Val-de-Grâce (church)
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The Church of the Val-de-Grâce () is a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
in the 5th arrondissement of
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. The church was built as part of a royal abbey by
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 ...
, the Queen of France, to celebrate the birth of her son,
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
in 1638. Construction began in 1645 under the direction of architect
François Mansart François Mansart (; 23 January 1598 – 23 September 1666) was a French architect credited with introducing classicism into the Baroque architecture of France. The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' identifies him as the most accomplished of 17th-c ...
and was completed in 1665 by Gabriel Le Duc.Dumoulin, "Églises de Paris" (2010), p.109 The abbey and church were turned into a hospital during the French Revolution and then became part of the Val-de-Grâce Hospital, which closed in 1979. The church is attached to the diocese of the French military and is open to visitors at specified hours. Its dome is a landmark in the skyline of Paris.Ayers 2004, p. 114.


History

The site of the church, to the south of the center of Paris, was a royal property since the 13th century. At the beginning of the 16th century it was purchased by the Connetable of Bourbon, who built a small chateau there, which took the name Hotel de Petit-Bourbon. In 1621 Queen
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 ...
, nineteen years old, who had been married to King
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. ...
at age 13, purchased the estate and the chateau, with the intention of finding a sanctuary away from the noise and intrigues of the royal residence in the
Louvre Palace The Louvre Palace (, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxe ...
. She transformed the Petit-Bourbon into a convent for a community of Benedictine sisters from the Abbey of Val-Profonde, and in 1634 she began construction of a much larger new church and abbey on the site given by the crown.Hillairet, J., "Connaissance du Vieux Paris" (1978), p.146 The project advanced slowly, because Anne had fallen from the favour of King Louis XIII, largely because she had not given him an heir. She maintained a secret correspondence with her family in Spain, and with the royal court of England and the House of Lorraine. She and her intrigues were soon discovered by the prime minister,
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 ...
. Her correspondence was monitored, and the King for a time forbade Anne to visit the abbey, But in 1638, Anne, at the age of thirty-seven, after twenty-two years of marriage, became pregnant with Louis' heir, the future
Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, and with his birth everything changed for the Queen. Cardinal Richelieu died in 1642, and Louis XIII died a few months later. in 1643, Anne became Queen-Regent to her four-year-old son, now Louis XIV. In gratitude for his birth, Anne pressed forward with the construction of an entirely rebuilt church and monastery, "to spare no expense and to leave an eternal mark of her piety." The first stone was laid in 1645 by the child Louis XIV. Anne engaged
François Mansart François Mansart (; 23 January 1598 – 23 September 1666) was a French architect credited with introducing classicism into the Baroque architecture of France. The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' identifies him as the most accomplished of 17th-c ...
as the project's architect, but Mansart departed after only a year in disagreement over the scope and cost of the project. Mansard's place was taken first by
Jacques Lemercier Jacques Lemercier (; c. 1585 in Pontoise – 13 January 1654 in Paris) was a French architect and engineer, one of the influential trio that included Louis Le Vau and François Mansart who formed the classicizing French Baroque manner, drawin ...
, then Pierre Le Muet. The church was finished in 1665 by Gabriel Le Duc. Le Duc was responsible for building the dome and cupola, the adjacent buildings, and the baldachin inside. After the birth of her first grandchild, Anne retired to the convent of Val-de-Grâce, where she died five years later in 1666. During the French Revolution in 1793 the Benedictines were expelled from the abbey, and the
National Convention The National Convention () was the constituent assembly of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for its first three years during the French Revolution, following the two-year National Constituent Assembly and the ...
ordered the conversion of the abbey into a military hospital. The royal symbols were effaced, but the abbey was spared the fate of several nearby convents, such as those of the
Ursulines The Ursulines, also known as the Order of Saint Ursula (post-nominals: OSU), is an enclosed religious order of women that in 1572 branched off from the Angelines, also known as the Company of Saint Ursula. The Ursulines trace their origins to th ...
and the Feuillantines, which were demolished. When the abbey was disestablished in 1790, its furniture was removed along with the organ. The baldachino was preserved, but the high altar was moved to the care of the Petis-Augustins, and the small figures of the baldachino's nativity crèche were installed at the Church of Saint-Roch. The church was restored in 1818-19 and in 1827. Control of the church was returned to the Catholic Diocese. The high altar was rebuilt at the order of
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
by Victor Ruprich-Robert. The priest at Saint-Roch declined to return the original Anguier crèche, so a duplicate was created, using three sculptors: Clement Denis sculpted the infant Jesus, Justin-Marie the Virgin, and Joseph was sculpted by Louis Desprez.


Exterior

The design of the church was inspired by two Roman churches,
Saint Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian Renaissance architecture, Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the cit ...
and the
Church of the Gesù The Church of the Gesù (, ), officially named (), is a church located at Piazza del Gesù in the Pigna (rione of Rome), Pigna ''Rioni of Rome, rione'' of Rome, Italy. It is the mother church of the Society of Jesus (best known as Jesuits). Wi ...
(1584).The plan of the church is a Latin cross crowned by a
dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
. The church is attached to the other buildings of the old abbey, but is distinguished from them by the height of the facade and its imposing dome. The two-story facade, with its double stages of twin columns supporting a
pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...
and flanking consoles, recalls church elevations from the first part of the 17th century, such as the Church of the Feuillants, also designed by Mansart in 1623-24. More clear and sober than the Mannerists, Mansart's facade squares his façade with linked vertical lines using the columns and entablatures. The facade of the new church also took inspiration from the "Jesuit style" or
Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the late 16th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means to ...
, from the
Church of the Gesù The Church of the Gesù (, ), officially named (), is a church located at Piazza del Gesù in the Pigna (rione of Rome), Pigna ''Rioni of Rome, rione'' of Rome, Italy. It is the mother church of the Society of Jesus (best known as Jesuits). Wi ...
in Rome (1584). That church inspired Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis (1627-1641), the first church in Paris to break away from the Gothic style. The portico of the church is supported by
Corinthian columns The Corinthian order (, ''Korinthiakós rythmós''; ) is the last developed and most ornate of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order, which was the earliest, ...
, and the pediment of the church is decorated with the monograms AL (Anne of Austria and Louis XIII) and the Royal coat of arms. The architrave carries the inscription "Jesu. Nascenti, Virginique Matri" ("To Jesus new-born, and the Virgin Mother"), a reminder that the birth of Christ was long awaited, like the birth of Louis XIV. The upper level is supported by curving buttresses of stone and classical Corinthian columns. The semi-circular place in front of the church was inspired by the first plan of Mansard for the church, which featured an obelisk. Ornate iron grills separate the church and place from the street and end in stone pavilions, while two stone walls separate the courtyard from the other portions of the convent. The convent was constructed with two wings. To the left of the church was a building containing the residence of the nuns, as well as apartments for women connected with the royal family; the three nieces of Cardinal Mazarin; Queen Christine of Sweden; Henriette of France, Queen of England; the Queen of Poland, and others. It also included the very modest apartment of the Queen herself. The exterior is decorated with the initials AL, for Anne and Louis. File:P1010452 Paris V Val de Grâce reductwk.JPG, Facade and courtyard File:Église du Val-de-Grâce - Paris - View from Rue Saint-Jacques.jpg, Facade and courtyard File:Val de grace church facade.jpg, Upper Church facade File:Exterior of Église du Val-de-Grâce 014.JPG, Portal, with the AL of Anne and Louis on the pediment


The Dome and Campanile

The dome was the work of the royal architect
Jacques Lemercier Jacques Lemercier (; c. 1585 in Pontoise – 13 January 1654 in Paris) was a French architect and engineer, one of the influential trio that included Louis Le Vau and François Mansart who formed the classicizing French Baroque manner, drawin ...
, who took over the project after Mansart refused to carry out major modifications to his own design. Lemercier had designed the Pavillon de l'Horloge at the
Louvre Palace The Louvre Palace (, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxe ...
, as well as the residence of Cardinal Richelieu at the Palais Royal. He had also designed the Saint-Sacrament chapel's spiral-coffered dome after
Philibert de L'Orme Philibert de l'Orme () (3-9 June 1514 – 8 January 1570) was a French architect and writer, and one of the great masters of French Renaissance architecture. His surname is also written De l'Orme, de L'Orme, or Delorme. Biography Early care ...
's chapel at the Château d'Anet. The dome is forty meters high, and was the tallest dome in Paris when it was built, but was soon passed in height by the domes of the Pantheon (60 meters) and of
Les Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an old soldi ...
(107 meters), which it inspired. It was modelled after the dome of Saint-Peter's Basilica in Rome and was covered with lead with decos, which contain decorative gilded bands. Above the dome is the campanile with a globe topped by a cross. At the corners of the dome's base sit four small lanterns which contain the church's bells. The sides of the dome are divided by contreforts, or buttresses, between which are the windows, which have alternating rounded and triangular frontons. The frontons are also abundantly decorated with sculptures, medallions, the royal fleur-de-lis, and the initials 'L' and 'A' for Louis and Anne.Hillairet, J., "Connaissance du Vieux Paris" (1978), p.148 File:Paris Val-de-Grâce Kirche Kuppel 1.jpg, THe dome File:Eglise du Val de Grâce.JPG, The dome seen from Montparnasse File:Détail de l'Eglise du Val de Grâce.jpg, Detail of the dome


Interior

The interior of the church is full of light, and decorated with a harmonious combination of French classicism and Italian Baroque elements. Its decoration was influenced by
St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initiall ...
in Rome, particularly its
baldaquin A baldachin, or baldaquin (from ), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in ca ...
designed by Italian Baroque architect and sculptor
Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italians, Italian sculptor and Italian architect, architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prom ...
. Bernini visited Val-de-Grace and called it "The marvel of the Ile-de-France". Rows of classical columns with Corinthian capitals form arcades with rounded arches on either side of the nave. The
spandrels A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame, between the tops of two adjacent arches, or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fil ...
of the nave are highly decorated with allegorical sculptures by the brothers Francois Anguier (1604-1669) and Michel Anguier (1612-1686), and Philippe de Buyster (1595-1688). Those on the spandrels depicts the theological virtues, while the vaults display busts of Joseph and Mary and other saints. File:Paris Val-de-Grâce Kirche Innen Langhaus Ost 3.jpg, The nave looking east toward the choir File:Paris Val-de-Grâce Kirche Innen Langhaus West 2.jpg, The nave looking west File:Paris Val-de-Grâce Kirche Innen Chorgewölbe.jpg, Decoration of the vaults of the choir File:Chapelle Saint-Sacrement, Val-de-Grâce, Paris 5th 001.JPG, Interior of cupola of the Saint-Sacrament Chapel File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Voûtes de la nef principale 13.JPG, Detail of the nave vaults—Angel (north nave) File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Écoinçons des arcades de la nef 25.JPG, Theological virtues - charity- nave spandrel- north File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Écoinçons des arcades de la nef 09.JPG, Nave spandrel - "Prudence" File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Voûtes de la nef principale 08.JPG, "Saint Zacharia" - nave spandrel File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Écoinçons des arcades de la nef 24.JPG, Theological virtues - "Faith" (Nave spandrel - North)


The Choir and baldaquin

The
baldaquin A baldachin, or baldaquin (from ), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in ca ...
(canopy) over the main altar in the choir is one of the most distinctive features of the church. It was designed by the architect Gabriel Le Duc and modeled on that in Saint Peter's Basilica by Bernini. It consists of six twisting columns of black marble with white veins, decorated with gilding, and holding a group of carved and gilded angels made by the sculptor Michel Anguier (1612-1686).Dumoulin, "Églises de Paris" (2010), p.110 A copy of the Val-de-Grâce baldaquin is found in the Church of Saint-François de Sales in
Neuville, Quebec Neuville () is a Canadian village founded in 1684. History In 1653, the area was granted as a seigneurie by Jean de Lauson to Jean Bourdon de Saint-Jean (ca. 1601–1668) for his son Jean-François Bourdon de Dombourg (1647–1690), who was a ...
. Below the baldaquin is another sculptural ensemble, "The Nativity", three sculptures depicting the birth of Christ, with figures of Joseph and the Virgin Mary with the Christ child. The original of this work wa made by Michel Anguier in the 17th century to celebrate the birth of Louis XIV and is now in the church of Saint-Roch, Paris. The work in Val-de-Grace is a copy made in 1869. File:Altar in the church of Val-de-Grâce, Paris 5th 001.JPG, The Baldaquin and main altar File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Baldaquin 01.JPG, Top of the baldaquin File:Paris Val-de-Grâce Kirche Innen Hochaltar 7.jpg, The upper portion of the Baldaquin File:Altar in the church of Val-de-Grâce, Paris 5th 007.JPG, "The Nativity" sculpture and the altar


The Fresco in the Dome

The interior of the dome displays the best-known work of art in the church; a
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
painted in fourteen months by
Pierre Mignard Pierre Mignard or Pierre Mignard I (; 17 November 1612 – 30 May 1695), called "Mignard le Romain" to distinguish him from his brother Nicolas Mignard, was a French painter known for his religious and mythological scenes and portraits. He was a ...
(1612-1695). It depicts "Heavenly Glory" and contains more than two hundred characters, including prophets, saints, martyrs, Fathers of the Church, and a few recognisable personalities, including its patroness, Queen Anne of Austria. The dome of Val-de-Grâce was painted by
Pierre Mignard Pierre Mignard or Pierre Mignard I (; 17 November 1612 – 30 May 1695), called "Mignard le Romain" to distinguish him from his brother Nicolas Mignard, was a French painter known for his religious and mythological scenes and portraits. He was a ...
and completed in 1666. Mignard was a rival of another famous painter of the era,
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, ...
. The painting was commissioned by
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 ...
in 1663 and was done in
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
, painted on wet plaster. Fresco was more difficult than painting with oils, as it did not allow for second thoughts. Val-de-Grâce’s fresco was the first of its size in Paris. Only smaller painted cupolas existed, one in Eglise des Carmes and the other in the chapel of the Sorbonne. Some painting in oil pastel was later added to the fresco, but it faded soon after. Mignard’s painting was praised in "La Gloire du Val-de-Grâce", the only poem published by the playwright
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...
, a friend of Mignard. The poem challenged the claims made in a poem by
Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales, published in his ...
about the genius of Mignard's rival, Le Brun. The fresco depicts Anne of Austria being presented by St Anne and St Louis as she in turn presents the Holy Trinity with a model of the abbey built at her request. The painting is a spiral composition with more than two hundred figures presented in concentric circles. Mignard uses foreshortening of figures, many different colors, and lighting effects. File:Coupole Val-de-Grace fresque Pierre Mignard.jpg, ''Heavenly Glory'', fresco of the cupola by
Pierre Mignard Pierre Mignard or Pierre Mignard I (; 17 November 1612 – 30 May 1695), called "Mignard le Romain" to distinguish him from his brother Nicolas Mignard, was a French painter known for his religious and mythological scenes and portraits. He was a ...
File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Coupole Fresque 02.JPG, Detail of "Heavenly Glory" Fresco by Pierre Mignard File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Coupole Fresque 03.JPG, The Choir of Angels File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Coupole Fresque 11.JPG, The cross carried to Heaven File:Paris (75005) Val-de-Grâce Église Notre-Dame Coupole Fresque 09.JPG File:Paris Val-de-Grâce Kirche Innen Kuppel 6.jpg, Detail of "Heavenly Glory"


Chapels of Saint Anne and Saint Louis

The chapel on the right facing the altar, the Chapel of Saint-Louis, was originally used exclusively by the sisters of the convent. It was designed with a passage through which the sisters could pass to the Chapel of the Saint-Sacrament, where they could receive communion from the altar. without being seen by anyone else in the church. The chapel of the Holy Sacrament is decorated with four medallions by the sculptor Anguier, as well as a painting ''Christ Giving Communion to the Angels'' by Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne. On the left side of the altar is the Chapel of Saint-Anne. Until the French Revolution, the chapel held the preserved heart of
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 ...
, kept in an urn within the altar. There is also a crypt beneath the altar which contained two marble cabinets, which, since 1662, contained urns holding the hearts of forty-five princes and princesses of the different branches of Royal Family of France. The hearts included those of Queen Marie-Therese, the wife of Louis XIV; and Philippe I of Orleans, the only brother of Louis XIV. The last person whose heart was placed there was the eldest son of Louis XVI, who died in 1789. In 1792 during the French Revolution, the urn of hearts, along with other contents of the church, were put on sale. The hearts were purchased by the painter Martin Drolling to serve as an ingredient for making "
mummy brown Mummy brown, also known as Egyptian brown or ''Caput Mortuum'', was a rich brown bituminous pigment with good transparency, sitting between burnt umber and raw umber in tint. The pigment was made from the flesh of mummies mixed with white pitc ...
", a very expensive varnish made of heart tissue combined with alcohol, oil and other chemicals, which was believed to be the best protective coating for oil paintings. In exchange for the hearts, Drolling gave some of his own paintings, which are now found in the
Louvre Museum 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 ...
and the Museum of the
Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
.


The Organ

Little is known about any early organs in the church before the Revolution. The current organ, located in the chapel of Saint-Anne, was built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1852, who constructed the organs of
Notre Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...
, Saint-Sulpice, Sacre-Coeur basilica, the American Cathedral in Paris and other Paris churches. It was originally located in the Church of Saint-Genevieve, but was moved to Val-de-Grace in 1885 when the Church was converted to the Pantheon, a national shrine. It was restored to remove later additions and to bring back the rich sound associated with Cavaillé-Coll instruments. It was listed as an object of historical importance by the French Ministry of Culture in 1979.French Wikipedia article on the church THE organ has twenty-one stops, two keyboards and a set of pedals. The church organist in February 2023 was Hervé Désarbre, organist of the French Ministry of Defense.


Gallery

File:Val de Grâce (2113).JPG, Crossing and dome from the southeast File:Église du Val-de-Grâce - Paris - View from Rue Saint-Jacques.jpg, Main facade and forecourt from the rue Saint-Jacques File:Église du Val-de-Grâce, Paris-2161.jpg, Main facade with adjacent monastic buildings


See also

* List of historic churches in Paris * :Burials at Val-de-Grâce (church) *
History of early modern period domes Domes built in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries relied primarily on empirical techniques and oral traditions rather than the architectural treatises of the time, but the study of dome structures changed radically due to developments in mathemat ...


Notes


Bibliography

* Ayers, Andrew (2004). ''The Architecture of Paris''. Stuttgart; London: Edition Axel Menges. . *Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; ''Églises de Paris'' (2017), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, (in French) *Hillairet, Jacques; ''Connaissance du Vieux Paris''; (2017); Éditions Payot-Rivages, Paris; (in French). (In French)


External links


A copy of the baldachino of the Val-de-Grâce in Québec

Page dedicated to the church at the École du Val-de-Grâce

www.valdegrace.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Val-De-Grace Roman Catholic churches completed in 1667 Roman Catholic churches in the 5th arrondissement of Paris 1621 establishments in France Church buildings with domes 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France Anne of Austria