St. Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral is the seat of the

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France The Metropolis of France, or the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France (french: Métropole grecque orthodoxe de France, el, Μητρόπολη Γαλλίας, translit=Mitropoli Gallias), is a diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinopl ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. It is located at 7 rue Georges-Bizet, in the

16th arrondissement of Paris The 16th arrondissement of Paris (''XVIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''seizième''. The arrondissement includes part of the Arc de T ...

. It was consecrated on 22 December 1895.

History

Before the church was consecrated, there had been at least two attempts at creating a permanent Greek Orthodox place of worship in Paris. The church was commissioned by

Demetrius Stefanovich Schilizzi Demetrius Stefanovich Schilizzi (many spellings; el, Δημήτριος Στεφάνοβικ Σκυλίτσης; 1839–1893) was an Ottoman-born Greek banker in London and Paris, and later a steamship owner in Constantinople. He was also the acti ...

, designed by architect Émile Vaudremer, and built by Guillotin. The purchase price of the site and construction cost amounted to F1,630,000 in total. The inside walls were decorated by Charles Lameire and the marble iconostasis by

Ludwig Thiersch Ludwig Thiersch (April 12, 1825 in Munich – May 10, 1909"Thiersch", ''Meyers Konversations-Lexikon'') was a German painter, primarily of mythological and religious subjects and especially of ecclesiastical art, also influential in Greece. Ear ...

. Léon Avenet worked on the stained glass. The absolution of

Eleftherios Venizelos Eleftherios Kyriakou Venizelos ( el, Ελευθέριος Κυριάκου Βενιζέλος, translit=Elefthérios Kyriákou Venizélos, ; – 18 March 1936) was a Greek statesman and a prominent leader of the Greek national liberation movem ...

was performed there on 21 March 1936. The wedding of

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pia ...

and Théo Sarapo was celebrated there also on 9 October 1962. The funerary liturgy of

Maria Callas Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...

was also held in the cathedral on 20 September 1977.

Gallery

Greek Orthodox Church @ Paris (31546764300).jpg Greek Orthodox Church @ Paris (31882666436).jpg Stained glass @ Greek Orthodox Church @ Paris (31110575013).jpg

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Paris Greek Orthodox cathedrals in Europe Monuments historiques of Paris Churches completed in 1895 16th arrondissement of Paris Cathedrals in Paris Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Paris Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France 19th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings 19th-century churches in France