Wednesday: May 19

Two Churches: Basilque Sainte-Clotilde and Saint-Roch

Today we go to church. Two of them (oh there are many many many here in Paris. These two are pretty neat: Sainte Clotilde has two imposing towers in its front.....very impressive. When you look at the pictures, you will see one from the back-side of the church and it will look completely different. That's the way they are....they look different from various angles. This is a pretty imprortant church; after all, it is a Basilica. On Thursday evening they are having a concer, Sema and I will try to go.

The other church is Saint-Roch. It is much smaller and looks even smaller than it is. It is on Saint Honore right in a shopping area. From the outside it doesn't look like much but inside it is a gem. It is famous with the celebrity crowd for some reason; all the celebrities are attending various functions here. A nice little place just down the street.

Hope you enjoy. 

Once the most fashionable church in 19th-century Paris, the Neo-Gothic Basilique Ste-Clotilde is best known for its imposing twin spires. The open space in front of the basilica is often filled with children playing ball, watched by parents relaxing in the shady garden.

The history of the Basilica of Ste-Clotilde began on February 16, 1827, at a meeting of the Paris municipal council. The council decided to build a church dedicated to St. Charles and nominated an architect for the job.

However, construction did not get underway until two decades and two architects later. Ste-Clotilde was ultimately built in the Neo-Gothic style in accordance with the preferences of the Paris prefect who took over the project in 1833.

Ste-Clotilde was consecrated on November 30, 1857, after 12 years of construction.

In 1896, on the 14th centenary of the baptism of Clovis, Pope Leo III designated the church of Ste-Clotilde a minor basilica.

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Église Saint-Roch

In 1521, the tradesman Jean Dinocheau had a chapel built on the outskirts of Paris, which he dedicated to Saint Susanna. In 1577, his nephew Etienne Dinocheau had it extended into a larger church. In 1629, it became the parish church and it thereafter underwent further work. The first stone of the Church of Saint Roch (Église Saint-Roch) was laid by Louis XIV in 1653, accompanied by his mother Anne of Austria. Originally designed by Jacques Lemercier, construction was halted in 1660 and was resumed in 1701 under the direction of architect Jacques Hardouin-Mansart, brother of the better-known Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Work was finally completed in 1754. The church is organized as a series of chapels in succession. One of them is dedicated to Saint Susanna in memory of the church which used to stand in its place. In accordance, there is a mural painting above the alter, showing Saint Suzan fleeing her aggressors, and looking up to the heavens, beckoning God to help her.

The church is also notable due to Marquis de Sade's marriage there on May 17, 1763.

At the time of the French Revolution, the church Saint Roch was at the heart of the action and was itself the scene of many shootings, which have left their imprint on the facade.

But not just the outer part of the church was damaged. During the Revolution the church was ransacked. A great number of works of art were stolen and destroyed. Amongst the missing paintings, was one of Dinocheau, a generous donor, who built the first church on this spot. His picture, which used to hang in a side chapel has been found and is now in Italy, in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. This portrait is now wrongly thought to be that of Paul Feminis.

Notable tombs in the church included those of Denis Diderot, Baron d'Holbach, Henri de Lorraine-Harcourt, Pierre Corneille, André le Nôtre, Marie Anne de Bourbon (daughter of Louis XIV) and Marie-Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin.

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