Saint-Esprit, Paris

Church of the Holy Spirit
Church of the Holy Spirit
Église du Saint-Esprit
	Exterior on Rue Cannebière
	Church of the Holy Spirit
	48°50′17″N2°23′51″E / 48.838100°N 2.397600°E
Location	186, Avenue Daumesnil, 12th arrondissement, Paris
Country	France
Denomination	Catholic
Website	www.st-esprit.org/Notre-eglise.html
History
Status	Active
Dedication	1935
Architecture
Architect(s)	Paul Tournon
Architectural type	Church
Groundbreaking	1928
Completed	1935
Administration
Archdiocese	Paris
Parish	Saint-Esprit

Last updated July 08, 2023

Saint-Esprit is a Catholic church in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France, in the southeast of the city.

History

The population in the neighbourhood in the eastern part of the 12th arrondissement had been growing since 1860, creating a need for a large church. The triangular parcel of land^[1]^[2] the church now occupies between avenue Daumesnil and rue Claude Decaen was purchased in 1927 by the Archbishop, Cardinal Dubois, and his auxiliary Mgr Crépin.^[3]

The Église du Saint-Esprit was built between 1928 and 1935. The crypt was inaugurated in 1929 and served as a chapel while the upper part of the church was being built. The work progressed slowly due to lack of funding. When Cardinal Dubois died in 1929, he was replaced by Bishop Verdier, who resumed construction in 1932. His bust is above the main door.^[3]

The interior decor of the church was protected as a monument historique by the Ministry of Culture on 17 August 1979. The entire edifice was designated a historical monument in 1992.^[4]

Architecture

The architecture of the church—with its juxtaposition of Byzantine influence and reinforced concrete—is 'absolutely unique.' ^[5]

The architect, Paul Tournon, designed and built the church, following a plan inspired by that of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.^[5]

The church has a huge dome — 22 metres (72 ft) in diameter with a summit at 33 metres (108 ft) above ground level. The use of reinforced concrete for the vertical supports and the dome was a major technical feat at the time of construction.^[5]

The dome was designed to allow light to enter through the row of openings at its base. Nevertheless, some experts contend that the darkness of the interior interferes with the appreciation of the rich interior décor.^[5]

The reinforced concrete of the exterior has a facing of red bricks from Burgundy.^[4]

Interior

The interior was elaborately decorated (frescoes, mosaics, sculptures and stained glass windows) by the artists of the Ateliers d'Art Sacré, an association of Catholic artists dedicated to creating art in the service of God.^[2]^[3]

The interior is generally dark, giving the church its unique atmosphere.

The decoration illustrates the history of the 'church militant' and of the 'church triumphant' from the Pentecost to the 20th century. One of its main themes is the influence of the Holy Spirit on human history.^[5]

The frescoes are organised chronologically into 7 periods: 1. the Pentecost, including the intercession of the Virgin Mary and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles; 2: the first to the fourth century, including the martyrdom of Saint Peter and Saint Jean's vision of the Apocalypse; 3. the fifth to the eleventh century, including the baptism of Clovis and Pope Gregory I defining the rules for Gregorian chants; 4. the twelfth to the thirteen century, including Bernard of Clairvaux's founding of the Cistercian monasteries and the construction of the first Gothic cathedrals; 5. the fourteenth to the fifteenth century, including Catherine of Siena in front of the papal palace in Avignon and the precursors of the Renaissance; 6. the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, including Henry IV with the Edict of Nantes, marking a step forward for religious tolerance and an end to the French Wars of Religion; 7. the nineteenth and twentieth century, including an image of the Holy Spirit overseeing the work of both the Holy Family and contemporary workers.^[6]

Most of the frescoes were painted onto wet cement and mistakes could not be corrected.^[6] To enhance the unity of the interior decor, the architect imposed a standard height for the depiction of all major characters, and red as the color of all the backgrounds.^[5]

Murals and frescoes were the work inter alia of Maurice Denis, Georges Desvallières, Robert Poughéon, Nicolas Untersteller and Elizabeth Branly.^[2]^[7]

Carlo Sarrabezolles sculpted the statues and the stained glass windows are the work of Louis Barillet, Paul Louzier and Jean Herbert-Stevens. Raymond Subes undertook the metalwork and Marcel Imbs made the mosaic and stained glass boxes of the crypt.^[4]

Organ

The choir organ was built by Gloton-Debierre after plans by Albert Alain, and was inaugurated by Jehan Alain in December 1934. There were also plans for a second, large organ, but it was never built due to lack of funding. ^[8]

The church’s first organist was the prodigious Jeanne Demessieux who worked there between 1933 and 1962. ^[9]

Gallery

Under construction in 1928
Dedication by Cardinal Jean Verdier in 1935
The church spire seen from Place Felix Eboué
The entry way at 186, avenue Daumesnil
The facing of red brick from Burgundy on the facade
A supporting half dome
Detail of interior
Another view of the interior
Detail of decoration
The gilt pulpit against a backdrop of concrete
Detail of a fresco depicting the 3 faculties of the soul: intelligence, will and sensitivity

Related Research Articles

The Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur, is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in Paris dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was formally approved as a national historic monument by the National Commission of Patrimony and Architecture on December 8, 2022.

Tours Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France, and dedicated to Saint Gatianus. It is the seat of the Archbishops of Tours, the metropolitan cathedral of the Tours ecclesiastical province. It was built between 1170 and 1547. At the time construction began, the church was located at the south end of the bridge over the river Loire, on the road from Paris to the south-west of France. It has been a classified monument historique since 1862. Since 1905 it has been owned by the French State, with the Catholic Church having the exclusive rights of use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Eustache, Paris</span> Church in Paris, France

The Church of St. Eustache, Paris, is a church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The present building was built between 1532 and 1632.

The Église de la Sainte-Trinité is a Roman Catholic church located on the place d'Estienne d'Orves, at 3 rue de la Trinité, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It was built between 1861 and 1867 during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III, in the residential neighborhood of the Chaussée d'Antin. It is in the ornate Neo-Renaissance or Second Empire Style, with a highly visible 65-meter-tall belfry.

The Basilica of Saint Clotilde is a basilica church located on the Rue Las Cases, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It was constructed between 1846 and 1856, and is the first example of a church in Paris in the neo-Gothic style.

Saint-Louis en l'Île is a Roman Catholic parish church located at 19 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île on Île Saint-Louis in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was constructed between 1664 and 1725, and is dedicated to King Louis IX of France, or Saint Louis. The church was originally built in the French Baroque style of the 17th century, but much of the interior decoration was taken or destroyed in the French Revolution. The church was extensively restored and redecorated in the 19th century.

The Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul is a church in the 10th arrondissement of Paris dedicated to Saint Vincent de Paul. It gives its name to the Quartier Saint-Vincent-de-Paul around it. It was built between 1824 and 1844 on the site of the former where a former priory of Saint-Lazare had been located, where Saint Vincent de Paul founded the congregation of the Priests of the Mission, known as the Lazarists. The architect who completed the building was Jacques-Ignace Hittorff, whose other major works included the Gare du Nord railway station. The church is in the Neo-classical style.

The Église Saint-Augustin de Paris is a Roman Catholic church located at 46 boulevard Malesherbes in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The church was built between 1860 and 1871 by the Paris city chief architect Victor Baltard. It was the first church in Paris to combine a cast-iron frame, fully visible, with stone construction. It was designed to provide a prominent landmark at the junction of two new boulevards built during Haussmann's renovation of Paris under Napoleon III. The closest métro station is Saint-Augustin

The Église Notre-Dame du Raincy is a Roman Catholic church in the commune of Le Raincy near Paris. It was built in 1922-23 by the French architects Auguste Perret and Gustave Perret. The edifice is considered a monument of modernism in architecture, using reinforced concrete in a manner that expresses the possibilities of the new material.

The Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis is a church on rue Saint-Antoine in the Marais quarter of Paris. The present building was constructed from 1627 to 1641 by the Jesuit architects Étienne Martellange and François Derand, on the orders of Louis XIII of France. It was the first church in Paris to break away entirely from the Gothic style and to use the new Baroque style of the Jesuits, and it had an important influence on Parisian religious architecture. It gives its name to Place Saint-Paul and its nearest Metro station, Saint-Paul. Next door to the church is the Lycée Charlemagne, also founded by the Jesuits.

Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas is a Roman Catholic parish church in Paris, France. The church is located at the corner of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue de l'Abbé de l'Épée in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The first church on the site, a monastery chapel, was built in 1360. The present church was completed in 1685. The church is named for Saint-Jacques Du-Haut-Pas,", a cousin of Christ and the first bishop of Jerusalem, who was martyred in the year 60.It was registered as an historical monument on 4 June 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes</span> Church located in Paris

Église Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes (Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes) is a Roman Catholic church located at 70 rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was originally built as the chapel of a convent of the mendicant order of Shoeless Carmelites. It is now the church of the Catholic Institute of Paris, a university-level seminary for training priests, and is also a parish church for the neighbourhood. It is dedicated to Saint Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary. Built between 1613 and 1620, it combines elements of Classical architecture on the exterior with a remarkable display of Baroque architecture and art in the interior. The chapel is open to the public at limited hours.

Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin is a Roman Catholic church located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, place Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin, between the rue du Bac and the boulevard Saint-Germain. The church is named for Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican friar and priest, and influential philosopher and theologian in the 13th century. It was originally a chapel of an abbey of the Dominican order in Paris. Construction began in 1682, and the church was consecrated in 1682. The friars were expelled and the church was closed during the French Revolution, and was not returned to the Catholic church until 1802. During the 19th century, the City of Paris endowed the church with many fine examples of French religious art. The church was declared an Historic Monument in 1982.

Sainte-Jeanne-de-Chantal is a Catholic church in Paris built of concrete in Byzantine style with a large dome. It was constructed between 1932 and 1956.

The Église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles de Paris is a Roman Catholic parish church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. It has housed the relics of the Empress Saint Helena, mother of Constantine, since 1819, for which it remains a site of veneration in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. In 1915 the French Ministry of Culture listed it as a monument of historical value.

Église Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile is a Roman Catholic church located at 6 rue Sainte-Cécile in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. In 1983 it was designated as a monument historique in its entirety. Designed in the Neo-Gothic style by Louis-Auguste Boileau and Louis-Adrien Lusson, the church was the first in France to use an entirely iron-framed construction. The first stone was laid in 1854, and the building was completed in 1855.

Saint-Antoine des Quinze-Vingts is a Roman Catholic parish church located at 66 Avenue Ledru Rollin in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.

The Church of Saint-Jean-Bosco is a Roman Catholic church located at 79 rue Alexandre-Dumas in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Built between 1933 and 1938, it is a rare example of a Paris church in the Art Deco style. It takes its name from Saint John Bosco (1815–1880), an Italian Catholic priest who founded the order of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and devoted his career to promoting education for working-class children, both boys and girls. All of the paintings, murals, stained glass, mosaics, statues and architecture were created within a decade, giving them a harmonious Art Deco style. It was designated as a French national historic monument in 2001.

Sainte-Odile is a Roman Catholic church located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, at 2 avenue Stephane-Mallarme, near the Porte de Champerret at the northwest edge of the city. It takes its name from Odile of Alsace, the patron saint of that region. It was constructed between 1935 and 1946, and is a rare example of Art Deco architecture among the churches of Paris. Its bell tower, 72 meters high, is tallest in Paris. It is also known for its remarkable collection of Art Deco stained glass windows. It was classified as French historic monument in 2001.

References

Citations

↑ Chavot, Pierre (2002). Les Eglises de Paris. Paris: Flammarion. pp. 158–159. ISBN 2-7003-1320-8.
1 2 3 Dumoulin, Aline (2007). Paris d'église en église. Paris: Massin. pp. 244–246. ISBN 978-2-7072-0583-4.
1 2 3 Notre église, Paroisse de Saint-Esprit.
1 2 3 "Eglise du Saint-Esprit". www.pop.culture.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Eglise du Saint-Esprit à Paris". www.patrimoine-histoire.fr. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
1 2 Equipe Art, Culture et Foi. L'église du Saint-Esprit (in French). La Paroisse du Saint-Esprit. pp. 16–35.
↑ Gluck, Denise (2008). Paris sacré: 100 lieux à découvrir. Paris: Christine Bonneton. pp. 110–111. ISBN 978-2-86253-410-7.
↑ "Saint-Esprit".
↑ Hildebrandt, Vincent (2022-10-05). "The Organs of Paris". The Organs of Paris.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Sources

"Eglise du Saint-Esprit". Mérimée. Ministry of Culture (France). Retrieved 2014-08-14.
"Notre église". Paroisse de Saint-Esprit. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
"Paris, église Saint-Esprit". patrimoine-histoire. Retrieved 2014-08-14.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Chavot, Pierre (2002). Les Eglises de Paris. Paris: Flammarion. pp. 158–159. ISBN 2-7003-1320-8.

[:1-2] 1 2 3 Dumoulin, Aline (2007). Paris d'église en église. Paris: Massin. pp. 244–246. ISBN 978-2-7072-0583-4.

[FOOTNOTENotre_église,_Paroisse_de_Saint-Esprit-3] 1 2 3 Notre église, Paroisse de Saint-Esprit.

[:0-4] 1 2 3 "Eglise du Saint-Esprit". www.pop.culture.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2021-02-26.

[:2-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Eglise du Saint-Esprit à Paris". www.patrimoine-histoire.fr. Retrieved 2021-02-26.

[:3-6] 1 2 Equipe Art, Culture et Foi. L'église du Saint-Esprit (in French). La Paroisse du Saint-Esprit. pp. 16–35.

[7] Gluck, Denise (2008). Paris sacré: 100 lieux à découvrir. Paris: Christine Bonneton. pp. 110–111. ISBN 978-2-86253-410-7.

[8] "Saint-Esprit".

[9] Hildebrandt, Vincent (2022-10-05). "The Organs of Paris". The Organs of Paris.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]