The Church of Saint Sulpice is one of the most recognizable churches on the Left Bank (second only to theSaint-Germain-des-Prés) and with great reason. Its external and internal beauty, alongside the important works of art found within it and of course its central location (between Luxembourg Gardens to Boulevard Saint-Germain), making it particularly popular with tourists. And we haven’t even talked about the public relations that the film “The Da Vinci Code” did for the church…
Despite all this, quite a few people didn't really like Saint-Sulpice and its towers that jutted out into the sky. For example, the writer Henry Miller (1899-1980), author of the book "The Cancer Circle", said that the church towers reminded him of two fat fries. If that wasn't enough for you, you are invited to read the short poem by Raoul Ponchon (1848-1937), the poet's friend Arthur Rimbaud, who wrote:
Je hais les tours de Saint-Sulpice
Quand par hasard je les rencontre
I'm pissing.
Against
But whether you love Saint-Sulpice or hate it, one thing cannot be taken away from it: its fascinating history. It includes not only fascinating art but also a priest who runs away from the seminary to his mistress, prostitutes and even two important philosophers who met not far from there for the last time. In short, it is a kind of essence of everything beautiful and fascinating inHistory of Paris That's why I enjoyed writing about this church so much.
Today we will embark on a historical journey through Saint-Sulpice and its surroundings and discover all the secrets it hides. Of course, we will not forget to deal with fateful issues such as the opening hours of the church, whether it is worth living in the area, where to eat and, in general, what else can be done after visiting there.
The story of the Saint-Sulpice Church
Like quite a few churches in Paris, such as The MadeleineThe church we see stands on the ruins of an older church. This church was built in 1211, but by the 17th century it was too small to accommodate the congregation that lived in the neighborhood.
As a result, Abbé Olier (1608-1657), who ran the church, decided to demolish the existing building and erect a large and magnificent new one. To this end, he even managed to enlist the help of Queen Mother Anne of Austria (Anne d'Autriche 1601-1666), who laid the cornerstone of the new church in 1646. The beginning was very optimistic, but problems began to arise within a few years.
Nine years after construction began, it became clear that the design was flawed and that the new church would not be able to accommodate the growing congregation. As a result, the famous architect Louis Le Vau (1612-1670) was called upon to build a church much larger than the original design. However, his death in 1670 and the lack of funding meant that construction was increasingly delayed.
All of this meant that only after more than 100 years since the laying of the cornerstone, and after no less than six architects had taken part in this never-ending project, was the construction of Saint-Sulpice completed in 1780. The one who got to “cut the ribbon” was the architect Jean Chalgrin (1739-1811), known to us for Arc de Triomphe In the Place d'Hôtel, which he designed. However, despite this, the credit for designing the current structure should be given to the Italian architect Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni (1695-1766).
Servandoni, after whom one of the charming streets near the church is named, lived for a long time in London and specialized in designing theaters and theatrical performances. It is possible that this experience inspired him to build the west facade of Saint-Sulpice, which is reminiscent of Saint-Paul's Church in London. So, ladies and gentlemen, you have received another example of how a city that I so despise manages to inspire some of my favorite charms (other examples are the wide boulevards, the underground sewers and of course theThe charming parks of Paris).
In any case, as you saw at the beginning of the article, not everyone liked the final product. Personally, I really like the baroque facade, which is a bit unconventional, with two rows of columns. On the other hand, those of us who suffer from OCD will certainly not like the fact that the two bell towers are not equal in size and that the southern bell tower was never completed. On the other hand, those who claim that size does matter will be happy to know that the northern bell tower, whose renovation was completed in 2011, is the tallest bell tower in Paris, four meters taller than the one in Notre Dame Church.
In short, there is no arguing about taste and smell, and I would be very happy to hear your opinion about the church in the comments.
The Saint-Sulpice Fountain
Before we visit the inside of the church itself, we cannot help but say a few words about the magnificent fountain in front of it.
This fountain was commissioned by the Prefect of Paris (at that time Paris did not have an elected mayor) Count Rambuteau (Claude-Philibert Barthelot, Comte de Rambuteau 1781-1869), after whom an important street running through the 1st-4th arrondissements of the capital is named. Why was this fountain built? For a rather prosaic reason: the need to provide clean drinking water to the city's residents.
The famous architect Louis Visconti (1791-1853), known to us for the tomb of Napoleon I, was entrusted with the design of the fountain.Palais des Invalides And construction began in 1843. The work was completed five years later and, despite its beauty, the fountain encountered quite a few negative reactions.
Some visitors objected to the location of the fountain in front of the church facade, which partially obscured the church from the street. Others did not like the jugs from which the water came (some saw them as cooking pots) while others did not like the facial expressions of the lions (some claimed that the lions' faces expressed anger because the water was pouring down their buttocks).
However, despite all these flaws, this is an impressive fountain that is a paradise for photographers. Of course, the ones that grab all the attention are the statues of the four bishops located on each side of the fountain. If you are interested in the history of the French church, here are the names of each of the bishops, which appear on the fountain:
- Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627-1704) – Located on the northern side of the fountain. Known as one of the greatest orators in French history for his eulogies in memory of Henriette Anne (the first wife of The Duke of Orléans) and the Prince de Conde.
- François Fénelon (1651-1715) – Located on the eastern side of the fountain. He is a relatively liberal churchman who became the principal tutor of Louis, Duke of Burgundy (1682-1712), the heir to the throne, grandson of Louis XIV And the father of Louis XV, who died before his grandfather and therefore never reigned.
- Esprit Fléchier (1632-1710) – is located in the western part of the fountain. Like Bossua, he is also known for his eulogies and like Fenelon, he was also the tutor of the heir to the throne (this time it is the Dauphin Louis, son of Louis XIV, who also died before his father).
- Jean Baptiste Massillon (1663-1742) – is located in the southern part of the fountain. Like the three other clergymen who appear in this fountain, he was also known for his speeches and eulogies and even became the head priest ofPalace of Versailles.
This fountain has two names, one is simply “Saint-Sulpice Fountain” while the other is La Fontaine des quatre points cardinaux, and here lies a little pun.
The name can be interpreted as “Fountain of the Four Winds of Heaven,” since each statue faces a different direction. On the other hand, the word point can also be interpreted as “never,” while Cardinaux is also the plural of cardinal. Thus, the name of the fountain can be interpreted as “the fountain of those who never became cardinals,” since each of the clergymen whose statues adorn the fountain reached the rank of bishop but never managed to obtain the cardinal’s hat.
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Between Delacroix and The Da Vinci Code
After we finished admiring the facade and the fountain, or hating them, depending on which camp you are in, it was time to enter the church itself. The amount of artwork here is very large and I won't dwell on all of them. However, you can't get away with nothing, so let me recommend a few pieces that you shouldn't miss.
After entering the church, go to the first chapel on the right. There you will find two paintings by the great painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863).
The first painting, “The Expulsion of Leodorus from the Temple,” is Delacroix’s version of Raphael’s famous fresco on the same subject.
The painting is based on a story from the book of Maccabees in which Antiochus sent his general Leodorus to plunder the Temple, while God sent a horseman and two angels against him who drove away the general and saved the Temple's treasures.
The second, and more famous, painting is “Jacob Wrestling with the Angel.” This painting is based on the famous story from the Book of Genesis, during which Jacob encountered an angel on his journey back to the land of Canaan, and because the angel refused to let him pass, he wrestled with him all night.
At the end of the struggle, the angel announces that Jacob's name will now be called "Israel," while Jacob declared the place where he wrestled with the angel to be Penuel (the face of God).
These two paintings are among the last works of the brilliant painter, known to most of us for his painting “Liberty Leading the People.” In order to work on these paintings, Delacroix moved from the Ninth arrondissement to a large studio inFürstenberg Square, which is about a five-minute walk fromSaint-Sulpice Church.
After you have finished looking at the two paintings and the ceiling painting “Saint Michel Defeating the Dragon” (also by Delacroix), you are welcome to leave the chapel, walk a little further forward, and then turn around and look back.
The organ you will see was originally designed by Schlegran and renovated in 1862 by the famous organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811-1899). It has around 6,500 metal pipes and is considered the largest organ in Europe. It is very visually impressive and if you are lucky enough to visit the church while the organist is practicing, you will be treated to a musical experience.
This is how it sounds:
After enjoying the beauty of the organ, you are welcome to continue walking around the church and take a look at the many sculptures and paintings that can be found there. After you have done that, let me suggest that you also look at the floor.
There you will find a metal strip that aims to identify the spring equinox in order to know when to celebrate Easter. For this purpose, a hole was drilled in the southern window of the church and a ray of light, at noon on the designated day, passes through the metal strip and eventually reaches the obelisk, which is located in the northern part of the church.
All fans of "The Da Vinci Code" will probably remember that the book's creator, Dan Brown, mentioned this invention in his book and added all sorts of other things that were not and were not created (for example: a pagan temple, which supposedly existed in the same place before the church, the meaning of the letters P and S on the stained glass is Priory of Sion, etc.). In short, nonsense, but told in such a good and convincing way that you won't be able to put the book down.
Before we continue our story, it is worth pausing a moment to tell you that over the years, millions of people have been baptized, married, and buried in the Church of Saint-Sulpice, including some very famous people. Here is a partial list:
- Charles Baudelaire, one of France's greatest poets, was baptized here in 1821.
- Victor Hugo married his lover Adèle Foucher (1803-1868) there in 1822.
- Composer Charles Marie Widor (1844-1937), one of the greatest organists of all time, played here between 1870-1937.
- Funeral prayer for Jacques Chirac, President France Formerly, held here on September 30, 2019.
Church people are not as innocent as you thought.
Another man connected to the church is Charles Maurice de Talleyrand. Périgord (Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord 1754-1838), the mythical foreign minister of France who managed to keep his head under six different regimes (!).
Talleyrand was born into a very important noble family and was baptized in the church of Saint-Sulpice. Because he suffered from a disability, it was decided that he would not become the head of the family (despite being the eldest son) and instead he was sent to a seminary for priests which was located next to the church.
The 16-year-old Talleyrand did not particularly like studying there, and instead of reading the Holy Scriptures, the young priestly flower would climb the seminary fence and reach 6 Rue Férou, where he met Mademoiselle Luzy, a 25-year-old actress who became his first lover.
By the way, the famous writer later lived in the same house. Ernest Emingway Together with his second wife Pauline Pfeiffer (1895-1951).
One evening, the writer returned home, completely drunk, and feeling the need to empty his bladder, he went to the bathroom. When he finished urinating, he pulled hard on the handle attached to the chain, but because he was in a daze, he accidentally pulled the handle of the glass skylight and knocked it down on him. Needless to say, Hemingway was injured by the glass, but the next day he was already walking proudly down the street, showing off his new scar to anyone who wanted to see it.
With your permission, let's return to the seminary next to the church of Saint-Sulpice. If you thought that Tillyran was the only naughty flower of the clergy there, you were very wrong. The fact that even the flowers of the clergy (and their teachers) have human needs did not escape Madame Betty's notice, and she decided, during the 19th century, to open a brothel at 36 Rue Saint-Sulpice whose clientele came exclusively from the seminary.
The building today looks quite innocent, and anyone passing by on the street would never suspect for a moment that until 1946, a brothel specializing in sadomasochism was located here. The priests who came there were subjected to a variety of erotic tortures, from whipping to crucifixion, while Madame Betty became a very wealthy person.
By the way, it wasn't the only brothel in the area. Not far from it at number 15 on the same street was another brothel that is of course now used as a regular residential building. If you manage to enter it, you'll be in for a surprise: Madame Alys' name is engraved on the floor at the entrance in mosaic! Unfortunately, the floor was under renovation the last time I was around and I didn't have time to take a picture of it for you. And so she had another reason to return to Paris...
Saint-Sulpice – Tourist information
I hope this article has made you want to visit the church and its surroundings. So if you are planning to visit the church right now,Your trip to Paris, let me provide you with some useful information to help you plan.
ways of getting there
The Saint-Sulpice Church is located at 2 Rue Palatine. The easiest way to get there is by the metroAll you have to do is take line 4 and get off at Saint Sulpice station and from there walk a few steps until you reach the church. Other nearby stations are Mabillon (line 10) and Saint Germain des Prés (line 4).
If you decide to get there by bus, then you are welcome to take lines 63, 68, 70, 84, 86, 95, 96 and get off at the stop located right near the church.
Opening Hours
The church is open every day from 08:00 AM to 19:30 PM and admission is of course free.
Classical music concerts at the Saint-Sulpice Church
The magnificent organ of the Church of Saint-Sulpice and the wonderful acoustics make this church a perfect place for concerts of religious music and also “just” classical music. You can find information about the concerts held in this church and buy tickets in the article Classical music in Paris.
Where else can you travel?
Have you finished your visit to the church and are you looking for more interesting places? Here are some places that are not far from the church:
If all this wasn't enough for you, you are welcome to read the article Attractions in the Sixth Arrondissement And discover more attractions, hiking trails and more there.
What happens if you get hungry after (or before) visiting church?
Don't worry, you won't starve to death because there are some pretty good options not far away.
Town Hall Café
This historic café, overlooking the Saint-Sulpice fountain, is named after the 20th arrondissement town hall next door. It became popular in the 20s, particularly with American writers such as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner (“The Grapes of Wrath”), F. Scott F. Fitzgerald (“The Great Gatsby”) and playwright Samuel Beckett (“The Rhinos” and “Waiting for Godot”).
Later, the place also became popular among French writers and philosophers, including Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, who met here for the last time in their lives in 1951, just before they stopped talking to each other.
It is important to note that this is not a gourmet restaurant and the menu is classic French (some would say banal) and contains all the culinary clichés you can imagine (onion soup, etc.). However, if you are looking for a beautiful view and a historic atmosphere, this is definitely a good choice.
Address: 8, Place Saint-Sulpice
Pierre Hermé
Not far from the church on Bonaparte Street is the mythical branch of Pierre Herme, the king of macarons and inventor. The Hispanic Croissant.
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If you're not too hungry and just looking for something sweet, this is an excellent option (although not the cheapest).
Address: 72 Rue Bonaparte, Paris
At Georges
If you are not that hungry, but are looking for a good glass of wine in a special atmosphere, let me recommend the Chez Georges wine cellar located at Rue des Canettes 11. It is one of the happiest places I know and if you would like to read more about it, you are welcome to visitThis article.
Still hungry?
No problem, all you have to do is enter the article Recommended restaurants in the 6th arrondissement of Paris (Saint-Germain), where you will find excellent restaurants at a variety of prices.
Accommodation in the Saint-Sulpice area
The location of Saint-Sulpice is simply great: very close to the Luxembourg Gardens and the lively Boulevard Saint-Germain. You can walk from here to a very large part of theParis attractions And enjoy a beautiful, pleasant and safe environment. Here are some recommended hotels in the immediate area (arranged by price with the cheaper hotels at the top):
- Hotel Michelet Odeon
- Hôtel Atlantis
- Hotel De Fleurie
- Au Manoir Saint Germain Hotel
- Hotel Odeon Saint Germain
- Victory & Germain
If all of these hotels are booked, I recommend you take a look at the article Recommended hotels in the 6th arrondissement. If you are specifically looking for a vacation apartment, let me recommend this article. Recommended vacation apartments in the Sixth District.
Hi, excellent and very wise article. By the way, on the southern pediment the explicit name appears: י ה ו ה
Bus 58 also reaches the area.
You didn't mention, Saint-Sulpice is full of damage from 1945 (the battles for the liberation of Paris)
Thank you very much. You are absolutely right.
Interesting article about the Saint-Sulpice Church.
A note on the connection between Samuel Beckett and “Rhinoceros.” Written by Ionesco.
Sulpis Syphilis. And how can one hate London?
There's no arguing about taste and smell 🙂
Thank you for the beautiful music on the special organ.
Thanks for the fascinating article. So far I have been particularly careful to stop by Pierre Herma on Bonaparte Street as you mentioned, but it is also important to mention the amazing “demilfe” cake (2000 layers) – a wonderful variation on the traditional version. This is of course in addition to the Isfahan croissant you mentioned.
Yoram
Sounds especially delicious. I'll try it next time I'm in Paris.
You didn’t mention the inscription “Yahweh” on the right tower on the outside.