Parisian Echoes: Unveiling Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois
A scholarly exploration into the architectural grandeur and profound history of Paris's venerable church, from its medieval origins to its modern significance.
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Overview
Location & Identity
The Church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois, a distinguished medieval Catholic church, is strategically situated in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, directly opposite the iconic Louvre Palace. Its name honors Saint Germanus of Auxerre, a 5th-century bishop and papal envoy who notably encountered Saint Genevieve, the revered patron saint of Paris. Tradition holds that Genevieve, inspired by Germanus, played a pivotal role in the conversion of Queen Clotilde and King Clovis I to Christianity at Saint Germanus's tomb in Auxerre.
Architectural Synthesis
This ecclesiastical edifice presents a remarkable blend of architectural styles, primarily French Gothic, with foundational elements dating back to the 12th century. Significant modifications and additions were undertaken in the 15th and 16th centuries, contributing to its current form. The church's construction began in the 12th century and was largely completed by the 15th century, showcasing centuries of evolving design and craftsmanship.
Royal & Civic Ties
From 1608 to 1806, Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois served as the designated parish church for the residents of the Louvre, a testament to its historical proximity and importance to the French monarchy and its associated artists and architects. The church houses the tombs of numerous prominent figures who contributed to the palace's grandeur. In a contemporary echo of its historical significance, following the devastating Notre-Dame fire, the cathedral's regular services were temporarily relocated to Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois from September 2019, underscoring its enduring role in Parisian spiritual life.
Chronicle
Early Foundations & Growth
The site's religious history traces back to a 5th-century oratory commemorating the meeting of Saint Germanus and Saint Genevieve. This humble beginning evolved into a larger church, possibly established by Chilperic I around 560 or Bishop Landry of Paris around 650. After its destruction by Normans in 886, King Robert II the Pious initiated its rebuilding. The church underwent further expansion in the 12th century, and by the 13th century, it was deemed too small, leading to additional enlargements. The structure we largely see today dates from the 15th century, with subsequent modifications in the 15th and 16th centuries.
A Bell of Infamy
A somber chapter in the church's history is linked to the French Wars of Religion. On the night of August 23, 1572, the ringing of its bell, "Marie," tragically signaled the commencement of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. This event led to the brutal killing of thousands of Huguenots, who were in Paris for a royal wedding, by the city's populace. The church also hosted the funerals of notable figures such as Franรงois de Malherbe (1628) and sculptor Antoine Coysevox (1720).
Revolution & Restoration
The French Revolution brought profound disruption, with the church being closed, pillaged, and repurposed variously as a barn, printing shop, and gunpowder factory. Despite this vandalism, some original stained glass survived. It was returned to the Catholic Church in 1801 but suffered further damage during an anticlerical riot in 1831. A significant restoration effort, led by Jean-Baptiste Lassus and Victor Baltard, took place between 1838 and 1855, enhancing its visibility by removing surrounding buildings.
The Artists' Parish
Since the Ancien Rรฉgime, when artists resided in the Louvre, Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois has been known as the "artists' parish." It was here that Jean-Philippe Rameau married in 1726. The Society of Saint-Jean for the Development of Christian Art, founded in 1839, holds its masses and meetings here. A unique tradition, the "Messe de Willette," initiated in 1926 by artist Adolphe Leon Willette, is performed on Ash Wednesday for artists expected to pass away during the year, with a prayer often read by a prominent artist.
Exterior
Facade & Sculptural Narrative
The church's exterior is a rich tapestry of architectural styles, incorporating Romanesque, Rayonnant, Flamboyant Gothic, and Renaissance elements. The western portal, constructed around 1220-1230, originally served as a meeting place for canons and a classroom for catechism instruction. Above the rose window, a balustrade by Jean Gaussel (1435โ39) encircles the entire church. The 19th-century statues on the west facade depict French saints, including Saint Germanus and Saint Clotilde, surrounded by an eclectic array of sculpted animals, beggars, and jesters.
Arches & Allegories
The arches above the doorway are densely adorned with late 14th-century sculptures, portraying apostles, angels, the damned and the chosen, as well as wise and foolish virgins. Resting on the piers of the windows and arches are six statues, including King Childebert I, Queen Ultragotha, and Saint Genevieve, who carries a torch symbolizing the light of Christ. An adjacent angel is depicted relighting a torch that a devil has just extinguished, a powerful allegory. The vault keys also feature biblical figures, illustrating scenes like the Last Supper and the Adoration of Christ.
Gargoyles & Grotesques
The lateral facade is equally ornate, featuring pinnacles and gargoyles that served the dual purpose of architectural embellishment and practical rainwater diversion. The consoles supporting these pinnacles are adorned with sculpted heads of animals, grimacing monsters, griffons, and other fantastical creatures, adding a layer of medieval mystique to the structure.
The Boule aux Rats
A unique and curious feature of the church's exterior is the "Boule aux Rats" (Ball of Rats), one of only four such sculptures remaining in France. Dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, this sculpted stone motif depicts a sphere surmounted by a cross, from which five rats appear to emerge, all overseen by a demonic cat. This intriguing sculpture is located atop the central buttress in the courtyard separating the church from the 1st arrondissement's City Hall.
BellTowers
The Southern Belfry
The original bell tower, positioned against the south transept, dates back to the late 12th century. Its lower sections represent the sole surviving Romanesque elements of the church. This belfry holds historical notoriety as it was its bell, "Marie," that tolled on August 23, 1572, signaling the tragic commencement of the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
The Northern Tower
A more recent addition, the north tower, was constructed around 1860 by architect Thรฉodore Ballu. It stands adjacent to the City Hall of the 1st arrondissement, which was built in 1859. This tower was an integral part of Baron Haussmann's extensive reconstruction of central Paris. Ballu meticulously designed the city hall's facade to harmonize in size and form with the church's facade, incorporating a rose window and a porch. He also conceived the Neo-Gothic bell tower situated between the church and the city hall, ensuring architectural coherence. Concurrently, Ballu undertook the rebuilding of the upper portions of the church's older belfry.
Interior
Nave & Royal Seating
The church's interior features a long central nave, primarily constructed in the 15th century, complemented by a choir, a transept, and aisles lined with numerous chapels. The overall decor, largely influenced by the era of Louis XIV, imparts a lighter and brighter ambiance than typically found in earlier Gothic churches. Neoclassical upper windows, predominantly fitted with clear glass, contribute significantly to this luminosity. A prominent feature of the nave is the monumental set of carved wooden seats, commissioned in 1684 for Louis XIV and the royal family, centrally positioned opposite the pulpit. These were crafted by Franรงois Mercier, based on designs by Charles Le Brun.
The Choir
The choir, traditionally the domain of the clergy, is notably longer than the nave, which accommodates lay parishioners. Its underlying Gothic architecture marks it as the oldest part of the church's interior, though it is richly embellished with Renaissance decorations, particularly the cannelures (vertical grooves) on the columns, characteristic of the classical style.
Ambulatory & Art
The ambulatory, a passageway encircling the choir, allows parishioners to access the various chapels without disrupting ongoing services. It showcases several significant works of decorative art. At the sacristy's entrance hangs "Saint Pierre Nolasque receives the habit of the Order of Notre Dame of Mercy," a major 17th-century painting by Sebastien Bourdon. This large-scale altar painting exemplifies Bourdon's skill in integrating architectural elements with crowds of figures across ascending planes. Another notable piece is a Flemish carved and painted wood triptych (1510-1530) depicting the history of original sin and the Legend of the Virgin Mary. This triptych, confiscated during the Revolution and later returned with two panels missing, portrays God the Father offering the fruits of the tree of life, Satan tempting Eve, and scenes from the Virgin Mary's life.
Transept Windows & Sculpture
The south transept retains a mix of 16th and 19th-century stained glass windows. The north transept, however, lost most of its original 16th-century stained glass in a 2009 workshop fire during restoration, subsequently replaced with clear glass. This transept also features a striking 15th-century polychrome wood statue of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois.
Chapels
Virgin Chapel
The Chapel of the Virgin, typically found at the east end of cathedrals, is uniquely located near the church's entrance on the south collateral aisle. Its choir and first bay date to the 14th century. Originally formed by combining four smaller chapels, it underwent restoration in the 19th century. While initially reserved for the cathedral canons, it was opened to the wider congregation in the 15th century. The chapel is richly adorned with elaborate sculpture and a series of paintings by 19th-century artist Eugene Amaury-Duval, including the fresco "The Crowning of the Virgin." His work, reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelite movement and Fra Angelico, is characterized by compositional simplicity and elegance, with a distinctive sculptural quality to his figures. Among its oldest treasures are a 13th-century statue of Saint Germain of Auxerre and a late 15th or early 16th-century statue of Saint Mary of Egypt, depicted with long hair as her only clothing, holding three loaves of bread, symbolizing her sixty years of survival in the Egyptian desert.
Tomb Chapel
The Chapel of the Tomb, also known as the Chapel of Calvary, is one of the church's oldest, established in 1505 by drapery merchant Tronson, who also funded exterior ornamentation featuring sculpted fish slices (a pun on his name, "Trocons"). It became the chapel for the Guild of Drapers. Severely damaged during the 1831 riots, with tombs pillaged and stained glass shattered, it was subsequently restored in the Neo-Gothic style starting in 1840. This restoration included new stained glass by Etienne Thevenot (1840), inspired by Paris's Sainte-Chapelle, depicting scenes from the life of Christ. The altar, dating to the 1840s, is in the Louis XIV style, carved from Conflans stone. A 16th-century statue of Christ beneath the altar is of uncertain origin.
Landry Chapel
The Chapel of Saint Landry, though dating from the 19th century, was originally built between 1521 and 1522 and dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. In 1624, it became a family tomb for Etienne d'Alegre. In 1817, Louis XVIII designated it as the repository for the heart of Joseph Hyacinthe Franรงois de Paule de Rigaud, Comte de Vaudreuil. Later in the 19th century, it was rededicated to Saint Landry of Paris, a 7th-century bishop renowned for founding the Hรดtel-Dieu, Paris, considered the world's oldest continuously operating hospital.
Compassion Chapel
Accessed from the ambulatory, the Chapel of Compassion once served as the royal chapel. It houses one of the church's most significant artworks: a Flemish carved retable, created around 1515 in Antwerp during Flanders' artistic zenith. This intricate sculpture portrays scenes from both the Old and New Testaments, featuring figures from all societal strataโkings, nobles, soldiers, and peasantsโin traditional Flemish attire. The central compartment vividly depicts a Tree of Jesse, illustrating the genealogy of Christ.
Organ
The Great Organ's Journey
No trace remains of the original organ predating the French Revolution. The current great organ is believed by some accounts to have been transferred from Sainte-Chapelle in July 1791, where it was built two decades earlier by Franรงois-Henri Clicquot, with a case designed by Pierre-Noรซl Rousset in 1752. However, its Neoclassical style has led some scholars to suggest a later date of construction. Following the extensive interior damage from the 1831 riot, the organ underwent a major restoration by Louis-Paul Dallery from 1838 to 1841. At the request of the new organist, Alexandre Boรซly, Dallery added extra keys and pedals, enabling the performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's complete works. Further significant modifications occurred between 1847 and 1850, in 1864, and again from 1970 to 1980. The latter aimed to recapture the original 18th-century sound of the Clicquot organ, though this effort was not entirely successful, leading to some parts becoming unplayable.
Modern Restoration & Choir Organ
A new restoration initiative commenced in 2008, focusing on cleaning accumulated dust and preserving as much of the original mechanism as possible. This project successfully cleaned and returned to service some of the old pipes and effects of the Clicquot organ that had become unplayable. Other pipes were modified and reharmonized to meticulously recapture the instrument's original sound. In addition to the great organ, the smaller choir organ, centrally located in the church, was built in 1838 by John Abbey, enlarged in 1900 by Joseph Merklin, and reharmonized in 1980 by Adrien Maciet.
Glass
Loss & Legacy
A significant portion of the church's medieval and Renaissance stained glass was tragically lost during the French Revolution and the subsequent sacking in 1831. However, several notable examples have endured, offering glimpses into its past splendor. These include the exquisite rose window in the south transept, which vividly depicts scenes of the Pentecost with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, designed by Jean Chastellain. Another surviving masterpiece is the window illustrating the Incredulity of Saint Thomas, featuring glass by Jean Chastellain based on a drawing by Noรซll Bellemare from 1533.
19th-Century Revival
The majority of the stained glass present in the church today dates from the mid-19th century, a period of extensive restoration and artistic renewal. The Chapel of the Virgin, for instance, showcases exemplary works from this era by artists such as Charles-Laurent Marรฉchal, Louis-Napolรฉon Gugnon, and Etienne Thenvenot. Furthermore, Antoine Lusson, working in collaboration with the renowned architect Eugรจne Viollet-le-Duc, contributed Neo-Gothic glass designs to the church, blending historical reverence with contemporary craftsmanship.
Tombs
Resting Place of Masters
Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois serves as the final resting place for a distinguished array of artists who significantly contributed to the embellishment of the neighboring Louvre Palace during the 17th and 18th centuries. These notable interments include:
- Franรงois de Malherbe (d. 1628), a prominent poet who reformed French poetry.
- Antoine Coysevox (d. 1720), a celebrated sculptor known for his works at Versailles and the Louvre.
- Franรงois Boucher (d. 1770), a leading Rococo painter, famous for his idyllic and voluptuous mythological, pastoral, and decorative works.
- Jean-Baptiste-Simรฉon Chardin (d. 1779), a master of still life and genre painting, renowned for his subtle and realistic depictions of everyday life.
Their presence within the church underscores its deep historical connection to the artistic and cultural life of Paris and the royal court.
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References
References
- "รยglise Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois", Paris Tourist Office
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