The Basilica of Saint Clotilde (''Basilique Ste-Clotilde'') is a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

located on the Rue Las Cases, in the

7th arrondissement of Paris The 7th arrondissement of Paris (''VIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. It is known for being, along with the 16th arrondissement and the ''commune'' of Neuilly-sur-Sein ...

. It was constructed between 1846 and 1856, and is the first example of a church in Paris in the

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

style. The church takes its name from Saint Clotilde, the wife of

King Clovis I Clovis (; reconstructed Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Franks under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single king, and ensuring that the ki ...

, the first King of the Franks. She is said to have persuaded him to convert to Christianity as a condition of their marriage in 496. The composer

César Franck César Auguste Jean Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in present-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of h ...

was organist of the church for thirty years.

History

The church was constructed between 1846 and 1856 on the site of an earlier

Carmelite The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

monastery. The original design was by architect

Franz Christian Gau Franz Christian Gau (15 June 1790, in Cologne – January 1854, in Paris) was a French architect and archaeologist of German descent. In 1809 he entered the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, and in 1815 visited Italy and Sicily. In 1817 he went t ...

, a German-born French architect and archeologist who made his career in France. It was the first example of a church in the

style in Paris. Work began in 1846, but Gau died in 1853; the work was continued by

Théodore Ballu Théodore Ballu (8 June 1817 – 22 May 1885) was a French architect who designed numerous public buildings in Paris . He is the grandfather of the industrialist and politician Guillaume Ballu. Winning the Prix de Rome In 1840, Théodore Ball ...

who completed the church in 1857. Ballu extended the front of the church by several meters to give it greater depth, and built the two towers, to give it the majesty of a small cathedral. It was opened on 30 November 1857 by Cardinal Morlot. In 1896, In 1860 Ballu was named architect of religious buildings for the city of Paris, and completed a series of other churches in the neo-Gothic style. In 1896 The church was declared a minor

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

, to commemorate the anniversary of the conversion of Clovis in 496. The design of the basilica was copied by the architect Léon Vautrin for the construction of the facade of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Guangzhou between 1863 and 1888.

Exterior

The west front of the church is in the

Flamboyant Gothic Flamboyant () is a lavishly-decorated style of Gothic architecture that appeared in France and Spain in the 15th century, and lasted until the mid-sixteenth century and the beginning of the Renaissance.Encyclopedia Britannica, "Flamboyant style ...

style; the spires of the two towers reach a height of seventy meters. The facade has three portals in bays with high pointed arches and sculptural decoration Statues on thrones on the west front depict Saint Clotilde and Saint Valere, the Bishop of Treves in the 3rd century, who each played an important part in the early French Christian church. File:Sainte-Clotilde as seen from the Eiffel Tower.jpg, The church viewed from the

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889. Locally nicknamed "''La dame de fe ...

The semi-circular

chevet In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. In Byzan ...

of the church, at the opposite end from the facade, is ringed by buttresses and pinnacles supporting the walls, modeled after those of a Gothic cathedral. Their presence is decorative, since the structure is built with an

iron frame The term iron frame describes the structural use of either cast iron or wrought iron in the columns and Beam (structure), beams of a building. While popular in the 19th century, the iron frame was displaced by the steel frame in the early 20th centu ...

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel ( , ; Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway net ...

. File:P1020460 Paris VII Basilique Sainte-Clotilde façade rwk.JPG, The west front and portals File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde @ Paris (31021644333).jpg, The pinnacles and buttresses of the apse are decorative, since the church has an

Interior

File:Basilica of Saint Clotilde Interior, Paris, France - Diliff.jpg, Nave and collateral aisles File:Basilica of Saint Clotilde Sanctuary, Paris, France - Diliff.jpg, The Choir File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde @ Paris (30990659214).jpg, The main altar File:P1020465 Paris VII Basilique Saint-Clotilde transept droit rwk.JPG, The right transept The interior of the church is 96 meters long and 39 meters wide, the dimensions of small cathedral. It has an abundance of light coming from the stained glass windows high on the walls. The outer aisles are separated from the nave by an arcade of tall classical pillars, which form poionted arches, and branch out into slender colonettes which reach upward to support the vaults of the ceiling. Like most Gothic cathedrals, the walls of the nave are divided into three horizontal levels; a gallery with high pillars and pointed arches on the ground level; a

triforium A triforium is an interior Gallery (theatre), gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, o ...

, or gallery without windows, just above; and stained glass windows filling the walls on the upper level, between the triforum and the vaults.

Chapels

File:P1020471 Paris VII Basilique Sainte-Clotilde chapelle de la Vierge rwk.JPG, Chapel of the Virgin File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde (Paris) Kapelle 3.2.jpg, Altar in the Chapel of the Virgin File:P1020466 Paris VII Basilique Sainte-Clotilde transept G detail rwk.JPG, Altar in the Chapel of Saint Clotilde File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde @ Paris (31458582000).jpg, Chapel of Saint Valere File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde (Paris) Kirchenfenster.jpg, Chapel of the Holy Cross, with Chinese banners The apse of the church, behind the altar, features five chapels, accessed from the reached by the disambulatory. The most important, in the center, is the Chapel of the Virgin. The others are dedicated to Saint Joseph, Saint Remi, Saint Louis, and the Holy Cross. The decoration of the Chapel of the Holy Cross includes red banners with Chinese characters, a reminder that the design of Saint-Clotilde was the model for the Sacre-Coeur church in Canton, China. There are two other chapels facing each other on different sides of the choir; the Chapel of Saint Clotilde on one side and the Chapel of Saint Valere on the other.

Art and Decoration

The artwork and decoration of the church was designed to recreate the spirit of a medieval Gothic cathedral. The art and decoration of Saint-Clotilde, like other Paris churches of the time, was commissioned and funded by the Paris prefecture of the French government. Competitions were announced, artists submitted sketches of their projects, and the winners were selected by the Commission of Fine Arts of the Paris prefecture. The result was fewer examples of originality or stylistic innovation, but a very high level of artistic quality and craftsmanship. The interior features works of several of the most prominent Paris artists of the mid-19th century. It presents stained glass windows by Thibaut, paintings by

Jules Eugène Lenepveu Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). In the anglosphere, it is also used for females although it is still a predominantly masculine name.One of the few notable examples of a femal ...

, sculptures by

James Pradier James Pradier (born Jean-Jacques Pradier, ; 23 May 1790 – 4 June 1852) was a Genevan-born French sculptor best known for his work in the neoclassical style. Life and work Born in Geneva (then the Republic of Geneva), Pradier was the son of a ...

and

Francisque Joseph Duret Francisque Joseph Duret (; 19 October 1804 – 26 May 1865) was a French sculptor, son and pupil of François-Joseph Duret (1732–1816). Life and career Before becoming a sculptor, Francisque Duret had shown interest in pursuing a career in thea ...

. A series of sculptures by

Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume (4 July 1822, Montbard – 1 March 1905, Rome) was a French sculptor. Biography He was born at Montbard on the Côte-d'Or. He studied under Cavelier, Millet, and Barrias, at the École des Beaux-Arts, wh ...

representing the conversion of

Valerie of Limoges Valerie of Limoges (also ''Valeria of Limoges'') is a legendary Christian martyr and cephalophore, associated with the Roman period, whose cult was very important in Limousin (province), Limousin, France, during the medieval period. She has been a ...

, her condemnation to death, decapitation and the appearance of

Saint Martial Martial of Limoges (3rd century), whose name is also rendered as Marcial, Martialis, and Marcialis, and is also called "the Apostle of the Gauls" or "the Apostle of Aquitaine," was the first bishop of Limoges. Venerated as a Christian saint, Mar ...

Paintings and frescoes

File:Baptême de Clovis - Désiré François Laugée.jpg, Study for the fresco of "The Baptism of Clovis" by Désiré François Laugée File:Désiré-François Laugée - Fresco - Sainte-Clotilde secourant les pauvres.JPG, Fresco of "Sainte-Clotilde aiding the poor" by Désiré François Laugée File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde @ Paris (31021593873).jpg, Fresco of scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary by Lenepveu in the Chapel of the Virgin (Second half of 19th century)

Sculpture

Both the exterior and interior featured very fine sculpture inspired by the sculpture of Gothic cathedrals. The architects François-Chrétien Gau and then Théodore Ballu recreated the Gothic style of the 14th century. They were particularly inspired by the decoration of the Saint-Ouen Abbey, Rouen. The exception to the Gothic revival sculpture is the series of seven bas-reliefs on the left aisle of the church, "Stations of the Cross", by

These were created by

(1792-1852), one of the most prominent French sculoptors of the 19th century. The works of Pradier include the figures of "Fame" in the spandrels of the

Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Plac ...

, decorative figures at the Madeleine, and twelve "Victories" around the tomb of Napoleon inside the dome of the

Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an old sold ...

. While the other decoration of the interior is neo-Gothic, Pradier refused to compromise and his bas-relefs are in his own distinctive neo-classical style. After his death, those on the right aisle were made by his pupil Francisque-Joseph Duret (1804-1865) following the style of Pradier. Following the Gothic tradition, some of the sculpture, like "Sainte Clothilde", (1854), was made of stone painted and gilded, with the addition of enamel and glass. It was made by sculptor Eugène Guillaume and painter Alexandre Denuelle. File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde @ Paris (30990807334).jpg, Portals and sculpture of Christ showing his wounds (center) include on west front File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde Paris Portail Statues 1 26102018.jpg, Portal statues File:Sainte_Clothilde,_1854,_pierre_peinte_et_dorée,_verre,_émail,_Eugène_Guillaume,_sculpteur,_Alexandre_Denuelle,_peintre_(1).jpg, Saint Clothilde (1854) File:Baptismal fonts @ Basilique Sainte-Clotilde @ Paris (31715064771).jpg,

Baptismal Font A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...

File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde Paris Bénitier 26102018.jpg, Angel on benitier, or holy water vessel, by Théodore Lechesne File:Charles Marville, Eglise Sainte Clotilde, sculpteur 1, ca. 1850–70.jpg, Altar sculpture in Chapel of Saint Valere File:Paris Sainte-Clotilde339.JPG, "Stations of the Cross - Christ sets out with the cross" by James Pradier File:Paris Sainte-Clotilde346.JPG, From the Neoclassical "Stations of the Cross" Christ encounters the Virgin Mary, by James Pradier. File:Jean Paul 2 sculpture, Sainte-Clotilde Paris.jpg, Sculpture of Pope Jean-Paul II

Wood Carving

The wood carving of the choir stalls and the pulpit, like the other decoration of the church, was designed to capture the spirit of the Gothic art of the 14th century. They were designed by Theodore Ballu. File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde (Paris) Madonna.jpg, "Virgin and Child", in the Chapel of the Virgin, by Henri Joseph de Triqueti (1804-1874) File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde (Paris) Chorgestühl.jpg, The carved choir stalls File:Basilica of Saint Clotilde Pulpit, Paris, France - Diliff.jpg, The carved pulpit in the nave

Stained glass

File:Paris Sainte-Clotilde844.JPG, Rose window in the left transept, created by Émile Thibaut. File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde Paris Vitrail Blanche de Castille 26102018.jpg, Blanche de Castille teaching future King

Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis ...

File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde Paris Vitrail Couronnement de la Vierge 26102018.jpg, Crowning of the Virgin Mary File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde Paris Vitrail Lusson Amaury Duval Ange musicien 1 26102018.jpg, An angel musician by Duval and Lusson File:Basilique Sainte-Clotilde Paris Vitrail Lusson et Bourdon Sainte Radegonde Détail 26102018.jpg, Saint Radegonde, by Duval and Lusson The stained glass of the church, like the other decoration, was commissioned and designed by capture the spirit of a 14th-century Gothic church. While they used medieval subjects, the glass artists used more modern techniques to paint on the glass with enamel pigments,which were then fired to fuse with the glass. This allowed the artists tp create windows which resembled paintings, with greater realism and three-dimensional effects. Many of the windows were created by the collaboration of artist d'Amaury Duval, and master glass maker Antoine Lusson (fils).

The Rectors and Vicars of Sainte-Clotilde

Abbot Arthur Mugnier, nicknamed the "confessor of the duchesses," and who left a diary, was one of the vicars. Abbé Henri Chaumont, vicar of the parish from 1869 to 1874, in 1872 with Caroline Carré de Malberg founded the Society of the Daughters of Saint Francis de Sales, whose mother-house moved to Lorry-lès-Metz. Abbé Albert Colombel was first vicar in 1914. Abbé Bernard Bouveresse, a member of the Resistance, was parish priest and rector of Sainte-Clotilde from the post-war period to his death. In 1993, the rector of Sainte-Clotilde, the abbot Alain Maillard de La Morandais was appointed chaplain of the parliamentarians. In 1992, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, Archbishop of Paris, created the Pastoral Service for Political Studies. In 1995, he entrusted the direction to Father Antoine de Vial, who received the Pontifical Prelature in 2001. From 2005 to 2012, Father Matthieu Rougé held both positions. In September 2012, Father Laurent Stalla-Bourdillon, former vicar of the

church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, was appointed rector of the Sainte-Clotilde church and director of SPEP.

Organ

File:Cesar Franck At Organ.jpg, Cesar Franck (1885), painted by

Jeanne Rongier Jeanne Rongier (November 27, 1852 – January 19, 1929) was a French painter. Rongier was born in Mâcon where she took lessons from Henri Senart.Jeanne Rongier in the RKD She later took lessons from Henri Joseph Harpignies, and Evariste Vital ...

File:F0130 Paris 7e basilique Ste Cecile orgue v2 rwk.jpg, Grand organ of Sainte-Clotilde, made by

Aristide Cavaillé-Coll Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (; 4 February 1811 – 13 October 1899) was a French organ builder. He has the reputation of being the most distinguished organ builder of the 19th century. He pioneered innovations in the art and science of organ build ...

(1859) St Clotilde is famous for the

organ (1859, enlarged 1933 and electrified 1962) played by

between 1859 and 1890, and then by the succession of famous composers who have been ''Organiste titulaire'': Franck himself told the ''curé'' of Sainte-Clotilde: "If you only knew how I love this instrument . . . it is so supple beneath my fingers and so obedient to all my thoughts!". Franck's organ concerts were attended by

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

and other composers, and had an important influence on the development of church organ music in Europe. *

1859–1890 *

Gabriel Pierné Henri Constant Gabriel Pierné (16 August 1863 – 17 July 1937) was a French composer, conductor, pianist and organist. Biography Gabriel Pierné was born in Metz. His family moved to Paris, after Metz and part of Lorraine were annexed to Germ ...

1890–1898 *

Charles Tournemire Charles Arnould Tournemire (22 January 1870 – 3 or 4 November 1939) was a French composer and organist, notable partly for his improvisations, which were often rooted in the music of Gregorian chant. His compositions include eight symphon ...

1898–1939 *

Joseph-Ermend Bonnal Joseph-Ermend Bonnal (1 July 1880 – 14 August 1944); also ''Ermend-Bonnal'', alias ''Guy Marylis'') was a French composer and organist. Ermend-Bonnal received initial musical instruction from his father, a violinist. He then studied piano at t ...

1942–1944 * Jean Langlais 1945–1988 * Pierre Cogen and Jacques Taddei 1987–1993 * Jacques Taddei 1993–2004 * Olivier Penin and Jacques Taddei 2004-2012 * Olivier Penin 2012– In addition to these titular organists,

Théodore Dubois Clément François Théodore Dubois (; 24 August 1837 – 11 June 1924) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer, organist, and music teacher. After study at the Paris Conservatoire, Dubois won France's premier musical prize, the Prix de Ro ...

served Sainte-Clotilde as choir organist from 1858 and as choirmaster from 1863 until his appointment as organist at the Madeleine in 1869.

Notes and citations

Bibliography (in French)

* Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; ''Églises de Paris'' (2017), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, (in French)

External links

Ste-Clotilde's parish website (French)

"Patrimoine-Histoire.fr" Site on the art and history of church (in French)
Grand Orgue Ste-Clotilde's Website (English)
{{Authority control Roman Catholic churches in the 7th arrondissement of Paris Basilica churches in Paris Roman Catholic churches completed in 1857 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France 1857 establishments in France Gothic Revival church buildings in France