Walking Paris is always sublime , enormous feeling of architecture and history all around you, and beauty. This is another dear area of mine ,walked with the family several times, and voilà saw this church and why not, a wonderful souvenir of my walks with the family in my eternal Paris. I found me again pictures in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me. Therefore, let me tell you again on the Church Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Church Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou (or St Peter of the big pebble) is located at 92, rue Saint-Dominique in the 7éme arrondissement. A way of many walks by yours truly coming from the port de Suffren (see post) where we always went for events and gastronomy on the Seine river. We then decided to take a walk and found ourselves passing this church. I found me new pictures in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me,
Neoclassical in style, the Church Saint Pierre du Gros Caillou was built on the model of early Christian basilicas. Focused on rue Saint-Dominique, the facade is blind. It is preceded by a portico supported by Doric columns. The side facades are just as sober, pierced with semicircular bays and devoid of ornamentation. It is quite simple.
The interior style of the Church Saint Pierre du Gros Caillou is quite simple. You will see , however, the presence of some interesting paintings such as the Christ holding a child on his knees, 1840. Saint Pierre released from prison, 1834. and the most prominent Saint François meditating in solitude, Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Finally, the Chapel of the Virgin has a rarity: a Stations of the Cross made up of a long series of tangled branches and twigs which stretches along the walls and dates from 1953.
The interior style of the Church Saint Pierre du Gros Caillou is quite simple. There was an organ here circa 1850 nothing attest of one before and this one was sold in 1926. The organ was sadly in bad shape. A second organ was done circa 1925, but it too was demolished. The current organ was built in 1976, of neoclassical aesthetic. There is a second organ in the chapel built in 1972. The bell-tower shelters a ringing of 4 bells done in 1993. The ornamentation of the nave of the Church Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou is very sparse, but this sobriety in no way detracts from the beautiful, antique-style arrangement of the architecture. The illuminated section behind the high altar corresponds to the large chapel of the Virgin Mary, built in 1971.
The Mass chapel, its large stained-glass window, and its Stations of the Cross. Below the stained-glass window is a stunning Stations of the Cross. The work is made up of a tangle of branches and twigs. It clearly depicts, in a highly figurative style, the stages of the Stations of the Cross.
There was an organ here circa 1850 nothing attest of one before and this one was sold in 1926. The organ was sadly in bad shape. A second organ was done circa 1925, but it too was demolished. The current organ was built in 1976, of neoclassical aesthetic. There is a second organ in the chapel built in 1972. The bell-tower shelters a ringing of 4 bells done in 1993; they were baptized on May 16, 1993. The names given are Clémence – 800 kg; Constance- 445 kg , Patience- 340 kg, and Prudence- 275 kg. In the church is placed, on the ground, the old bell: Louise-Sophie 320 kg done in 1826 and baptized on April 17, 1827.
A bit of history I like tell us that the Church Saint-Pierre du Gros-Caillou, is a parish church in the neighborhood or quartier Gros Caillou of the 7éme arrondissement of Paris. The story goes that when Gros-Caillou had become a fairly large neighborhood, they felt the need to build a branch there of the Church Saint-Sulpice (see post), which was the parish of this neighborhood at the times. They took care of this project in 1652, but countless obstacles successively came to stop the works. Finally, in 1733, the foundation stone of this church was laid, but because of the French revolution it was delayed. Which was blessed under the title of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and named by the inhabitants , Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Délivrance; it is however designated in the registers of the archbishopric under the name of Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou, branch of Saint-Sulpice. It was not entirely finished when the French revolution broke out and was then demolished. The first stone of the current church was not laid until 1822, under the reign of Louis XVIII. The work was completed in 1826 on a plan inspired by Roman basilicas. This antique style has been in vogue for the last decades of the Ancien Régime The Church Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou was enlarged with a side wing in 1905, then the axial chapel known as the Virgin in 1971.
The city of Paris on the Church St Pierre du Gros Caillou : https://www.paris.fr/lieux/eglise-saint-pierre-du-gros-caillou-19494
The official Parish of the Church St Pierre du Gros Caillou : https://www.stpierredugroscaillou.com/
The Paris tourist office on the Church St Pierre du Gros Caillou : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/paroisse-saint-pierre-du-gros-caillou-p935
This is the wonderful way to walk Paris and see these off the beaten path monuments ,and they are many. This is a nice area off the Avenue Bosquet (see post) ,the picturesque rue Cler, and walking straigh on Rue St Dominique you reach the marvelous lawns behind the Invalides,(see post), sublime walk. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Church Saint Pierre du Gros Caillou of Paris !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 