Église de la Madeleine

Église de la Madeleine

There is much written about this very photogenic 

and beautiful church which sits prominently in the 8ième.

Do you know that there are 52 of these Corinthian columns,

each 20 m high (65.5 feet!).  The fact that it was

 designed as "a temple to the glory of Napoleon's army" may explain

the enormity of La Madeleine.  It is one of my favorites, and the

acoustics are amazing!

bon dimanche

Église de la Madeleine

Place de la Madeleine

75008, Paris

Église Saint-Sulpice

Église Saint-Sulpice

This enormous late Baroque church

in Paris is surpassed in size only by Notre Dame.

I would have guessed Église Saint-Eustache, but

really should go back for another look.  

What would you have imagined?

The façade is massive and imposing.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Sulpice

2, rue Palatine

75006, Paris

Les ombres

Stained glass windows 

sunlight reflected on the

Gothic walls of the church

Paris church

75005, Paris

Église Saint Roch

Église Saint Roch

The late afternoon autumn sun

gives the church a golden glow.

bon dimanche

Église Saint Roch

284, rue Saint Honorée

75001, Paris

Église Notre Dame de la Croix de Ménilmontant

Notre Dame de la Croix

de Ménilmontant

The late afternoon autumn sun

repeated the stained glass patterns

on the stone arches

bon dimanche

Église Notre Dame de la Croix de Ménilmontant

3, Place de Ménilmontant

75020, Paris

Église Saint-Antoine des Quinze-Vingts

Église Saint-Antoine des Quinze-Vingts

If you enter a church in Paris and do not immediately see

the organ, look above the main door.

This is a beautiful Cavaillé-Coll organ

and you can click here to hear the music of this organ

as played by reknown organist, Eric Lebrun.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Antoine des Quinze-Vingts

66, avenue Ledru-Rollin

75012, Paris

Église Notre Dame de la Croix de Ménilmontant

Église Notre Dame de la Croix

de Ménilmontant

The Neo-Gothic architecture was the

work of Antoine Héret.  Construction began

in 1863 and was consecrated in 1869.

In 1871, the Paris Commune met here at 

the church and voted to execute the Archbishop

of Paris and his fellow hostages.

This photo was taken on November 13th (2015)

in afternoon light of a setting sun.  Four hours later,

our world was changed.

Église Notre Dame de la Croix de Ménilmontant

3, place de Ménilmontant

75020, Paris

 

Église Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet

Église Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet

The early morning sun 

casts long shadows 

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet

23, rue des Bernardins

75005, Paris

Église Saint Paul Saint Louis

Église Saint Paul Saint Louis

Beautifully restored, it is a visual treat
to turn a corner and see this magnificent church
in the heart of the Marais


Constructed from 1627 to 1641,
it was due for another refreshing



bon dimanche

Église Saint Paul Saint Louis
99, rue Saint Antoine
75004, Paris

Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine

Église de la Madeleine

This photo was taken only a few days 

after the terrorist attack in November 2015.

It seemed a good place to be.

Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine

Place de la Madeleine

75008, Paris

Dimanche des Rameaux

Dimanche des Rameaux

(Palm Sunday)

In preparation for Palm Sunday in Paris

the ancient but active church of Saint Louis en l'Île

has both palm branches and a donkey.

The music for Dimanche des Rameaux includes

Puccini's Messa de Gloria

bon dimanche

Église Saint Louis en l'Île

Île Saint Louis

75004, Paris

 

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Belleville

Église-Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Belleville

Beautiful and sturdy iron hinges on the

massive doors of this neo-gothic church 

are offset by the soft visage

bon dimanche

Église-Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Belleville

139, rue de Belleville

75019, Paris

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville

Believing that there was only one neo-Gothic double-spired 

church in Paris (Basilica of Saint-Clotilde), 

we found this one in November 

just on the southern edge of the 19ème.

Click here to see an interior view and 

a bit of history of the church.

There is an abundance of churches in Paris

and I am convinced that it would be impossible to see them all.

The same applies to cemeteries.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville

139 rue de Belleville

75019, Paris

Église Saint-Étienne du Mont

Angels We Have Heard on High

Église Saint-Étienne du Mont may have more angels

than in any church I have seen in Paris. 

This choir of angels adorns the organ case built in 1633

by Jean Buron. It is perhaps the most magnificent in Paris

and is the oldest case which is preserved completely.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Étienne du Mont

Place du Pantheon

75005, Paris

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville

Built between 1854 and 1859 in the Belleville area,

it was the first Gothic Revival Churches in Paris.

These historical grounds are built on a foundation of

an early Bellevillois chapel of 1548 which was

replaced by the "first" Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville church

in 1635.

During the construction of this current structure, the foundation

stones of the earlier churches were uncovered.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville

139, rue de Belleville

75019, Paris

Église Saint-Roch

Église Saint Roch

This late Baroque church is filled with art,

stunning architecture, a storied past, and

three magnificent organs.

The Marquis de Sade was married (!) here in 1763,

and Yves Saint Laurent's funeral brought over 1,000 people

 to this church in 2008.  

My friend Peter Olsen (Peter's Paris blog) provided 

many interesting photos and facts which you can find here.

bon dimanche

Église Saint Roch

298, rue Saint Honoré

75001, Paris

Église Saint-Antoine-des-Quinze-Vingts

Église Saint-Antoine-des-Quinze-Vingts

the primary organ

This great organ comes from the instrument built 

by the renown Aristide Cavaille-Coll in 1894 for the mansion of Baron Espée.  

It was moved from the Baron's residence on 

Avenue Bois de Boulogne to Saint-Antoine in 1909.

You can click here to listen to a short piece on this organ.

Like many churches, there is a second organ, 

a practice organ for the choir, which I will show you another time.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Antoine-des Quinze-Vingts

57, rue Traversière

75012, Paris

Église Saint-Roch

The candles in this side chapel 

of Église Saint Roch

may not capture your attention

but I wonder about the image

of a young woman crying that appears 

in the upper right corner.

a ghost or my imagination?

bon dimanche

Église Saint Roch

296, rue Saint Honoré

75001, Paris

Sacré Coeur et Sainte-Trinité

Paris skyline

From the rooftop of Printemps, looking north/northeast,

one can see a soft palette of colors 

in the outline of Sacré Coeur

and Sainte-Trinité

(The tower to the left of Sacré Coeur 

is the basilica's bell tower)

bon dimanche

Paris skyline from Printemps

75009, Paris

 

Quatre Églises, la Tour Eiffel, et le Grand Palais

Four churches plus the Grand Palais and Eiffel Tower

Looking at the skyline from left to right from the Printemps rooftop:

Notre Dame de l'Assomption built in 1676,

 

The double spires of Basilique Sainte Clothilde, 

built in the neo-Gothic style mid nineteenth century

Église Saint-Louis des Invalides,

commissioned by King Louis XIV in 1670

Église Saint Madeleine,

with its 52 Corinthian columns,

The Grand Palais,

built for the Universal Exposition of 1900

The Eiffel Tower (1889)

which at 324m. (1,063ft), was the tallest

man-made structure in the world, a title it held

for 41 years!

bon dimanche

Paris Skyline from Printemps

75009, Paris