7 June 2024: Paris – Church of Saint-Sulpice
I Love Paris in the Summer
After a long day of travel on 6 June, we awoke to beautiful summer’s day in Paris.
We decided to walk to Église Saint-Sulpice, a church that had been recommended by a colleague because of its organ and that I had never visited. On the way we met a centaur and strolled through an antique market.
In the evening we went out again to get into the Parisian spirit. We passed the Musée d’Orsay (not far from the Cameron flat) and walked along the Seine and just meandered in a big loop back home.
Very relaxing. It was good to slow down a bit.
6 June 2024 - Edinburgh to Paris
Yesterday (6 June) we travelled from Edinburgh to Paris by train.
We caught the 7:30 am train to London and changed onto the Eurostar to Paris. We arrived just before 5:00 pm. I had not been on the Eurostar, so it was an interesting experience, but next time we’d fly. The food was nice on the Eurostar and you see lots of countryside, but it was a long day.
👉 I want to acknowledge the gracious helpfulness of Parisians.
We arrived at Gare du Nord and headed for the metro. There were quite a few flights of stairs to negotiate as not every station has escalators or lifts and changing from one metro line to another can be an adventure.
We had many offers of help with our luggage. A couple of gentlemen went out of their way to get us to the top of a series of stairs. On another occasion a young woman offered to help me with my big case. I was surprised and speechless but quickly accepted her offer with many thanks. I guess I have to accept that I am now an older gentleman.
Highlights Slideshow
Le Centaure de César
We encountered this bronze sculpture of a centaur by César on our way to Église Saint-Sulpice. The sculpture was installed in 1985.
César Baldaccini (1921-1998) was a French sculptor associated with the Nouveau Réalisme movement. He is well-known for his innovative use of materials and his series of compressions (compacted cars and metal objects).
He looks to be fully functional.
Antique Market
The place (square) in front of Saint-Sulpice was taken over by an antique market. It was fun to stroll around the market but it did prevent us getting a good view of the front of the church.
Two-dimensional toy soldiers in a diorama.
They look like 17th-century French musketeers which means the figure in the red cloak must be Cardinal Richelieu, Chief Minister to Louis XIII.
Creepy dolls.
What’s the modern sculpture doing there?
I didn’t dare ask the price.
It was a very eclectic antique market.
Something for everyone.
Church of Saint-Sulpice
The Church of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic church in Paris, France, on the east side of Place Saint-Sulpice, in the Latin Quarter of the 6th arrondissement.
Only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and Saint-Eustache, it is the third largest church in the city.
It is dedicated to Sulpitius the Pious.
Construction of the present building, the second on the site, began in 1646. During the 18th century, an elaborate gnomon, the Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice, was constructed in the church.
— Saint-Sulpice (wikipedia)
👉 ‘In the Latin Quarter of the 6th arrondissement’ just sounds so cool.
Some sources say it’s the second largest: Saint-Sulpice – Paris’ Second Largest Church (this website is excellent: lots of photos and info).
This is the façade of Saint-Sulpice without the antique market (thank you Wikipedia).
This video gives a sense of the space and the acoustic.
The Grand Organ
In 1862, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll rebuilt the then existing organ built by François-Henri Clicquot (1781). The case was designed by Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin and built by Monsieur Joudot.
Though using many materials from Clicquot’s French Classical organ, it is considered to be Cavaillé-Coll’s magnum opus, featuring 102 speaking stops on five manuals and pedal, and is perhaps the most impressive instrument of the romantic French symphonic-organ era.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Two days later on Sunday we attended a Gregorian Chant Mass at Saint-Sulpice.
Afterwards there was a short recital by the church’s titular organist Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin.
A titular is the official and principal organist responsible for playing the organ during regular services, important ceremonies, and special events. Many notable musicians have held this position, including Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1715–1749). He was also a composer who wrote excellent secular chamber cantatas (among other things). I’ve performed some of them and I consider them some of the best works of their type.
I managed to video some of the recital so you can hear the organ in all its glory.
My colleague David Macfarlane tells me that the piece you hear part of in the video is the second movement (Lamento) from Suite pour orgue by Denis Bédard (born 1950).
The music is not to my taste, but it did sound beautiful in the space.
What a Space!
Little Wicker Chairs
Yes - the little wicker chairs are as uncomfortable as they look.
Stained Glass
Saint Louis (1691)
This window of Saint Louis or King Louis IX is from 1691.
Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the canonisation of Louis in 1297, he is the only French monarch to be declared a saint. You can easily identify him by the royal fleurs-de-lis pattern on his cloak, the hand of justice, the crown and the crown of thorns he bought from Baldwin II.
This is glass painting at its best and a pretty fine painting at that. By the 16th to 17th century the glass was smoother and in larger pieces, and the use of enamel paints (basically ground glass) permitted the designs to be entirely painted on the glass and then fired. Stained glass designers emulated oil painting, with complicated perspectives, large scale, and realistic detail. What I find amazing is how vivid the colours remain after 350 years, a testament to the skill of the Le Vieil glass painters.
Saint John the Evangelist.
This is Saint John the evangelist from 1692.
Before Jesus ascended, he charged John with watching over the newly established Church. In art, John as the presumed author of the Gospel is often depicted with an eagle, as he is above, which symbolises the height he rose to in the first chapter of his gospel.
This is again a beautifully painted panel, broken at times into smaller sections, possibly fractured and repaired.
Chapel of the Souls in Purgatory
The stained glass is by Lucien Léopold Lobin (1869).
Jean-Baptiste Auguste Clésinger: Pietà (1868)
In Italian pietà means ‘pity’ or ‘mercy’ (to take pity on or to have mercy). It embodies an emotional response to the suffering of another.
What better scene to depict this than the Virgin Mary cradling the body of her son Jesus after his crucifixion. Any important Catholic church will have commissioned an important artist to create a Pietà.
Here’s a close up:
Chapel of the Sacred Heart
Chapelle du Sacré-Coeur.
Chapelle du Sacré-Coeur.
That’s the sacred heart right there. The Catholics love this sort of thing. Very explicit (if not anatomically correct).
Of course there’s a street named after him
This street sign was in really good condition (unlike many I saw).
Many (thousands – hundreds of thousands - millions) of people did rue Bonaparte for the death and destruction he caused. Many others think he was great for the many contributions he made.
My AI buddy says:
The evaluation of Napoleon’s legacy continues to be a subject of debate, reflecting the complexities and contradictions of his life and career.
I’ll say.
Stay tuned for more adventures on our European Odyssey!