Visiting theEglise Saint-Sulpice is anything but an ordeal. This magnificent church tells the story of Paris in its own way. Imposing, it overlooks the Place Saint-Sulpice and almost overshadows Notre-Dame-de-Paris.
The current church, built on the remains of a 12th-century church, wasn't built in a day. It took more than two centuries of work, from the laying of the foundation stone in 1646 by Anne of Austria, to its completion in 1870. The causes: the events of the Fronde, a cruel lack of financial resources and disagreements between the architects. A clear sign of these long years of hard work is the building's different architectural styles, sometimes borrowed from Jesuit art, sometimes from classical art.
Its original arcaded façade, designed by the Florentine Servandoni, and its two 70-metre-high towers, taller than those of Notre-Dame-de-Paris, are fascinating. Speaking of the towers, you'll note that the right-hand tower was left unfinished during the French Revolution. It was in this church that Victor Hugo and Adèle Foucher were married in 1822.
Not to be missed on your visit to theEglise Saint-Sulpice: the Chapelle de la Vierge, a little rococo marvel, the statue of the Virgin and Child crushing the Serpent and the supports for two holy-water fonts sculpted by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, the two statues by Bouchardon, the three paintings by Eugène Delacroix in the Chapelle des Saints Anges, the impressive marble pulpit, Louis Visconti's beautiful fountain outside the building and the gnomon, the brass wire representing the meridian line, featured in Dan Brown's best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code.
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Dates and Opening Time
Starts December 17, 2024
Location
Saint-Sulpice Church
2 Rue Palatine
75006 Paris 6
Prices
Free
Official website
www.paris.catholique.fr
