Red bricks everywhere, a huge bell tower: if you didn't look at the street name signs, you'd almost think you were in Toulouse - la ville rose? as it's known. Yet it's in Paris, in the 17th arrondissement, that you'll find this architectural gem.
This church is none other than Saint-Michel des Batignolles, located in the eponymous district at the intersection of Place Saint Jean and Passage Saint-Michel. Designed byarchitect Bernard Humboldt in 1913, it was only after 25 years of construction (delayed by the First World War) that the church opened its doors to the faithful in 1938.
Listed as a Monument Historique since 2016, it features a gold-covered statue at the top of its bell tower. Incidentally, this statue of an archangel is a replica of the one atop the bell tower of the famous Mont-Saint-Michel abbey! In fact, the same sculptor, Emmanuel Frémiet, created both.
Another detail within the church may also catch your eye: an organ from theMajestic Hotel (now the Peninsula Paris), integrated into the church in the late 1930s. If you're visiting the area, be sure to take a look around the building, and discover its unusual architecture!
Location
Eglise Saint-Michel des Batignolles
3 Place Saint-Jean
75017 Paris 17
