I am taken you back to Paris, yes a never ending story, The eternal city never stop amazing me of its beauty and things to see even if worked in it for almost 10 years while visiting zillion times living nearby in Versailles, Once again, found me older pictures in one cd rom that should be in my blog, These are wondertful architecture gems glad to have them here for you and me. Therefore, here is my take on the Church Saint Etienne du Mont of Paris, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Church Saint Etienne du Mont that house the relic of Sainte Geneviéve, Patron Sainte of the city of Paris and whre were buried Pascal and Racine showing a beautiful jubé from 1545 unique in Paris, The gallery shows stained glass from the 16C and 17C . The church is located on the Sainte-Geneviève hill, in the 5éme arrondissement. After being briefly transformed into a temple of filial piety under the French revolution, it was returned to her parish church functions in 1801 and has not changed assignments since. The Shrine of Sainte Geneviève,(patron saint of Paris) empty of its relics since the French revolution in 1793 (when thrown in the sewers) with only one piece of bone remaining, as well as the stone of her coffin is now preserved there. The church also houses an organ whose origins and the buffet date back to the years 1630. It is the last Parisian church where you can still see a rood!
In one shot see on the right,the Tour Clovis, the last vestige of the old Sainte-Geneviève church, the Saint Patron of Paris which also gave its name to the famous mont or hill of the 5éme arrondissement. She was also buried here, alongside King Clovis and his wife Clotilde. The church is destroyed after the French revolution, but its 12C bell tower is miraculously spared! However, it is only very often open to the visit: it is therefore a secret and unknown place for the general public In 1796, the Sainte-Geneviève abbey was replaced by a school: the central school of the Panthéon . The latter becomes the Lycée Napoleon or high school, then Corneille and finally Henri IV, as we know it today.
The Church Saint-Étienne-du-Mont originates from the Sainte-Geneviève abbey, where the Holy eponym had been buried in the 6C. In 1492, the Génévéfains monks donated part of their land for the construction of the new church. This takes place in several stages, giving the current church a composite appearance. The apse and the bell tower are sketched out in 1494; The first two bells were made in 1500. The choir, flamboyant Gothic period, was completed in 1537; The following year, it was the frame to be laid. Jube is built around 1530-1535. The nave, from Renaissance period, was not vaulted before 1584. The foundation stone of the facade was laid in 1610 by Marguerite de Valois , the church was dedicated on February 25, 1626 by Jean-François de Gondi, first archbishop of Paris, uncle of Cardinal de Retz , The church keeps, in the chapel of communion (or catechisms), a very beautiful collection of stained glass painted at the enamel from the end of the 16C or the beginning of the 17C, mutilated and dispersed during the French revolution, they were again gathered in 1834; There are only 12 out of the initial 22 left.
The Church Saint-Etienne-du-Mont is remarkable for several things such as a finely sculpted stone roodle (one of the last existing in Paris), dating from around 1530 and mixing with a perfect elegance the late Gothic vocabularies and Renaissance, A chair drawn by Laurent de la Hyre and sculpted by Claude Lestocart, as well as an organ buffet (1631), the oldest in Paris. The church also contains the shrine which contained the relics of Saint Geneviève until 1793 (date on which they were thrown at the sewers, only a piece of bone left), the tomb of Blaise de Vigenère, of Blaise Pascal , of Louis Nivelle, Racine, and Mgr Sibour. Huysmans described it on the way in 1895 as one of the prettiest churches in Paris. The Church , also welcomes the remains of Pierre Perrault, father of the author of the Tales of Charles Perrault, the painter Eustache Le Sueur and Pascal. Those of Racine and Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy are also transferred in 1711 from Port-Royal to Saint-Étienne.
The grave, sculpted group in terracotta composed of eight characters which dates from the end of the 16C the carved wooden pulpit, made around 1640 its periphery is adorned with seven allegorical statues representing the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, Force) and theologales (hope, faith, charity), separated by bas-reliefs carved on the panels telling the story of Saint Etienne The pulpit is supported by a standing character on an extended lion, holding in his right hand a jaw of donkey: it is therefore Samson, a biblical character endowed with a legendary force, who struck a lion , and killed a thousand Philistines with a donkey jaw . The Virgin and Child between Saint Peter and Saint Lucie, by Pier Ilario Mazzola, commanded in 1518 for a church of Parma; The Christ on the cross, accompanied by Saint John, King Louis XIII and Aristotle, of an anonymous early 17C. Saint John in Pathmos, dated 1693, The buffet, built by Jean Buron in 1630, is considered a real carpentry masterpiece. The organ itself is of Pierre Pescheur and dates from 1636. The organ was seriously deteriorated in 1760 during a violent fire. He was rebuilt by Cliquot in 1777, then Aristide Cavaillé-Coll enriched it in 1863 and 1873.
The official Church Saint Etienne du Mont: https://www.saintetiennedumont.fr/
The Paris tourist office on the Church Saint Etienne du Mont: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/paroisse-saint-etienne-du-mont-p1214
There you go folks, this is another memorable post on my eternal Paris! Yes, the most beautiful city in the world, is the least we can say, And while at it marvel of its wonderful architecture and history, Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Church Saint Etienne du Mont of Paris, part II !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 