Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris
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Place Saint-Sulpice Place Saint Sulpice is a large public square, dominated on its eastern side by the Church of Saint-Sulpice. It was built in 1754 as a tranquil garden in the Latin Quarter of the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Features In addition to the church, ...

6th arrondissement The 6th arrondissement of Paris (''VIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as ''le sixième''. The arrondissement, called Luxembourg in ...
, Paris , country = France , denomination = Roman Catholic , religious institute = Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice , website = , bull date = , founded date = , founder = , dedication =
Sulpitius the Pious Sulpitius (or Sulpicius) the Pious (; died 17 January 644) was a 7th-century bishop of Bourges and saint. Life According to his ''Vita'', Sulpitius was born at Vatan (Diocese of Bourges), of noble parents, before the end of the sixth century. ...
, dedicated date = , consecrated date = , relics = , status = Parish church , functional status = Active , heritage designation = , architect = , style =
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
, years built = , groundbreaking = 1646 , completed date = 1870 , capacity = , length = , width = , tower quantity = 2 , tower height = North tower:
South tower: , materials = , bells = , bells hung = , bell weight = , parish = , archdiocese = Paris , province = Paris , priestincharge = Jean-Loup Lacroix , organist = Daniel Roth
(''Organiste titulaire du grand-orgue'') , embedded = The Church of Saint-Sulpice () is a Roman Catholic church in Paris, France, on the east side of
Place Saint-Sulpice Place Saint Sulpice is a large public square, dominated on its eastern side by the Church of Saint-Sulpice. It was built in 1754 as a tranquil garden in the Latin Quarter of the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Features In addition to the church, ...
, in the Latin Quarter of the
6th arrondissement The 6th arrondissement of Paris (''VIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as ''le sixième''. The arrondissement, called Luxembourg in ...
. It is only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and thus the second-largest church in the city. It is dedicated to
Sulpitius the Pious Sulpitius (or Sulpicius) the Pious (; died 17 January 644) was a 7th-century bishop of Bourges and saint. Life According to his ''Vita'', Sulpitius was born at Vatan (Diocese of Bourges), of noble parents, before the end of the sixth century. ...
. Construction of the present building, the second church on the site, began in 1646. During the 18th century, an elaborate
gnomon A gnomon (; ) is the part of a sundial that casts a shadow. The term is used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields. History A painted stick dating from 2300 BC that was excavated at the astronomical site of Taosi is the ol ...
, the
Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice The Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice is an astronomical measurement device located in the Church of Saint-Sulpice (''Église Saint-Sulpice'') in Paris, France. It is a gnomon, a device designed to cast a shadow on the ground in order to determine the posit ...
, was constructed in the church.


History

The present church is the second building on the site, erected over a Romanesque church originally constructed during the 13th century. Additions were made over the centuries, up to 1631. The new building was founded in 1646 by parish priest
Jean-Jacques Olier Jean-Jacques Olier, S.S. (20 September 1608 – 2 April 1657) was a French Catholic priest and the founder of the Sulpicians. He also helped to establish the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal, which organized the settlement of a new town ...
(1608–1657) who had established the Society of Saint-Sulpice, a clerical congregation, and a seminary attached to the church. Anne of Austria laid the first stone. Construction began in 1646 to designs which had been created in 1636 by Christophe Gamard, but the Fronde interfered, and only the Lady Chapel had been built by 1660, when Daniel Gittard provided a new general design for most of the church. Gittard completed the sanctuary, ambulatory,
apsidal chapels An apse chapel, apsidal chapel, or chevet is a chapel in traditional Christian church architecture, which radiates tangentially from one of the bays or divisions of the apse. It is reached generally by a semicircular passageway, or ambulatory, ex ...
, transept, and north
portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...
(1670–1678), after which construction was halted for lack of funds.Himmelfarb 1998; Ayers 2004, pp. 126–127.
Gilles-Marie Oppenord Gilles-Marie Oppenordt (27 July 1672 – 13 March 1742) was a celebrated French designer at the ''Bâtiments du Roi'', the French royal works, and one of the initiators of the Rocaille and Rococo styles, nicknamed "the French Borromini".Giet ...
and
Giovanni Servandoni Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...
, adhering closely to Gittard's designs, supervised further construction (mainly the nave and side-chapels, 1719–1745). The decoration was executed by the brothers Sébastien-Antoine Slodtz (1695–1742) and Paul-Ambroise Slodtz (1702–1758).Terrien 2004, p. 17. In 1723–1724 Oppenord created the north and south portals of the transept with an unusual interior design for the ends: concave walls with nearly engaged Corinthian columns instead of the pilasters found in other parts of the church. Plan Église Saint-Sulpice - Paris.svg, Plan of the church Paris Saint-Sulpice Innen Chor 2.jpg, Inner choir with pilasters Saint-Sulpice south transept interior - Mbzt.jpg, South transept He also built a bell-tower on top of the transept crossing (c. 1725), which threatened to collapse the structure because of its weight and had to be removed. This miscalculation may account for the fact that Oppenord was then relieved of his duties as an architect and restricted to designing decoration.


West facade

In 1732 a competition was held for the design of the west facade, won by Servandoni, who was inspired by the entrance elevation of
Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...
's
Saint Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
in London.Ayers 2004, pp. 126–127. The 1739 Turgot map of Paris shows the church without Oppenord's crossing bell-tower, but with Servandoni's pedimented façades mostly complete, still lacking, however, its two towers. Cathédrale St-Paul - entrée principale.jpg, Saint Paul's, London Servandoni - Façade de Saint-Sulpice.jpg, Servandoni's design Saint-Sulpice on 1739 Turgot map of Paris - KU.jpg, On the 1739 Turgot map Unfinished at the time of his death in 1766, the work was continued by others, primarily the obscure Oudot de Maclaurin, who erected twin towers to Servandoni's design. Servandoni's pupil Jean Chalgrin rebuilt the north tower (1777–1780), making it taller and modifying Servandoni's
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
design to one that was more neoclassical, but the French Revolution intervened, and the south tower was never replaced. Chalgrin also designed the decoration of the chapels under the towers. Saint-Sulpice west facade design by Servandoni with third order - Middleton 1980 p106.jpg, Design with a third order by Servandoni (1752) Saint-Sulpice - Grand Portail - Architecture françoise Tome2 Livre3 Ch5 Pl2.jpg, Design from Blondel (1752) P1000718 Paris VI Eglise Saint-Sulpice reductwk1.JPG, The current façade with mis-matched towers (2010) The principal facade now exists in somewhat altered form. Servandoni's pediment, criticized as classically incorrect because its width was based on the entire front rather than the size of the
order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
on which it rested, was removed after it was struck by lightning in 1770 and replaced with a balustrade. This change and the absence of the belvederes on the towers bring the design closer in spirit to that of the severely classical east front of the Louvre. The facade is an unorthodox essay in which a double colonnade,
Ionic order The Ionic order is one of the three canonic orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric and the Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan (a plainer Doric), and the rich variant of Corinthian called the composite or ...
over
Roman Doric 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 colu ...
with loggias behind them, unifies the bases of the corner towers with the façade; this fully classicising statement was made at the height of the rococo. Its revolutionary character was recognised by the architect and teacher Jacques-François Blondel, who illustrated the elevation of the façade in his ''Architecture françoise'' of 1752, remarking: "The entire merit of this building lies in the architecture itself... and its greatness of scale, which opens a practically new road for our French architects." Large arched windows fill the vast interior with natural light. The result is a simple two-storey west front with three tiers of elegant columns. The overall harmony of the building is, some say, only marred by the two mismatched towers. Another point of interest dating from the time of the Revolution, when Christianity was suppressed and Saint-Sulpice became a place for worship of the "Supreme Being", is a printed sign over the center door of the main entrance. One can still barely make out the printed words ''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").Terrien 2004, p. 33.


Interior

Inside the church to either side of the entrance are the two halves of an enormous shell ('' Tridacna gigas'') given to King
Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...
by the Venetian Republic. They function as holy water fonts and rest on rock-like bases sculpted by
Jean-Baptiste Pigalle Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (26 January 1714 – 20 August 1785) was a French sculptor. Life Pigalle was born in Paris, the seventh child of a carpenter. Although he failed to obtain the ''Prix de Rome'', after a severe struggle he entered the ''Ac ...
. Pigalle also designed the large white marble statue of Mary in the Lady Chapel at the far end of the church. The stucco decoration surrounding it is by
Louis-Philippe Mouchy Louis-Philippe Mouchy (31 March 1734 – 10 December 1801) was a French sculptor. Early years Louis-Philippe Mouchy was born in 1734. He was a student of Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, and married Pigalle's niece. Mouchy followed Pigalle's style closely ...
. Pigalle's work replaced a solid-silver statue by
Edmé Bouchardon Edmé Bouchardon (; 29 May 169827 July 1762) was a French sculptor best known for his neoclassical statues in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, his medals, his equestrian statue of Louis XV of France for the Place de la Concorde (destroy ...
, which vanished at the time of the Revolution. It was cast from silverware donated by parishioners and was known as "Our Lady of the Old Tableware". The
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
interior of the Lady Chapel (rebuilt by Servandoni in 1729) was designed by Charles de Wailly in 1774, after the chapel was badly damaged by a fire which destroyed the nearby Foire Saint-Germain in 1762. The dome, lit by natural light from hidden windows devised by de Wailly, contains a fresco by François Lemoyne depicting the Assumption of Mary, which dates from 1734, although it has been restored several times since then. De Wailly also designed the
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
(in the nave), completed in 1788. The oak canopy broadcasts sound very well and it was from here that the parish priest of Saint-Sulpice declared his refusal to accept the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.
Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...
orators used it later also.Kauffmann 2003, p. 37. File:P1000823 Paris VI Eglise Sainte-Sulpice Chapelle de la Vierge reductwk.JPG, Lady Chapel File:Paris 06 - St Sulpice chap V 03.jpg, Statue of Mary File:P1000726 Paris VI Eglise Saint-Sulpice Chapelle de la Vierge coupole reductwk.JPG, Dome of the Lady Chapel File:Paris 06 - St Sulpice pulpit 01.jpg, Pulpit During the
Directory Directory may refer to: * Directory (computing), or folder, a file system structure in which to store computer files * Directory (OpenVMS command) * Directory service, a software application for organizing information about a computer network's u ...
, Saint-Sulpice was used as a Temple of Victory. Redecorations to the interior, to repair extensive damage still remaining from the Revolution, were begun after the Concordat of 1801. Eugène Delacroix added murals (1855–1861) that adorn the walls of the Chapel of the Holy Angels (first side-chapel on the right). The most famous of these are '' Jacob Wrestling with the Angel'' and ''Heliodorus Driven from the Temple''. A third, on the ceiling, is ''Saint Michael Vanquishing the Demon''. File:Jacob Angel Delacroix.jpg, ''Jacob Wrestling with the Angel'' File:Eugène Delacroix - Heliodoros Driven from the Temple - WGA06222 (cropped).jpg, ''Heliodorus Driven from the Temple''


Notable events

The
Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a libertine sexuality as well as numerous accusat ...
and
Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poetry, French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticis ...
were baptized in Saint-Sulpice (1740 and 1821, respectively), and the church also saw the marriage of
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
to Adèle Foucher (1822). During the Paris Commune (1871) one faction, called the Club de la Victoire, chose Saint-Sulpice as its headquarters and Louise Michel spoke from the pulpit.
Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon (22 November 1693–27 May 1775) was a daughter of Louis III de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, and his wife, Louise Françoise de Bourbon, ''légitimée de France'', a legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France ...
and
Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans ( es, Luisa Isabel; 9 December 1709 – 16 June 1742) was Queen of Spain as the wife of King Louis I. Their reign is regarded as one of the shortest in history, lasting for seven months. Louise Élisabeth was the fo ...
, granddaughters of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan are buried in the church.
Louise de Lorraine Louise of Lorraine (Louise Henriette Gabrielle; 30 December 1718 – 5 September 1788) was a French noblewoman and member of the House of Lorraine. She married into the House of La Tour d'Auvergne and was Duchess of Bouillon. Biography Born ...
, duchesse de Bouillon and wife of Charles Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne, was buried here in 1788. On Sunday 17 March 2019, the church caught on fire. Spectators at an organ concert alerted firefighters. The fire badly damaged the doors, a stained-glass window, and a bas-relief; and a staircase near the doorway went up in flames. Police later confirmed the fire was an arson attack. The City of Paris is required to pay for the building's repair and restoration. A funeral mass was held in the church for
Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...
, former President of France, on 30 September 2019.


Organs

The church has a long-standing tradition of talented organists that dates back to the eighteenth century (see below). In 1862,
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 buildi ...
rebuilt the existing
organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...
built by
François-Henri Clicquot François-Henri (also Henry) Clicquot (1732 – 24 May 1790) was a French organ builder and was the grandson of Robert Clicquot and son of Louis-Alexandre Cliquot, who were also noted organ builders. Clicquot was born in Paris, where he later ...
. The case was designed by Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin and built by Monsieur Joudot. Though using many materials from Clicquot's French Classical organ, it is considered to be Cavaillé-Coll's magnum opus, featuring 102 speaking
stops Stop may refer to: Places *Stop, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the United States * Stop (Rogatica), a village in Rogatica, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Facilities * Bus stop * Truck stop, a type of rest stop for truck dri ...
on five manuals and pedal, and is perhaps the most impressive instrument of the romantic French symphonic-organ era. Its titular organists have been renowned, starting with
Nicolas Séjan Nicolas Séjan (17 March 1745 – 16 March 1819) was a French composer and organist, from a family allied to the Forqueray. Born in Paris, Séjan was one of the best organists of his time. He was co-titular of the organ of Notre-Dame de Paris a ...
in the 18th century, and continuing with Charles-Marie Widor (organist 1870–1933), Marcel Dupré (organist 1934–1971), and
Jean-Jacques Grunenwald Jean-Jacques Charles Grunenwald, also known by his pseudonym Jean Dalve (2 February 1911 – 19 December 1982), was a French organist, composer, architect, and pedagogue. Life and work Grunenwald was born in 1911 in Cran-Gevrier, Haute-Savoie. ...
(organist 1973–1982), organists and composers of high international reputation. For over a century (1870–1971), Saint-Sulpice employed only two organists, and much credit is due to these musicians for preserving the instrument in its original state. The current organists are Daniel Roth (titular organist, since 1985) and
Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin Sophie-Véronique Colette Claude Cauchefer-Choplin (née Cauchefer, born 28 December 1959) is a French organist.Charles Mutin Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
(Cavaillé-Coll's direct successor), the installation of an electric blower in the 1920s, and the addition of two Pedal stops upon Widor's retirement in 1933 (Principal 16' and Principal 8', donated by the Société Cavaille-Coll), the organ is maintained today almost exactly as Cavaillé-Coll originally completed it in 1862. In Saint-Sulpice, Sunday organ concerts are held on a regular basis ("Auditions des Grandes Orgues à Saint Sulpice", following the 11:00 am Mass, starting around 12:00 noon). The Sunday Mass is preceded by a 15-minute Prelude of the Great Organ, starting at 10:45 am. The church is also home to a two-manual-and-pedal choir organ by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll from 1858. Accessories: * Machine à grêle * Rossignol Couplers: * Grand-Chœur/Ped, Grand-Orgue/Ped, Récit/Ped * Keyboards: I/II, II/I, III/I, IV/I, V/I, IV/III * I/I, II/I, III/III, IV/IV, V/V Wind pressures (mm) * Grand-orgue : 95, 100 * Grand-chœur : 95, 115 * Solo : 100, 115, 127 * Positif : 100, 115, 120 * Récit : 100, 115 * Pedal : 90 – 100 * Trompette coudée : 140 – 150 Couplers: II/I, I/P, II/P. Trémolo (Récit), reeds G.O., reeds Récit


List of organists

The dates indicate when the organist was ''titulaire''. *Nicolas Pescheur (died 1601 or 1614) *Vincent Coppeau ( – ) * Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers ( – 1702) *
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (19 December 1676 – 26 October 1749) was a French musician, best known as an organist and composer. He was born, and died, in Paris. Biography Clérambault came from a musical family (his father and two of his sons w ...
(1715 – 1749) *César-François Clérambault (1749 – 1760) *Evrard-Dominique Clérambault (1761 – 1773) *Claude-Étienne Luce (1773 – 1783) *
Nicolas Séjan Nicolas Séjan (17 March 1745 – 16 March 1819) was a French composer and organist, from a family allied to the Forqueray. Born in Paris, Séjan was one of the best organists of his time. He was co-titular of the organ of Notre-Dame de Paris a ...
(1783 – 1819) *
Louis-Nicolas Séjan Louis-Nicolas Séjan (10 June 1786 – March or April 1849) was a French organist and composer. Biography The son of Nicolas Séjan, he succeeded him on the organ of the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris and that of the Hôtel des Invalides ...
(1819 – 1849) * Georg Schmitt (1850 – 1863) *
Alfred Lefébure-Wély Louis-James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (13 November 1817 – 31 December 1869) was a French Organ (music), organist and composer. He played a major role in the development of the French symphonic organ style and was closely associated with the organ ...
(1863 – 1869) * Charles-Marie Widor (1870 – 1934) * Marcel Dupré (1934 – 1971) *
Jean-Jacques Grunenwald Jean-Jacques Charles Grunenwald, also known by his pseudonym Jean Dalve (2 February 1911 – 19 December 1982), was a French organist, composer, architect, and pedagogue. Life and work Grunenwald was born in 1911 in Cran-Gevrier, Haute-Savoie. ...
(1973 – 1982) * Daniel Roth (since 1985) *
Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin Sophie-Véronique Colette Claude Cauchefer-Choplin (née Cauchefer, born 28 December 1959) is a French organist. In 1727,
Jean-Baptiste Languet de Gergy Jean-Baptiste Languet de Gergy (1674–1750) was parish priest at Eglise Saint-Sulpice in Paris from 1714 to 1748. He was the initiator of the construction of the Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice.Rougé, p.7-12 Biography Languet de Gergy initially wished ...
, then priest of Saint-Sulpice, requested the construction of a
gnomon A gnomon (; ) is the part of a sundial that casts a shadow. The term is used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields. History A painted stick dating from 2300 BC that was excavated at the astronomical site of Taosi is the ol ...
in the church as part of its new construction, to help him determine the time of the equinoxes and hence of Easter.Easter Sunday is to be celebrated on the first Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox. A meridian line of brass was inlaid across the floor and ascending a white marble obelisk, nearly eleven metres high, at the top of which is a sphere surmounted by a cross. The obelisk is dated 1743. In the south transept window a small opening with a lens was set up, so that a ray of sunlight shines onto the brass line. At noon on the winter solstice (21 December), the ray of light touches the brass line on the obelisk. At noon on the equinoxes (21 March and 21 September), the ray touches an oval plate of copper in the floor near the altar. Constructed by the English clock-maker and astronomer
Henry Sully Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal ...
, the gnomon was also used for various scientific measurements. This rational use may have protected Saint-Sulpice from being destroyed during the French Revolution.


References in popular culture

Act III, scene ii of Massenet's opera ''
Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...
'' takes place in Saint-Sulpice, where Manon convinces des Grieux to run away with her once more. Abbé Herrera from '' Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes'' by Honoré de Balzac celebrated Mass in the church and lived nearby in the rue Cassette. The fashionable public side of Saint-Sulpice inspired Joris-Karl Huysmans perversely to set action there in his 1891 novel '' Là-Bas'', dealing with
Satanism Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...
in which the ritual magician " Eliphas Levi" attended the seminary attached to the church. A major part of Djuna Barnes's 1936 novel '' Nightwood'' takes place around Saint-Sulpice, especially in the renowned Café de la Mairie du VIe. References to the church of Saint-Sulpice are found in the so-called '' Dossiers Secrets'' that were planted in the Bibliothèque Nationale in the 1960s. In Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince's ''
The Templar Revelation ''The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ'' is a book written by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince and published in 1997 by Transworld Publishers Ltd in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. It proposes a fringe ...
'' (1997), Saint-Sulpice is noted. Dan Brown's 2003 novel '' The Da Vinci Code'' was an international bestseller that brought crowds of tourists to Saint-Sulpice. This note has been on display in the church: In 2005, the Archdiocese of Paris refused Ron Howard permission to film inside Saint-Sulpice when he was making '' The Da Vinci Code''. In David Alexanian's novel, ''Laplace's Demon'', the church is the setting of Laplace's confession and the death of a priest by a demon. The novel is the first in a series known as the Sword Demon Series, published by Mystic Publishers Inc. In 2018, the South Korean group Monsta X referenced the painting of the Dome of the Lady Chapel in the music video for their single "Jealousy".


Image gallery

File:Saint-Sulpice from Rue Servandroni.JPG, South side of Saint-Sulpice File:StSulpice Chor von NO.JPG, Choir from the northeast File:Francois-Etienne Villeret St Sulpice Paris.jpg, Saint-Sulpice, watercolor by


See also

* :Burials at Saint-Sulpice, Paris *
Saint-Sulpice Seminary (Issy-les-Moulineaux) The Saint-Sulpice Seminary () is a Catholic seminary run by the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice, located in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. History The Saint-Sulpice Seminary was established in 1641 in the village of Vaugirard (now par ...


Notes


Bibliography

* Ayers, Andrew (2004). ''The Architecture of Paris''. Stuttgart: Axel Menges. . * Himmelfarb, Hélène (1996). "Gittard, Daniel", vol. 12, p. 747, in '' The Dictionary of Art'' (34 volumes), edited by Jane Turner. New York: Grove. . See also a
Oxford Art Online
(subscription required). * Kauffmann, Jean-Paul (2002). ''Wrestling with the Angel: The Mystery of Delacroix's Mural''. London: Harvill. . Also titled ''The Angel of the Left Bank: The Secrets of Delacroix's Parisian Masterpiece'' and ''The Struggle with the Angel: Delacroix, Jacob, and the God of Good and Evil.'' * Terrien, Laurence, translator (2004). ''Saint-Sulpice''. Paris: Paroisse Saint-Sulpice. .


External links


Daniel Roth, titular organist at St. Sulpice since 1985

Photographs of the Saint-Sulpice church

Official Website on the organs and organists at St. Sulpice
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Sulpice, Paris, Church of Roman Catholic churches in the 6th arrondissement of Paris Roman Catholic churches completed in 1870 Burials at Saint-Sulpice, Paris 1646 establishments in France Burial sites of the House of la Tour d'Auvergne 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France