Audio GuideChurch of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

Ornate church combining gothic & Renaissance design & housing the shrine of Paris' patron saint.

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Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is a historic Roman Catholic church in the heart of Paris, encapsulating a rich and captivating history. Its origins trace back to the Merovingian period when King Clovis erected a basilica on this hill. As Paris expanded, the church became a significant landmark near the Collège de Sorbonne, embodying the city's religious and cultural heritage.

The church represents a unique fusion of French Gothic and French Renaissance architectural styles. Construction commenced in the year fourteen ninety-four and concluded in sixteen twenty-four, producing a harmonious blend of design elements. The Renaissance façade, coupled with a beautifully adorned interior featuring tall collateral aisles and expansive stained glass windows, stands alongside a meticulously crafted pulpit from sixteen fifty-one, the only remaining rood screen in Paris dating from around fifteen thirty, and a venerable organ with a casing from sixteen thirty-three.

Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is home to the shrine of Saint Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, whose enduring legacy of faith and resolve continues to inspire visitors. The church also contains the tombs of distinguished individuals such as Blaise Pascal and Jean Racine, further linking it to centuries of cultural achievement. Restorations by Napoleon the Third and architect Victor Baltard have bestowed upon the building its present-day elegance, while its curved interior design reflects the historic constraints of the location.

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