This is again another dandy monument in my eternal Paris. I have done quite a bit of walking in Paris, and never stop amazing me of its abundance of architecture and historical sights that not only are known but also unknown to most. This is another beauty that needs to be seen more, me think ; glad to have found new pictures in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me, Therefore, here is my take on the Church Notre Dame d’Auteuil of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The villages of Passy and Auteuil were annexed to neighborhood of Chaillot to create the 16éme arrondissement on June 16, 1859! becoming the biggest district in Paris! Of course, 52% of it is the Bois de Boulogne! OMG so many memories of driving by it and finally inside, This was my route when coming off the A13 into the Porte d’Auteuil along the rue d’Auteuil and take on the right side of the church on place de l’église the street rue Wilhem and continue on rue Narcisse Diaz into the Avenue de Versailles (the old royal road to the Château de Versailles ! ) onto the voie Pompidou to the pont d’Iena and over to the Tour Eiffel by Avenue de Suffren and into rue Desaix to my office !!! Memories forever !
The Church Notre-Dame d’Auteuil, or simply the Church of Auteuil, is located on Auteuil Hill, on Place de l’Église-d’Auteuil in the 16éme arrondissement of Paris. The church overlooks Place de l’Église-d’Auteuil ,and is bordered by the Rue Corot and Rue Wilhem. This site is served by the Église d’Auteuil metro station on Line 10 of the Paris Metro. The church was built in the Romano-Byzantine style in a rectangular shape. It measures 63 meters in length, the spire culminates at 50 meters in height. At the entrance to the porch, on the left, the Virgin and Child welcomes visitors. She is placed in front of the tympanum, where Christ in Majesty is represented in a mandorla, blessing with his right hand and holding a closed book on his left knee. On the lintel, the cross and the vine branch refer to this verse from the Gospel: « I am the vine; you are the branches »
The Church Notre Dame d’Auteuil nave is separated from the side aisles by cruciform pillars supporting a succession of domes. The nave ends with a high and wide painted and gilded apse where Christ Pantocrator is represented. The modern altar is made of embossed lead covered with gold leaf decorated with seraphim reminiscent of the Ark of the Covenant. It is the work of Philippe Kaeppelin, like Christ on the Cross. In the chapel of the Souls of Purgatory there is a statue of Pierre-Henri Lamazou, former priest of Auteuil and former bishop of Limoges. Shortly after his death in 1883, he was buried in 1884 in the church because of his involvement in the construction of it when he was parish priest. The large crypt has been renovated and is accessible from the rear of the church. It houses a copy of a 17C terracotta Virgin that was in the old church. The bell tower houses a peal of 4 swinging bells and a gong.
The great Cavaillé-Coll organ was first to be exhibited in the hall of the Trocadéro Palace during the 1878 exhibition and then, after the exhibition closed, transported and placed in the new Church Notre-Dame d’Auteuil. At the close of the exhibition, the organ of the Trocadéro Palace was not finally removed and Cavaillé-Coll then proposed another even more beautiful instrument, which was inaugurated on February 11, 1885. The current organ is characterized by its high quality; it is rather suited to romantic music, such as that of Widor or Dupré. The gallery organ of the church, restored several times. It is one of the most famous organs in Paris.
A bit of history tell us that nestled in the middle of meadows and vineyards, the village of Auteuil, renowned for its spring, was established as a parish in the 11C. In the 14C, the Abbey of Sainte-Geneviève in Paris established a rest home for its sick canons and built a new church there. Spared by the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death, it was a refuge for many Protestants during the Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre in 1572. In 1790, during the French revolution, Auteuil became a village, along with the hamlets of Point-du-Jour and Billancourt. When Auteuil was annexed to Paris in 1860, wealthy Parisians arrived. Unable to accommodate the faithful, the church was replaced between 1877 and 1892 by the current church, completed in 1872. The was enlarged in the 15C and 17C and was rebuilt between 1877 and 1892. Auteuil, originally a hamlet with its own parish, was annexed to Paris in 1860.
The official parrish of the Church Notre Dame d’Auteuil : https://www.notredamedauteuil.fr/
The City of Paris on the Notre Dame d’Auteuil Church : https://www.paris.fr/lieux/eglise-notre-dame-d-auteuil-19439
The Paris tourist office on the 16éme arrondissement : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/a-la-decouverte-du-16e-arrondissement-de-paris-a830
This is wonderful and worth the detour me think while in Paris. Do come to see this off the beaten path monument of my eternal Paris. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Church Notre Dame d’Auteuil of Paris !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 