Notre-Dame de la Gare (french: Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Gare de Paris, italic=no) is a
Roman Catholic parish church located on Place Jeanne-d'Arc in the
13th arrondissement of Paris
The 13th arrondissement of Paris (''XIIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''treizième''.
The arrondissement, called Gobelins, is situated ...
, France. It was built between 1855 and 1864 in an area of Paris which was rapidly industrializing, and was located near the major freight railway station, or "Gare", which gave the church its name. The style was inspired by
Romanesque architecture.
History
The church was created to serve the very large and growing working-class population in the neighborhood of the 13th arrondissement just north of
Ivry, where the major railway station for shipping freight in and out of Paris was located. The parish included large factories for making glass, oil refineries, and later, automobile factories.
The church was part of campaign of building new churches in the fast-growing neighborhoods carried out by Emperor
Napoleon III during the
French Second Empire. The new church was designed by architect (1801-1879), and was built between 1855 and 1864. The architecture was
Romanesque Revival, a popular style for new churches built during the Second Empire. As the population continued growing, the church became too small, and a second church, Saint-Jean-des-Deux-Moulins, was built a few streets away.
Exterior
The exterior follows the typical plan of 12th century Romanesque churches in the late 12th century; a high central structure flanked by two lower lateral aisles and a high square bell tower topped by a
fleche, or spire.
The portal is also tyypical of the Romanesque style; a rounded arch over the doorway, decorated with floral sculpture and figures of angels on each side of the doorway. The
oculus Oculus (a term from Latin ''oculus'', meaning 'eye'), may refer to the following
Architecture
* Oculus (architecture), a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Oculus'' (film), a 2013 American ...
. or round window over the portal, as a modest amount of floral decoration. found oculus window over the portal has similar Romaneque decoration.
[Patrimoine.fr article on the church]
File:Église Notre Dame Gare - Paris XIII (FR75) - 2023-05-29 - 3.jpg, The portal
File:NDG Ange.JPG, Sculpture of an angel by the portal
File:P2220069 Paris XIII Place Jeanne d'Arc reductwk.JPG, View of the chevet
Interior
Nave
The nave is very austere, with very little decoration, other than sculpted plaques along the outer aisles. The interior follows the traditional plan of a high nave with two lower side aisles, separated from the nave by arcades of columns with rounded arches. On the lowest level, the nave has a small window in each vault. The nave has small windows in each vault. Above the arcades on either side is a
triforium level, a passageway without windows on the outside, and above that are rows of narrow windows reaching up to the ceiling vaults. All the windows are relatively small, and without electric lighting the interior of the church would be very dim.
Choir
The choir makes up for the dimness of the nave. There the windows are larger, and the walls are entirely covered with paintings and decoration. The half-cupola over the altar is decorated with a painting "The Virgin and the Infant Jesus" by Felix-Jobbé Duval (1821-1889), while the rest of the choir has colorful decorative paintings by Anders Osterlind behind the statue of the Virgin, including a large canvas behind the altar of Christ converting water to wine at the Feast of Canae. and of the Crucifixion of Christ.
Art and decoration
The church has works of art representing the sculpture of period. Most are found behind the altar, and in the small chapels alongside and behind the choir.
The chapel of the vestibule has a colorful
Pieta, illustrating the Virgin Mary with Christ after his Crucifixion. The vestibula also displays a statue of pensive but smiling
Joan of Arc.
File:P1260724 Paris XIII ND-de-la-gare statue vierge de pitie rwk.jpg, Chapel of the Virgin, with a Pieta
File:Eglise Notre-Dame de la Gare @ Paris (31862221542).jpg, Chapel of the Virgin, with Pieta
File:Eglise Notre-Dame de la Gare @ Paris (31200853913).jpg, Joan of Arc.
File:P1260728 Paris XIII ND-de-la-gare autel rwk.jpg, Statue of the Virgin Mary by Henri-Albert-Marie Lagriffoul, in the Choir in front of the "Crucifixion" fresco
File:P1260729 Paris XIII ND-de-la-gare fresque rwk.jpg, A portion of the fresco "fhe Crucifixion", by Anders Osterland (1887-1960), behind the choir
Stained glass
The church is noted for its exceptional collection of 20th century stained glass, The group of three windows in the apse, over the altar, were made by Jacques de Chevalier (1896-1978). THe left window illustrates the
Apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
; the Bull, the symbol of aint Luke and the figure of Saint Matthew. The right windows shows the eagle of Saint John, and the Lion of Saint Mark. The central window depicts the risen Christ showing his wounds or
stigmata on his hand, wrists and feet.
Other windows from the 1960s depict the symbols of the Saints and Apostles.
Organs
The grand organ of the church is located in the tribune over the portal at the entrance to the nave. The instrument was built by the firm of
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 ...
. It was installed in 1863 or 1864, and was restored in 1928 and 1984. It has 24 stops, two keyboards of 56 notes, and pedals to play thirty notes. The instrument was classified as an object of historical importance in 1989.
The church has a smaller organ located in the choir. This instrument was built in 1860, and has four stops. a keyboard with fifty-four notes, and pedals to play an additional eighteen notes.
Site "Les Orgues to Paris"
.
File:P1260731 Paris XIII ND-de-la-gare orgue rwk.jpg, The grand organ in the tribune
References
External links
Bienvenue à la paroisse Notre-Dame de la Gare !Church website
ull article on church on patrimoine-histoire.fr
Site "Les Orgues to Paris"
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Roman Catholic churches in the 13th arrondissement of Paris
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1864
Romanesque Revival church buildings in France