BASILICA OF THE SACRÉ-CŒUR DE MONTMARTRE
Read moreThe Sacré-Coeur is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It is true that it hardly passes unnoticed, as monumental as well placed, enthroned at the top of the hill Montmartre. One goes there as much to discover the monument as to benefit from one of the most beautiful views on the capital. It is however a relatively recent building. Imposing, with its 100 m length, its 50 m width and its 83 m high dome, this building is the result of a political and moral project of the 1870's attributing to the country's setbacks (defeat of Sedan against Prussia and Napoleon's imprisonment) a deep spiritual crisis and as many sins to be forgiven at the time. So it was decided to erect a huge church as a national vow. As for the Butte, it is because it overlooks the capital that it was chosen. The place also allowed to open a new page of history in connection with its rich religious past. But this project is often associated with the desire to atone for the painful episodes of the Commune, a question that nowadays often resurfaces in the debates. The building site, directed by Paul Abadie (and 5 other architects!), lasted 50 years. The clayey nature of the land, which had to be compensated for by colossal support works, delayed the construction, while the First World War put a stop to the work for several years. Although the building was consecrated in 1919 (the title of Basilica makes it a place of pilgrimage), it was not completely finished until 1923. The front part of the basilica is in the Romanesque-Byzantine style and consists of a group of domes of Byzantine inspiration, while the back part is in the Romanesque tradition with its apses. Its white color is due to its exterior stones coming from the Souppes quarry (Seine-et-Marne) which naturally whiten in contact with rainwater. It should be noted that due to the narrowness of the building site, the basilica had to be oriented along a north-south axis and not east-west contrary to the norm. The interior architecture is Romanesque-Byzantine. The mosaic in the choir, one of the largest in the world, depicting the resurrected Christ with open arms and a golden heart ("Sacred Heart") is particularly noteworthy. One can also see the great organ of 1898 signed Cavaillé-Coll. The basilica houses the famous "Savoyarde" of 1895. It is possible to visit the Dome, the highest point in Paris after the Eiffel Tower!
NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL IN PARIS
Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral burned down on April 15, 2019, offering a ...Read more
ÉGLISE SAINT-EUSTACHE
The plan of this church is organized around a nave with five vessels and a ...Read more
CITADINES REPUBLIQUE PARIS
Appart'hôtel near the Père-Lachaise cemetery with equipped studios and ...Read more
GRANDE MOSQUÉE DE PARIS
Mosque built in the 1920s by the French Republic, inaugurated by President ...Read more
THE CONCERTS OF THE SAINTE-CHAPELLE
Read moreA classic concert in the famous royal chapel of King Saint Louis, the Sainte-Chapelle, located in the heart of Paris, on the île de la Cité, is an unforgettable experience. With its famous multicoloured windows, the Gothic architecture of Sainte-Chapelle is a magnificent setting to savoir the beauty of music. On the programme, more than a hundred concerts each year including the most famous works of the classical repertoire, interpreted by artists and ensembles of international stature. Tickets are to be purchased on line.
ÉGLISE DE LA MADELEINE
This church overlooking the Faubourg Saint-Honoré and the main boulevards, ...Read more
THE CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDALLION
Read moreThe chapel of Compagnie-des-Filles-de-la-Charity, inaugurated in 1815, is a pilgrimage site. A few years later, in 1830, a novice named Catherine Labouré said to have had several apparitions, including Christ and the Virgin. She asserted that the Virgin had asked her to have a miraculous medal struck, which was done. In 1832, during a terrible cholera epidemic that caused more than 20,000 deaths, the sisters distributed the first medals: Miracles soon followed with healing of all kinds! This is why the building bears the nickname of Notre-Dame-de-la-Médaille-Miraculeuse chapel. Note that the chapel, expanded in 1849 and completely redesigned in 1930, houses a statue of Saint Vincent-de-Paul which contains the heart of the latter.
SAINT-GERMAIN-DE-CHARONNE CHURCH
Read moreThis charming church and its close surroundings (small cemetery and Grand-Rue) remind the atmosphere of a village heart. It is right since we are here in the old centre de Charonne, a commune annexed to Paris in 1860. The architecture of the building is composite. It includes elements ranging mainly from the th to the th century. Since its subsoil is unstable, the church has been closed to the public since 2009 for an indefinite period. You can follow the progress of the work on the church website. Photos are regularly posted by the priest.
CHURCH OF THE DOME AND SAINT-LOUIS-DES-INVALIDES
The Saint-Louis-des-Invalides and Dôme churches form a complex that was ...Read more
SAINT-PAUL-SAINT-LOUIS CHURCH
Church housing works by composers such as Delalande, Rameau, Campra or ...Read more
ÉGLISE SAINT-SULPICE
A large church with porticos of different styles, with two asymmetrical ...Read more
ÉGLISE SAINT-GERMAIN-L’AUXERROIS
Read moreYes, you see clearly! The square opposite the Louvre houses two buildings that look very similar. On the left, the town hall of the 1st arrondissement imitates the style of the church on its right. The origin of this church dates back to the Merovingian era, but it is from a building of the 12th century it took its present form. The places have had many lives, and it has undergone many changes: the portal dates from the 13th century, the choir from the 14th, the nave and its porch from 15th, its transept and its chapels from 16th. Various work has been done in the following centuries. Among the decorative elements of the church are sculptures from various eras, two Renaissance retables, large 18th-c oranges from Sainte-Chapelle… There are many details adorning this beautiful church where famous artists having a link to the the royal power are buried: the painters Chardin, Boucher, Van Loo, the architect Le Vau… Note, moreover, that we celebrate here, every Wednesday of Ashes, a mass dedicated to the artists died in the year.
NOTRE-DAME DU TRAVAIL CHURCH
This church houses paintings paying homage to the laborious existence with ...Read more
THE CATHÉDRALE SAINT-ALEXANDRE-NEVSKY
Church dedicated to Orthodox Christian worship, an astonishing religious ...Read more
THE CHURCH OF TRINIDAD
Church topped by a large belfry that reaches 65 meters high in ParisRead more
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY TRINITY
Cathedral with 5 huge golden bulbs typical of Russian religious ...Read more
ST. ROCH'S CHURCH
Read moreThe first stone of this building was posed by Louis XIV in 1653, and it took nearly a century to finish the work. Built from a plan by Jacques Le Mercier, the church is inspired by the cathedral Notre-Dame. The building has been filled with chapels that are succeeding in the continuity of the nef and choir. The one dedicated to the Virgin, realized by Jules Hardouin Mansart, presents a superbly decorated dome in baroque fashion. This church contains numerous paintings, sculptures, frescoes and tombs. It is important to know that much of its heritage comes from churches that disappeared during the French Revolution. Note that at the foot of his beautiful facade with columns and his little staircase took place street fights between royalists and republican power on the 13 vendeman year IV, in other words October 5, 1795. At the head of the latter was a certain Napoleon Bonaparte who did not hesitate to pull out the gun on the insurgents.
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL CRYPT OF THE ISLAND OF THE CITY
This crypt offers a unique panoramic view of the urban and architectural ...Read more
SAINT-JEAN-DE-MONTMARTRE CHURCH
A visit to the Saint-Jean-De-Montmartre church in Paris, featuring a lovely ...Read more