The Église réformée de l'Oratoire du Louvre, is a historic

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

church located at 145 rue Saint-Honoré – 160 rue de Rivoli in the

1st arrondissement of Paris The 1st arrondissement of Paris (''Ier arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is colloquially referred to as ''le premier'' (the first). I ...

, across the street from the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

. It was founded as a Catholic church in 1611, became the royal chapel of France and under

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

, and then became a Protestant Church under

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

in 1811. It is now a member of the

United Protestant Church of France The United Protestant Church of France () is the main and largest Protestant church in France, created in 2013 through the unification of the Reformed Church of France and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of France. It is active in all parts of ...

Oratory church (1611-1621)

The French Oratory was founded in 1611 by Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle, as the first Paris church of the

Oratory of Jesus The Congregation of the Oratory of Jesus and Mary Immaculate (, ), best known as the French Oratory or Oratory of Jesus, is a society of apostolic life of Catholic priests founded in 1611 in Paris, France, by Pierre de Bérulle (1575–1629), w ...

, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who lived together in a religious community without taking formal vows. In 1612 the French Regent, Marie de Medicis, officially recognized the Oratory.

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V (; ) (17 September 1552 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a mem ...

recognized the Oratory in 1613. The Oratory grew until it had some sixty churches in France. The first Paris church of the Oratory was in the Faubourg Saint-Jacques, close to the future Val de Grace church. As the congregation grew, De de Bérulle began the search for a larger home for the Oratory. In 1616 Beruille bought a large former mansion on Rue de Marengo, near the

and dedicated a chapel there. The new chapel attracted a large following, and Beruille began planning for an even larger church. In 1619 he bought several houses and parcels of land, and in 1620 bought large parcel of land at what is the present site, on the present Rue de l'Oratoire, next to the Louvre. At the end of 1620 he commissioned the royal architect Clément Métezeau to design the new church.

Royal Chapel (1621-1625)

The first stone was laid on 22 September 1621 by Hercule, Duke of Montbazon, the governor of Paris. King

actively supported the church, giving it the status of the Royal Chapel, and gave the clergy the status of royal chaplains. The most prestigious artists of the time, Philippe de Champagne,

Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (; baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French Painting, painter, Physiognomy, physiognomist, Aesthetics, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. He served as a court painter to Louis XIV, ...

and Simon Vouet participated in the decoration of the chapels. Most of their work was destroyed during the French Revolution, but some art remains. The church hosted the funerals of both the King and of

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religi ...

, as well as Queens

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (; ; born Ana María Mauricia; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was Queen of France from 1615 to 1643 by marriage to King Louis XIII. She was also Queen of Navarre until the kingdom's annexation into the French crown ...

and

Maria Theresa of Spain Maria Theresa of Spain (; ; 10 September 1638 – 30 July 1683) was Queen consort of France, Queen of France from 1660 to 1683 as the wife of King Louis XIV. She was born an Infante, Infanta of Spain and Portugal as the daughter of King Philip IV ...

. However, with changes of regime and financial difficulties, the construction of the he church was suspended in 1625.

Neoclassical additions (1741-1750)

Construction of the unfinished church finally resumed 1741 under architect Pierre Caqué. He completed the last two traveres of the nave, built the Neoclassical facade on rue Saint-Honoré (1744-1746) and then redesigned the interior with a balance of the earlier Baroque architecture and the new neo-classical style. He commissioned classical sculptures from Claude-Clair Francin and Nicolas-Sebastien Adam to decorate the facade. In 1747 he finished the main altar and the baldequin. The interior was completed in 1748, and was consecrated in 1750.

Revolutionary meeting hall and Bank of France (1792 to 1811)

In 1792, during the French Revolution, the Revolutionary government formally abolished all religious orders, including the congregation of the Oratory. the church was closed, and was turned into a meeting place the for the national academy of medicine, and also to store sets for the Paris Opera and the Comedie-Francaise. In 1793, as the Revolution became more radical and anti-clerical, the church was ransacked, the statues and architecture mutilated, and the chapels emptied of their art. Fortunately twenty-nine paintings from the church were sent for safekeeping to the Museum of French Monuments. As the Revolution came to an end, in 1800 the newly-created

Bank of France The Bank of France ( ) is the national central bank for France within the Eurosystem. It was the French central bank between 1800 and 1998, issuing the French franc. It does not translate its name to English, and thus calls itself ''Banque de F ...

was installed in the empty church building.

Protestant Temple (1811 to present)

In 1811,

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

gave the building to the

congregation of Saint-Louis-du-Louvre whose own church that building was demolished to make way for the expansion of the Louvre. Between 1820 and 1828, the church was restored and modified by architect to adapt to Protestant services. A sacristy was created, An organ was installed, and tribunes were added in the chapels. In 1853, to make room for the Rue de Rivoli, one of the new streets cut through the center of the city by Baron Haussman, the convent of the old church was demolished. A statue and monument of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the prominent

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

leader of the 16th century, was raised on the rue de Rivoli end of the church in 1889. The title "Oratory" of the Catholic was preserved in the Protestant church. August Decoppet, the pastor of the church from 1878 to 1906 explained, "Our church bears the most beautiful name that can be given to a church, that of "oratory", which signifies a house of prayer, a place where the human soul and God can come together."

20th and 21st century

The Paris church today is one of the most prominent temples of the

Reformed Church of France The Reformed Church of France (, ERF) was the main Protestant denomination in France with a Calvinist orientation that could be traced back directly to John Calvin. In 2013, the Church merged with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in France to ...

. It is noted for its

Religious liberalism Religious liberalism is a conception of religion (or of a particular religion) which emphasizes personal and group liberty and rationality. It is an attitude towards one's own religion (as opposed to criticism of religion from a secular posi ...

The exterior

File:Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre.JPG, The classiscal facade on rue Saint-Honoré File:P1040511 Paris Ier rue du Louvre Oratoire du Louvre rwk.JPG, The church seen from Rue de Rivoli File:Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre (2).jpg, Colonade and Apse File:Temple Protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre (27672600103).jpg, Towers of the apse The exterior of the church has very different styles on the Rue du Rivoli and the Rue Saint-Honore. The facade on the Rue Saint-The facade on the Rue Saint-Honorḗ is neoclassical, while the apse is largely in the Baroque style. The closest métro station is Louvre – Rivoli. Metro-M

Interior

File:Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre nef.jpg, The pulpit and choir File:Nef Oratoire du Louvre orgue.jpg, The nave and the grand organ File:Paris Oratoire du Louvre 60446.JPG, Memorial to church members killed in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

File:Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre 2.jpg, The upper room, onetime home to the American Church in Paris and later

The Scots Kirk, Paris The Scots Kirk Paris () is a Presbyterianism, Presbyterian Protestantism, Protestant church situated in Paris, in rue Bayard near the Champs-Elysées in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 8th arrondissement. It is the only congregation of the Churc ...

THe nave underwent major modifications in the 18th century, replacing Baroque elements with elements of

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

. This is particularly visible in the nave, lined with stately classical columns and pilasters topped with Corinthian capitals, and wooden tribunes or balconies were placed into the chapels that line the nave. However, some baroque elements can still be seen the chapels that line the nave. The chapels were originally decorated by families close to the Oratory members. who commissioned the leading painters of the period, including Simon Vouet, Philippe de Champagne, and

Charles le Brun Charles Le Brun (; baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French Painting, painter, Physiognomy, physiognomist, Aesthetics, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. He served as a court painter to Louis XIV, ...

to decorate them. But only one of the original Renaissance ceiling paintings is still in place.

Art and decoration

File:Jesus Maria oratoriens.png, Keystone from the early church, with Oratory motto "Jesus and Mary" File:GASPARD COLIGNY-PARIS-Dr. Murali Mohan Gurram.jpg, Statue of Protestant leader

Gaspard II de Coligny Gaspard de Coligny, seigneur de Châtillon (; 16 February 1519 – 24 August 1572), was a French nobleman, Admiral of France, and Huguenot leader during the French Wars of Religion. He served under kings Francis I and Henry II during the ...

over the portal . The central sculpture over the portal represents the Protestant leader

, who was killed during the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre. It was created by the architect Scellier de Gisors and the sculptor Gustave-Adolphe Crauck (1827-1905) Most of the paintings from this period were destroyed during the French Revolution. The only original painting from this period still visible is "The Conversion of Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus" by

(1619-1690) It is surrounded by small paintings of angels holding the instruments of the

Passion of Jesus The Passion (from Latin , "to suffer, bear, endure") is the short final period before the death of Jesus, described in the four canonical gospels. It is commemorated in Christianity every year during Holy Week. The ''Passion'' may include, amo ...

.
Article church history and art on patrimoine-histoire.fr (in French)

The organ

The grand organ of the church is located in the tribune. It was built in 1898 by Merklin, and underwent major restoration between 1957 and 1962. (To hear recordings of the organ being played, go to the church website at https://oratoiredulouvre.fr)

Prominent pastors

* Paul-Henri Marron 1803-1832 * Jacques Antoine Rabaut-Pommier 1803-1816 * Jean-Frédéric Mestrezat 1803-1807 * Jean Monod 1807-1836 * Henri François Juillerat 1816-1867 * Frédéric Monod 1819-1849 *

Athanase Josué Coquerel Athanase Josué Coquerel (16 June 182024 July 1875) was a French Protestant theologian. Life The son of Athanase Laurent Charles Coquerel, he was born in Amsterdam and studied theology at Geneva and at Strasbourg, and at an early age succeeded h ...

1832-1867 * Joseph Martin-Paschoud 1836-1866 * Adolphe Monod 1847-1856 * Matthieu Rouville 1850- * Auguste-Laurent Montandon 1860-1906 * Numa Recolin 1882-1893 * Auguste Decoppet 1882-1906 * Ariste Viguié 1882-1891 * Jules-Émile Roberty 1891-1925 * Élisée Lacheret 1893-1902 * Théodore Monod 1902-1906 * John Viénot 1906-1932 * Wilfred Monod 1907-1938 * Paul Vergara 1922-1954 * André-Numa Bertrand 1926-1946 * Émile Guiraud 1933-1937 * Gustave Vidal 1938-1960 * Élie Lauriol 1946-1961 * Pierre Ducros 1954-1968 * René Château 1961-1978 * Bernard Reymond * Laurent Gagnebin 1963-1965 * Christian Mazel 1964-1988 * André Pierredon 1968-1976 * Jean-Michel Perrault 1995-2003 * Pierre-Yves Ruff 1997-2001 * Werner Burki 2003-2008 * Florence Taubmann 2003-2007 * Marc Pernot 2007-2017 * James Woody 2009-2016 * Richard Cadoux 2017-2018 * Béatrice Cléro-Mazire 2018-présent * Agnès Adeline-Schaeffer 2019-2024

References

Sources

External links

Parish website

Article church history and art on patrimoine-histoire.fr (in French)
,
{{Authority control 1611 establishments in France Churches completed in 1611 Oratoire Buildings and structures in the 1st arrondissement of Paris Louis XIII Cardinal Richelieu