Exploring the Wonders of the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris
- ellen
- 11 hours ago
- 5 min read
Often overshadowed by Notre Dame Cathedral less than a mile away, Saint-Sulpice is a jewel in its own right.
A Bit of History
The church is dedicated to Sulpicius the Pious, a 7th century bishop. To this day, Sulpicians are an order dedicated to the formation of priests through seminary education.
Construction of the current church began in the mid-17th century. Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV, laid the first stone in 1646.
It was built over the site of a Romanesque church from the 13th century as pictured here.
Additions were gradually made over the centuries, but occasional lack of funds made for slow progress. A design competition for the west facade was launched and won in 1732 by Giovanni Servandoni an Italian architect and decorator who had been inspired by St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Events such as Servandoni's death before completion as well as the French Revolution resulted in the current, relatively simple facade and mismatched towers.
This is an arial view as seen from the Tour Montparnasse.
It's widely believed that Saint-Sulpice is the second largest church in Paris after Notre Dame. In a recent docent-led tour of Saint-Sulpice, we were told that while Notre Dame is longer, Saint-Sulpice is wider and actually has more square footage, making it the largest church in Paris. In any event, both are magnificent churches!
As with most churches in France during the Revolution, Saint-Sulpice ceased being a catholic church and was designated a place to worship "The Cult of the Supreme Being", a form of deism founded by Robspierre, a well-known figure during the Revolution. Above the northernmost door of the facade visitors can barely make out an inscription from that time, "Le Peuple Français Reconnoit L'Etre Suprême Et L'Immortalité de L'Âme" ("The French people recognize the Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul").
One of the first things you notice when you enter the church is that the stained glass windows are largely devoid of color. This is mainly due to the fact that they were installed during the Age of Enlightenment when people had became tired of dark, somber church interiors. Saint-Sulpice seems light even on days with little sunlight.
On either side of the entrance are two halves of a large shell which are used as holy water fonts. They were given to King Francis I by the Venetian Republic in the 16th century. Notice that while they look similar, one base features the form of a crab and the other an octopus.
The Lady Chapel
The Chapel of the Virgin Mary, also known as the Lady Chapel, is located at the eastern end of the church in back of the main altar. It has gone through a recent two-year renovation and it's stunning. The white marble statue of the Virgin was made by French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle in the 18th century. It's set among a stucco backdrop which reminds you of billowing clouds.
Be sure to look at the beautiful fresco in the dome above the statue. It's entitled, "The Assumption of Mary" and was created by the French painter François Lemoyne who lived in the latter part of the 17th century. Both the golden dome and the fresco are exquisite.
Chapel of the Holy Angels
In 1849 the City of Paris awarded a commission to the artist Eugène Delacroix to paint murals for the chapel which is to the right as you enter the church. At first Delacroix seemed ambivalent about the project, but from 1856 to the completion of the project in 1861 he devoted a considerable amount of time to it, even to the point of moving to the rue Furstemberg less then a mile away.
In this chapel there are three paintings. On the left, or eastern wall, is Jacob's struggle with the angel from the book of Genesis.
The painting on the opposite, or west wall, is Heliodorus chased from the temple, from the Second Book of Maccabees.
Note Delacroix's name on the painting above. While Delacroix signed this painting, he was dissatisfied with Jacob's struggle with the angel and didn't sign it.
The painting on the ceiling depicts Saint Michael slaying the demon.
The Great Organ
Saint-Sulpice is known for it organ concerts. No wonder. The great organ was originally built in 1781, stands over 43 feet tall and boasts 7,000 pipes. It requires two organists to manage its 102 stops. I've never attended an organ concert at Saint-Sulpice, but it's on the list for my next visit!
The Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice
In my opinion the most interesting and intriguing aspect of Saint-Sulpice is the Gnomon. A gnomon is an astronomical device which determines the sun's position in the sky by casting a shadow on the ground. It is used to tell time and determine the solstice. The gnomon in Saint-Sulpice was the brainchild of Jean-Baptiste Languet de Gergy, its parish priest from 1714 - 1748. He wanted to create a mechanism to accurately measure the time in order to ring the bells at the most appropriate time of day.
A brass meridian was placed in the floor of the transept along the north-south axis.
Sunlight enters from a tiny hole in one of the stained glass windows on the south wall about 82 feet high.
It forms a small disc on the floor which crosses the meridian each time it reaches its highest point at Noon. The sun will cross different parts of the meridian depending on the time of year. There is a gold disc on the floor in front of the altar. The sun hits that disc twice a year at each equinox indicating that day and night are equal length.
The sun hits this marble plaque at the summer solstice.
The sun hits near the top of the obelisk at the north wall of the church indicating the winter solstice.
The drawing below illustrates the theory.
Languet de Gergy also used this method to determine the exact date of Easter which was to fall on the Sunday on or after the full moon following March 21, the vernal equinox. It's amazing that such complex theories could be determined and put into practice so many centuries ago!
Saint-Sulpice is a treasure among treasures. Here are some more photos of this amazing church.
A few of the statues in the church.
A few final photos...
➜ Top Tips
If you have time, take a docent-led tour of Saint-Sulpice (it's in English). The one I was on takes place every Sunday at 12:15 and lasts about an hour. It's outstanding. No reservation necessary; just show up.
You can also wander around inside at any time the church is open; check opening hours on line.
The two closest métro stations are Saint Sulpice (line 4) and Mabillon (line 10), both about a five-minute walk.