| Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris | |
|---|---|
 Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Province | Archdiocese of Paris |
| Region | Île-de-France |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Place Franz-Lizst, 75010 Paris |
| State | France |
 Interactive map of Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris | |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Jacques-Ignace Hittorff |
| Style | Neo-classical |
| Groundbreaking | 1824 (1824) |
| Completed | 1844 (1844) |
| Website | |
paroissesvp | |
TheChurch of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul (French:Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul,pronounced[eɡlizsɛ̃vɛ̃sɑ̃dəpɔl]) is a church in the10th arrondissement of Paris dedicated toSaint Vincent de Paul. It gives its name to theQuartier Saint-Vincent-de-Paul around it. It was built between 1824 and 1844 on the site where an earlier priory of Saint-Lazare had been located, at which Saint Vincent de Paul had founded the congregation of the Priests of the Mission, known as theLazarists. The architect who completed the building wasJacques-Ignace Hittorff, whose other major works included theGare du Nord railway station. The church is in the Neo-classical style.[1]
In the 12th century, the site was occupied by aLeper Colony, located in a marshy area on the road between Paris and theBasilica of Saint-Denis. It became the home and workplace ofSaint Vincent de Paul (1581–1660), who devoted his life to aiding the poor and sick. In 1625 he founded the Congregation of the Priests of the Mission, whose member became known asLazarists. He also created a congregation known as theDaughters of Charity and, in 1638, began a project for aiding abandoned infants. He was beatified in 1729 and canonised as a saint in 1737. The site was occupied by his creation, theCongregation of the Mission, until the French Revolution.[2]
A hospital for lepers was founded during the time of Saint Vincent de Paul. Shortly before theFrench Revolution, this building was transformed into theSaint-Lazare Prison, which rapidly filled to overflowing during the Revolution. Notable prisoners before the Revolution included the playwright and diplomatPierre Beaumarchais and the social theoristHenri de Saint-Simon. During the Revolution it held the poetAndré Chénier, who went to the guillotine; the painterHubert Robert, who escaped the guillotine after the death ofRobespierre, and was named director of theLouvre museum; and theMarquis de Sade, who also escaped the guillotine after the fall of Robespierre. Later prisoners included the spyMata Hari. The last structures of the prison were not demolished until 1935.[3]
In the early 19th century the population of the area grew rapidly, and the church project was begun. The church's design and the initial phases of its construction were made by architectJean-Baptiste Lepère, a French architect of modest reputation. He was a member of the committee of artists and scientists, who travelled with Napoleon on his expedition to Egypt, where he drew the temples and monuments, and helped make the first study of the feasibility of theSuez Canal.[4] The first stone of the church was laid in August 1824 in the presence of thepréfet de la SeineGaspard de Chabrol and thearchbishop of Paris Mgrde Quélen. Work proceeded slowly, and was repeatedly halted, particularly due to a lack of credit following the1830 Revolution.[5]
In 1831, the project was taken over by Lepère's son-in-law,Jacques Hittorff, whose most famous later work was theGare du Nord railway station. Hittorff modified the initial plans, adding two bell towers. The church was sited overlooking Place Franz Liszt, at the top of a long stairway. Hittorff added two ramps, now made into gardens, so that horse-drawn carriages could access the front of the church. The building opened for worship on 25 October 1844.[6]
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The new church was sited to overlook large square, It was preceded by two large ramps in a horseshoe form, which allowed carriages to access the square in front of the church. The square has now been transformed into gardens. A long stairway leads up to the monumental neo-classical front. flanked by two bell towers. The portico of the church features twelve classical columns, withIonic capitals, symbolizing theTwelve Apostles. The triangular fronton above is filled with high-relief sculpture which depicts the glorification of Saint Vincent de Paul. It was made by sculptor Charles-François Leboeuf-Nanteuil (1792–1865), and shows the Saint flanked by two angels, representing the virtues of Faith and Charity. The front is flanked by two bell towers.
The church'sbasilical plan evokes several grand schemes of religious architecture without specifically copying one in particular. Above theportico, a feature borrowed from Greek temple architecture, is a pediment sculpted byCharles-François Lebœuf-Nanteuil on the subject of "The Apotheosis of Saint Vincent-de-Paul": the saint is glorified, surrounded by figures symbolising his saintly actions: a missionary, agalley slave, and someDaughters of Charity devoting themselves to children or to healing the sick. The decoration of the Lady Chapel, in the apse added later at the back (in eight panels), is byWilliam-Adolphe Bouguereau (1884–89). TheCalvary shown on the main altar is byFrançois Rude.
The building suffered during theParis Commune: the bell towers were hit by seven shells, and the terrace and ramps by more than twenty, all fired from thePère Lachaise Cemetery.
The Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul is close to theEurostar and mainline stationGare du Nord, and so is twinned withSt Pancras Old Church, a church close toSt Pancras railway station inLondon where Eurostar services terminate. This twinning was inaugurated on 11 December 2007 with a bilingual service at St Pancras Old Church.[7]
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The nave is composed in the classical style, with two levels of columns: those on the lower level have Ionic style capitals, while the capitals on the upper level columns are in the Corinthin style. level with Corinthian style columns. The colonnades amplify the sensation of height and grandeur.
The two levels are separated by afrieze at the mid-level that runs from the portal to the cupola, on both sides of the church. Painted in 1848–53 against a gilded background, the work illustrates "The Mission of the Church," and depicts two hundred thirty-five figures, including saints, bishops, and martyrs. it runs from the organ over the entrance to the cupola, where it passes below the painting within the cupola of "Christ in Majesty". The frieze on the walls is the work ofHippolyte Flandrin, while "Christ in Majesty" is the work of Édouard Picot. One curiosity in the fresco is the figure ofPope Leo III, who has been given the features of the painterIngres, a favorite of the artist Flandrin.[8]
The ceiling of the church has a double-slope wooden coffered ceiling very richly decorated with carving and polychrome inlays depicting a variety of Christian symbols.
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The main altar is covered by a large baldaquin or canopy, in the form of a triumphal arch. Looking down on the altar is a monumental bronze statue of the crucifixion, made byFrançois Rude; below the figure of Christ on either side are large expressive figures of the Virgin and Saint John.
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The stained glass windows were made by Charles-Laurent Maréchal and Gugnonin in the 19th century. Unlike Medieval windows, the details of the figures are painted with enamel colors and then baked onto the glass, allowing shading and the realism of paintings.
The church has two organs: a great organ and anorgue du choeur. The church's titular organists have includedLouis Braille, better known for theBraille tactile writing system for the blind,Léon Boëllmann (1881–1897),Henri O'Kelly (1900–1918), and Jean Costa. The current organist is Pierre Cambourian.
The church's great organ, restored and enlarged by Danion-Gonzales in 1970, is made up of:
It was made in 1852 by the renowned organ builderAristide Cavaillé-Coll, after whom the square behind the church is named. Originally it was only made up of 47 stops over 3 keyboards and 2,669 pipes.
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48°52′44″N2°21′07″E / 48.87889°N 2.35194°E /48.87889; 2.35194