Paris1972-Versailles2003

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 Basilique Sainte Clotilde of Paris !! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Basilique Sainte Clotilde is a minor basilica located on Rue Las Cases in the 7éme arrondissement of Paris, elevated to this rank by Pope Leo XIII in 1898 in commemoration of the 14th centenary of the baptism of Clovis. Best get here on bus line 6 stop/Arrêt Bourgogne, or metro line 12 Solférino station.

The nave and choir on the right side, you can see the left transept crossing. It houses the Chapel of Sainte Clotilde, which is adorned with two large frescoes: The Baptism of Clovis (see pic), and Saint Clotilde Helping the Poor. The axial chapel of the Virgin is decorated in the fashion of the second half of the 19C. The stained-glass windows and frescoes illustrate episodes from the life of Mary. The radiant Chapel of the Holy Cross is very similar to the Chapel of the Virgin. The Chinese ideograms remind us that the Basilica of Saint Clotilde is twinned with the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Canton. The three other chapels of the chevet, Saint Louis, Saint Joseph and Saint Remi are almost identical to the first two. The base of the high altar in gilded bronze is decorated with statuettes of Christ, the Apostles, Saint Clotilde and Saint Valère. The right transept and its chapel dedicated to Saint Valère. It is the counterpart of the Chapel of Saint Clotilde.

This neo-Gothic basilica, one of the first built in France in this style, is 96 meters long and 38 meters wide. Its two spires on the façade rise to 70 meters. The interior is bright and decorated with stained-glass windows, paintings, sculptures, and a cycle of sculptures depicting the conversion of Saint Valerie of Limoges, her condemnation to death, her beheading, and her apparition to Saint Martial of Limoges. The church’s choir was designed by the architect François-Christian Gau of the cathedral in Cologne, his hometown. The building overlooks Square Samuel Rousseau with its chestnut trees, sophoras, and Judas trees.

The famous 46-stop Cavaillé-Coll organ, installed in 1859. This organ was restored and enlarged in 1933, and again in 1962. It was restored and enlarged again in 1983 and finally in 2005.

Like the stalls, the pulpit was designed with harmonization in mind and to closely approximate the 14C Gothic style.

A bit of history tell us that when in 1790, the community of the Penitent Daughters established at the corner of the rue de Grenelle-Saint-Germain and the esplanade des Invalides was abolished and its buildings sold as national property, its chapel became a parish church dependent on the parish of Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin, then it was demolished in 1838, It was not until 1827 that it was decided to build it, place Bellechasse on part of the land of the former convent of the Dames de Bellechasse. The new church was to be called “Saint-Charles Church”, named after the then reigning King Charles X of France. The church was then built at the instance of the Queen of Portugal, Amélie d’Orléans. The neo-Gothic style church was completed in 1857 and consecrated on November 30 of the same year. The church was then dedicated to Saint Clotilde and Saint Valerie of Limoges (virgin and martyr of Limoges). On April 29, 1898, on the occasion of the 14th centenary of the baptism of Clovis, whose second wife was Sainte Clotilde, the church was elevated to the dignity of a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII. Anecdotes here tell us that Jacques Chirac married Bernadette Chodron de Courcel, on March 16, 1956, Gaston d’Orléans (born in Paris in 2009), son of Jean d’Orléans, (he is the eldest of the House of Orléans and, as such, Orleanist pretender to the throne of France under the claimed name of “Jean IV”) baptized on December 8, 2009 at the Basilica of Saint-Clotilde.

The official Basilique Sainte Clotilde : https://www.sainte-clotilde.com/

The Paris tourist office on the Basilica : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/paroisse-sainte-clotilde-p1231

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, and walking is good for you too, sublime walk. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Basilique Sainte Clotilde of Paris !! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!