At the same time the palace of Versailles was still been enlarged. The registers of the parish will include baptisms, marriages, and deaths of the royal family.
This is how all the baptismal, marriage and death certificates of the royal family of France in Versailles are recorded in this parish registers, including the baptisms of seven kings of France, Louis XV, Louis XVI, Louis XVII, Louis XVIII, Charles X, Louis XIX and Louis-Philippe I, as well as that of Philip V of Spain, the marriages of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, Louis XVIII and Marie-Josephine de Savoie, and Charles X and Marie-Thérèse de Savoy, and the funerals of Louis XIV and Louis XV. A condensed version of all these names that mark the history of France, Europe , and the World from Versailles!
In 1786, a campaign of decorative works included: in the nave and the choir, fluting of the pilasters; in the choir, rosette sculpture with arches doubling from the vault, leaves, ovals and pearls with moldings of the large arches. Three years later, the inaugural procession of the Estates General leaves from the church on May 4, 1789. After the French revolution, the only original furniture remaining was the buffet of large organs the pulpit, the Assumption , painting of the high altar, adds to it the Preaching of St. Vincent de Paul, arrived in 1739; Christ on the Cross , marble statue, from 1690, arrived in 1791. In 1793, when the policy of official atheism began, it was transformed into a temple of reason and then a place of worship. At the end of the revolutionary period, it is its neighbor, the Church of Saint-Louis of Versailles, (St Louis district) which was chosen as cathedral of the new diocese of Versailles. Due to the fact, it would have been sensitive to name the Royal pantheon, the cathedral so a compromise was done with the French Republic! It is still the place of nobility and they do come often to the Church of Notre Dame!
Efforts was made to refurnish the Church of Notre Dame such as in 1815, twelve precious marble medallions (apostles, evangelists, etc.) were sent by the best sculptors of the 16C, from the former Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture; in 1818, installation of the cenotaph of the Comte de Vergennes, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Louis XVI, signatory of the Treaty of Independence of the United States (1783), a marble of 1788. Over the years, arrival of paintings, among which: Assumption, 1767; Martyrdom around 1730; Lamentation of the Death of Christ, 1635; the Transfiguration and Christ in the Garden of Olives, circa 1610. The construction at the bedside of the church of the important Chapel of the Sacred Heart, 1858-1872. Baptismal marble basin closed by a lid surmounted by a statuette of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in bronze or copper from the 17C . The stained glass windows with strong coloration in all the bays of the chapels. Marble paving of the choir and marble plating at the base of the pillars. Installation of an accompanying organ at the location of the altarpiece at the end of the choir. According to the norms of the liturgical reform decided by the Council of Vatican II, reorganization of the choir and construction of a new high altar,1999.
Some webpages to help you plan your visit here and again is a must are
Official Church of Notre Dame in French
Tourist office of Versailles on Church of Notre Dame in French
City of Versailles on monuments and heritage see Notre Dame bottom
Again, this is a must when visiting Versailles as the history here very much relates to what you see at the Château de Versailles! After all, it was the church of the palace for many years! I was lucky to lived by here and see in all its splendor on Mass of notoriety attach to all its history. The decorations are very nice as well. Hope you enjoy the tour!
And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 