The Église Saint-Philippe-du-Roule is a Roman Catholic church located at 154

Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of '' Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bl ...

in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Resembling a Roman temple. it was built in the style of Neoclassicism between 1774 and 1784 by architect Jean-François Chalgrin best known for his design of the Arc de Triomphe. It was enlarged in 1845 by the architects Étienne-Hippolyte Godde and

Victor Baltard Victor Baltard (9 June 180513 January 1874) was a French architect famed for work in Paris including designing Les Halles market and the Saint-Augustin church. Life Victor was born in Paris, son of architect Louis-Pierre Baltard and attended Lyc ...

History

The predecessor of the church was a small chapel attached to a hospital for

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

, which was demolished in 1739. It was located in the village of Roule, which had been joined to Paris in 1722, and was becoming a fashionable residential neighborhood. King

Louis X of France Louis X (4 October 1289 – 5 June 1316), known as the Quarrelsome (french: le Hutin), was King of France from 1314 and King of Navarre as Louis I from 1305 until his death. He emancipated serfs who could buy their freedom and readmitted Jews in ...

wished to give the community a suitable church. The architect Jean-François Chalgrin, who later became famous for his plan for the Arc de Triomphe, was chosen for the project. Chalgrin made a design in the

neoclassical style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing sty ...

, very popular in the period, with a facade resemblng a Roman temple. Construction lasted from 1774 until 1784. Chalgrin's original plan called for two bell towers, but these were dropped because of a shortage of funds. During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

the church was closed, but the building was returned to the church in 1792, and became the parish church once again in 1802. The population of the neighborhood continued to grow, and an enlargement of the church was needed. Beginning in 1845 the architect Etienne-Hippolyte Godde (1781-1869) added a disambulatory with classical columns and a new chapel behind the altar in the west end of the church. This plan, based on the early

Paleochristian The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various denominations, from the 1st century to the present. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teach ...

churches in Rome, became very popular during the

French Restoration The Bourbon Restoration was the period of French history during which the House of Bourbon returned to power after the first fall of Napoleon on 3 May 1814. Briefly interrupted by the Hundred Days War in 1815, the Restoration lasted until the ...

. They added a lavishly decorated axial chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, at the east end of the church. Later in the 19th century, colorful stained glass windows depicting events in the lives of Saint Philip and Saint John, were added along the side aisles; these were the work of Emile Hirsch (1832-1904). File:St phil roule old.jpg, The first church on the site File:Chalgrin St Phil gallica.jpg, Plan for the reconstructed neoclassical church by Jean-François Chalgrin File:Eglise St Philippe du Roule - Intérieur.jpg, The church interior in about 1785

Exterior

The exterior of the church is modelled after the early Christian basilcas in Rome, The

peristyle In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (; from Greek ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. Tetrastoön ( grc, τετράστῳον or τετράστοον, lit=f ...

over the portal is supported by four columns of the

Doric order The Doric order was one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of c ...

, and is topped by a triangular

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

. The sculpture on the pediment is decorated with an allegorical figure representing Religion, holding a chalice and a cross. The sculpture was made by Francois-Joseph Duret (1732-1816). The inscription below says that the church is dedicated to

Saint Philip the Apostle Philip the Apostle ( el, Φίλιππος; Aramaic: ܦܝܠܝܦܘܣ; cop, ⲫⲓⲗⲓⲡⲡⲟⲥ, ''Philippos'') was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle ...

. File:Eglise Saint-Philippe-du-Roule1.JPG, The facade of the church, with four columns of the

supporting the

File:Eglise Saint-Philippe-du-Roule2.JPG, The sculpture on the pediment depicts "Religion", holding a chalice and a cross.

Nave and Choir

The nave and choir are ringed by columns with capitals of the Ionic order, giving it a formal appearance, but this is offset by the colorful and dramatic art in the room. The caissons of the rounded ceiling, decorated with floral elements, are actually wood painted to resemble stone." In the rotunda above the choir is the centerpiece of the art in the church, a painting by Theodore Chassériau (1819-1856), dramatically depicting The descent of Christ from the Cross. The body of Christ is held up by mourners, who include the Virgin Mary in a central position, and an assembly of Saints. The colors of the painting and dramatic positions of the mourners provide a striking contrast to the formal classical architecture around them. File:Saint-Philippe-du-Roule Paris.jpg, The nave, looking toward the choir File:Eglise Saint-Philippe du Roule @ Paris (33302720670).jpg, "Descent from the Cross" by Theodore Chassériau File:Descente de Croix St-Phil-du-Roule Paris detail.jpg, Detail of "The Descent from the Cross"

Chapel of the Virgin

THe Chapel of the Virgin, behind the altar in the apae of the church, is the most highly-decorated part of the church, with sculpture and paintings illustrating the life of the Virgim Mary. THe lower row of aintings of Claudius Jacquand s(1804-1878) how scenes from the life of the Virgin, while the upper paintings illustrate the litanies. The painting by Jacquand the vault over the altar depicts Christ crowning the Virgin. Christ is accompanied by Saint Philip and Saint John. The centerpiece of the chapel is a marble statue of the Virgin Mary and child, called "Our Lady of All the Graces", by Charles-François Lebœuf Nanteuil (1792-1865). File:Eglise Saint-Philippe du Roule @ Paris (33686592095).jpg, painting over the altar in the Chapel of the Virgin; "Christ crowning the Viegin" by Claudius Jacquand File:Vierge Marie St Phil du Roule Paris.jpg, Statue of Virgin Mary in the Chapel of the Virgin File:Chapelle de la Vierge Saint-Philippe-du-Roule.jpg, Altar of the Chapel of the Virgin File:Eglise Saint-Philippe du Roule @ Paris (32873387193).jpg, Chapel of the Virgin File:Sainte Famille Saint-Philippe.jpg, Painting of the Holy Family by Claudius Jacquand

Stained Glass

The bays along the outer outer aisles are not occupied by chapels, and instead are filled with colorful stained glass windows in the Art Nouveau style from the end of the 19th century. The windows in the aisles illustrate scenes from the lives of

and

Saint John the Apostle John the Apostle ( grc, Ἰωάννης; la, Ioannes ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ;) or Saint John the Beloved was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Zebedee a ...

. These were made by

Emile Hirsch Emile Davenport Hirsch (born March 13, 1985) is an American actor. He played Chris McCandless in '' Into the Wild'' (2007). Other notable film roles include '' The Girl Next Door'' (2004), ''Lords of Dogtown'' (2005), ''Alpha Dog'' (2006), ''Spe ...

(1832-1904). A series of windows depicting saints was created from paintings by Albert Maignan in 1894. A colorful circular stained glass is placed over the altar in the Chapel of the Virgin.
Article in patrimoine-histoire.fr, on the history and art of the church File:Vitrail Saint-Philippe-du-Roule Jésus.JPG, , "Christ with the Apostles" by Emile Hirsch (painter) File:Stained glass @ Eglise Saint-Philippe du Roule @ Paris (33686597715).jpg, Window over the Chapel of the Virgin File:Stained glass @ Eglise Saint-Philippe du Roule @ Paris (33556863201).jpg, Saint John the Baptist baptizes Christ File:Vitrail Saint-Philippe-du-Roule.JPG, The martyrdom of Saint Philip File:Stained glass @ Eglise Saint-Philippe du Roule @ Paris (33645808636).jpg, Nave window

Organ

The organ of the church is located in a niche under the vaults over the tribune, above the portal to the nave. It was built by the firm of Cavaillé-Coll-Mutin in 1903. File:Orgue Église Saint-Philippe-du-Roule.jpg

Notes and citations

Bibliography (in French)

*Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; ''Églises de Paris'' (2010), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, (in French)

External Links (in French)

Website of the church

Link to the French Wikipedia article on the church

Article in patrimoine-histoire.fr, on the history and art of the church Roman Catholic churches in the 8th arrondissement of Paris {{Commons category}