Audio GuideParoisse Notre-Dame de Lorette
Neoclassical church from the early 19th century, with marble & gold interiors & an oak pulpit.
Church
Paris, France
Welcome to Paroisse Notre-Dame de Lorette, a neoclassical parish church situated in the lively ninth district of Paris, gracing the area since the early eighteen hundreds. Construction commenced in eighteen twenty-three under the rule of King Louis the Eighteenth and was completed in eighteen thirty-six during Louis-Philippe's reign. This church replaced an older chapel known from the middle of the seventeenth century and has witnessed significant events in Paris's history, from the tumultuous times of the French Revolution to its use as temporary barracks and a prison during the Paris Commune.
The church was crafted by the architect Louis-Hippolyte Lebas and is designed in a basilica plan without an external transept. The façade is adorned with a triangular gable decorated with sculptures of the Virgin Mary and Child, alongside statues symbolising Charity, Hope, and Faith. Inside, you will find elaborately painted murals created using a distinctive wax fresco method, which adds longevity to the decorative features, previously enhanced by modern gas lighting.
Notre-Dame de Lorette is also associated with notable cultural personalities. The composer Georges Bizet and the painter Claude Monet were baptised here, while the artist Gustave Caillebotte is interred in the crypt. Acknowledged as a historical monument since nineteen eighty-four, the church remains an ongoing project of restoration, highlighting its significance to the cultural and spiritual legacy of Paris.
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