The most beautiful churches cathedrals basilicas and chapels Ile-De-France

A 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.

The 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.

Yes, 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.

This 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.