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 Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The Church Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas is located in the 5éme arrondissement of Paris ,at 252 rue Saint-Jacques, on the corner of rue de l’Abbé-de-l’Épée. The church is one of the few Parisian churches with a choir facing west, following the plan reversal decided upon during the reconstruction of the building in the 17C. The façade, in the classical style, features a pediment supported by four Doric columns. I was passing by rare only took the picture passing,
Many paintings and stained-glass windows were donated by wealthy families, such as the Baudicour family, who in 1835 offered the high altar in the north aisle and the entire decoration of the Chapelle Saint-Pierre or St Peter’s Chapel. The tombs of the astronomer Jean-Dominique Cassini , and the mathematician Philippe de La Hire are also located there. In 1948, the funeral of Father Franz Stock took place there (a German Catholic priest. He was notably a chaplain in Parisian prisons during WWII as he assisted those sentenced to death, and then superior of the “Barbed Wire Seminary” of Coudray (near Chartres). His beatification process was opened in 2009 by the Catholic Church, which closed the file in 2022, considering that the conditions for beatification were not met) in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio Mgr Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII, who himself gave absolution. In 1969, filmmaker François Truffaut shot several scenes from L’Enfant sauvage or The Wild Child in the church. The L’Enfant sauvage is a French drama film written and directed by François Truffaut, released in 1970.
The Church Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas has two organs: the great organ from Saint-Benoît-le-Bétourné, installed in 1792, and the “Cavaillé-Coll” choir organ. After the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), a new interior renovation was carried out ,the altar, cross, and ambulatory are located at the crossing of the transept. After the interior renovation, carried out from 1992 to 1995 by the City of Paris, the restored paintings were returned to their original location in the church and sacristy.
A bit of history I like tell us that the Church Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas begins in the 12C, around 1180, when the Hospitaller Brothers of the Order of Saint James of Altopascio near Lucca ,Italy. ( Altopascio Italian Haut Pas translated as High-Pass) settled in the Saint-Jacques neighborhood/quartier, where they devoted themselves to caring for the poor, the sick, and pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. From modest beginnings, donations enabled them to acquire neighboring houses and then build a hospital and a chapel, blessed in 1360, which also welcomed the neighborhood’s faithful. In 1572, Catherine de Medici established the Benedictines of Saint-Magloire there, later replaced by the Oratorian seminary. In 1582, they obtained permission from the bishop to build it. It was then entered from the west (Luxembourg Gardens side). In the 17C, the proximity of the convents (Dominican, Visitandine, Carmelite, and Port-Royal nuns) attracted a wealthier noble population in search of spirituality. Donations from Monsieur, the King’s brother, and the Duchess of Longueville allowed the work to progress, to which the workers contributed free of charge one day a week. In 1630, to enlarge the chapel, a late Gothic choir was added on the side of the old entrance. In 1675, the dilapidated first nave was demolished and rebuilt, along with a new façade on Rue Saint-Jacques. Under the patronage of Saint James and Saint Philip, the new church was consecrated on May 6, 1685. The Chapel of the Virgin was built in 1687. The vault, decorated with paintings illustrates the Litany of the Virgin.
In the 18C, Jean-Denis Cochin (parish priest from 1756 to 1783) contributed to the liturgical renewal of his parish and founded the hospital that now bears his name in the Faubourg Saint-Jacques quartier/neighborhood. In the 19C, the church continued to be embellished thanks to the generosity of its parishioners. During the French revolution, the church was looted in 1793, like many other churches. In 1793, it was one of the fifteen churches made available to Parisian Catholics by the National Convention following the recognition of freedom of worship. The church then took the name of Temple of Benevolence. The choir was reserved for theophilanthropists, and the nave remained at the disposal of Catholics.
The official Parish of Saint Jacques du Haut Pas : https://www.saintjacquesduhautpas.com/
The Paris tourist office on the Church Saint Jacques du Haut Pas : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/paroisse-saint-jacques-du-haut-pas-p1249
The City of Paris on the Church Saint Jacques du Haut Pas : https://www.paris.fr/lieux/eglise-saint-jacques-du-haut-pas-19483
Fitting me think to tell you about the Rue Saint Jacques of the church on this post, Hope you enjoy the reading as I. The Rue Saint-Jacques, a former major thoroughfare of the Gallo-Roman city, still serves as one of the main transit routes through the Latin Quarter, running parallel to Boulevard Saint-Michel. It begins at 79 Rue Galande and ends at 84 Boulevard de Port-Royal. It crosses the Sorbonne and Val-de-Grâce quartiers/neighborhoods of the 5éme district/arrondissement of Paris. The street is served nearby by RER line B at the Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame, Luxembourg, and Port-Royal stations, and by metro line 10 at Cluny – La Sorbonne station. At No. 252: the Church Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas (see above)
The Paris tourist office on the 5éme arrondissement de Paris : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/explore-paris-s-5th-arrondissement-a820
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 Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas of Paris !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 