Église Saint Roch

Église Saint Roch

The top of this famed church on 

Rue Saint Honoré catches the golden

glow of a late afternoon sun

bon dimanche

Église Saint Roch

296 rue Saint Honorée

75001, Paris

Église Saint-Roch

Église Saint-Roch

Rows of chairs and the long carpeted aisle 

give an indication of the size of this church on Rue Saint Honoré.

Saint-Roch is filled with art, stunning architecture, a storied past...

and three magnificent organs.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Roch

296, rue Saint Honoré

75001, Paris

A child is born...

Joyeux Noël

Église Saint Roch

284, rue Saint Honoré

75001 Paris

Passage Saint-Roch

Passage Saint-Roch

 

 

A light rain,

faint light of an autumn morning,

and the clicking of heels

as she made her way through the passage

 

 

 

 

Passage Saint-Roch

75001, Paris

 



A child is born...

 

Joyeux Noël

Église Saint Roch

284, rue Saint Honoré

75001 Paris

Église Saint Roch -- un petit musée?

Built in 1653, it was only between 1750 and 1770, that the interior of the Church was completed by top artists: Falconet, Vien, Doyen, Boullée. Today still, this church shelters a great number of works of art, paintings and sculptures, rescued from other churches destroyed during the tumult of the French Revolution. Each one of its inside chapels is a small museum.

Bon dimanche


Église Saint Roch
Rue St. Roch et Rue St-Honoré

Moon over Église Saint Roch

On the last night in Paris, I saw this view from the bed and jumped up to snap it before the moment escaped. I will be in Paris again and this scene plays out regularly each month, year after year. Why the urgency for this particular shot, quickly assembled and not a singular best? It totally captured the emotions of this April trip as I returned to familiar places that I count as mine and branched out for new discoveries.

This was the scene of the familiar, the rooftop of Église Saint Roch, with the new excitement of the full moon ascending through wispy clouds. It was the dénouement of moments which quickened my heart, took my breath away, and brought a veil of water to my eyes. How can one have such feelings about a single city, its people, its quotidienne? How cliché to say that one "loves Paris," and yet I do.

Église Saint Roch

Église Saint Roch - unveiled

If you have been visiting my blog regularly, you know that Église Saint Roch holds a place in my heart. It is the first thing you see when you wake up each morning from Janeen's apartment and hear the pealing of the church bells.

When Marie and I were in Paris in April, we entered the church just before the evening Palm Sunday service. I knew that there were two organs in St Roch but to my surprise we discovered the third, a small organ contained in a large cabinet. The organist opened the doors of the organ to release the full sound in the circular space of the apse.

I felt as if we had discovered a treasure.

Bon dimanche

Église Saint Roch
Rue St. Roch et Rue St-Honoré

Église Saint Roch - Nativity II

In December, Holly and I stayed at Janeen's apartment as you may remember and Église Saint Roch was directly across the narrow street from our large windows. In April when I returned to Janeen's apartment, Marie and I attended an evening Palm Sunday service. You may recall the view of the altar from my previous post shown below. Just before the evening service we had the opportunity to photograph the Nativity from a different angle. This marble sculpture of Michel Anguier dates from 1665.*

Only by getting this close can one appreciate the fine details and that small delicate hand reaching upward.

Bon dimanche

*(Merci, Starman for the artist's name)

Église Saint-Roch - Two organs

The chancel (choir) organ of Église Saint-Roch is the creation of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, widely considered to be the greatest organ builder of the 19th century. His many innovations and inventions produced the "symphonic organ" which permitted an organ to sound like the individual instruments in a symphony or to be played simultaneously.

There are two organs in Saint-Roch. The chancel organ above is dated 1845 and the grand gallery organ (seen below) has an interesting history. One could say that it was created and re-created over a 90 year period beginning in 1751 (Lesclop), 1770 (Clicquot), and Cavaillé-Coll in 1840. It has remained in a constant state of improvements up to the current time.

My blog-friend Evan Kreider has produced a masterful post, full of photos of this magnificent church and once you have seen this you will understand why I will be posting another church next Sunday. (a smile, a wink, and a "great job" to Evan)

The site of many burials, Nathalie of Avignon-in-Photos told me that the beloved French actress Annie Girardot was memorialized at a funeral here at Église Raint-Roch just weeks ago (on March 5th).

Bon dimanche

Église Saint-Roch

Rue St. Roch et Rue St-Honoré

Passage Saint-Roch - Reflection

A rainy day in Paris beats a sunny day at home

To see more reflections look here at James' Newtown Daily Photo

Église Saint-Roch -- The long walk

The first sight each morning from our apartment windows was this grand church, Église Saint-Roch. I have featured Saint-Roch before with photos and interesting facts here, here, and here.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Roch
Rue St. Roch et Rue St-Honoré

A talented and dear artist, Carol Schiff, has again honored one of my photos with her beautiful oil interpretation. These are the French sailors I featured on my very first post (July 14, 2010) and you can see the original here. But look at what Carol has created!

Église Saint-Roch... Les Cierges

I never tire of seeing the candles in the magnificent churches of Paris or watching quietly the parishioners as they light une cierge. Saint-Roch was the first thing we saw every morning and the last that we saw each night from our apartment. The bells serve as a morning alarm clock reminding you not to miss a daylight moment of your time in Paris.

Previous posts on the snow-covered roof and the bells can be seen here and here.

Bon dimanche

Église Saint-Roch
Rue St. Roch et Rue St-Honoré

Église Saint-Roch... Nativity

We have visited this church previously, but this time it was much more personal. Each morning we woke to the sounds of the church bells at 8 with their evenly paced 3 rings, 3 rings, 3 rings, and then 47 rings... no snooze alarm either.

Our apartment faced the side of this beautiful and active church and we were thrilled to hear the choir rehearsals, the sounds of school children, and the hourly chiming of the bells. What a treasure Paris has with its history of churches.

Bon dimanche

Église Saint-Roch
Rue St. Roch et Rue St-Honoré

Snow in Paris... sur le toit de l'Eglise Saint Roch

This morning when we woke up, this is the view from our apartment window looking out on Saint-Roch. The many surfaces of the roof were coated in white. What a beautiful winter scene in Paris!

Bon dimanche...

Eglise Saint Roch

Saint Roch is the largest Late Baroque church in Paris, completed in the 18th Century. At the time of the French Revolution, Saint Roch was at the heart of the action and was itself the scene of many shootings, which left their imprint on the facade. This church is easily identified by the two different styles of columns and the initials "SR" at the top of the church.

Two interesting facts: Marquis de Sade was married here in 1763 and among the many tombs you will find Denis Diderot.

Saint Roch

298, rue Saint Honore