Notre-Dame-des-Champs is a Roman Catholic church located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. The church is named after the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

under the title of Our Lady of the Fields.

History

Originally located on the site of the church was a Roman temple dedicated to the god Mercury. After the

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

of France, the temple was dedicated to the

and was named Notre-Dame-des-Vignes. Robert II made additions to the church and rededicated it to both the Virgin Mary and Saint Denis. The church was later made into a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of monk ...

by the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

monks of Marmoutier Abbey, renaming it Notre-Dame-des-Champs in honor of Our Lady of the Fields. In 1604 the Benedictines ceded the priory to Princess Catherine Gonzaga, Duchess of Orleans-Longueville who installed

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

from Spain. This was the Carmelite convent where both Louise de La Vallière and

Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan (; Madame de Montespan; 5 October 1640 – 27 May 1707) was the most celebrated '' maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XIV, by whom she had seven children.Lisa Hilton, ''A ...

both retired from the

French court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

and entered religious life. During the French Revolution the convent was closed and the church destroyed. In 1802 the Carmelite Order bought back a small portion of the estate. A small chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame-des-Champs was built, along with a new cloister and living quarters. The order left in 1906. In 1858 a temporary wooden chapel was built as a neighborhood parish. The current structure was built by Eugène Bonté, Léon Ginain, and Gustave Eiffel in the Romanesque style. The foundation stone was laid on 17 March 1867. The stone came from quarries in

Châtillon, Hauts-de-Seine Châtillon () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The town was formerly named ''Châtillon-sous-Bagneux'', and a relic of this denomination remains in at least one road sign in V ...

. After being interrupted by the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the completed church was blessed on 31 October 1876. On 25 March 1912 the church was consecrated by Archbishop

Léon-Adolphe Amette Leon Adolphe Amette (6 September 1850 Douville-sur-Andelle, Eure – 29 August 1920 Antony, Hauts-de-Seine) was a French Catholic cardinal who was archbishop of Paris from 1908 to 1920. He was made a cardinal in 1911 with the rank of cardinal pr ...

of Paris.

References

{{Authority control Convents in Paris Shrines to the Virgin Mary Roman Catholic churches in the 6th arrondissement of Paris Romanesque architecture in France Roman Catholic churches completed in 1876 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France