Saint-Etienne-du-Mont Church We were walking towards the Pantheon, but on the way we came across the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. And you know, there was a special atmosphere there right away — you want to sit down, think about your own, just be quiet. This doesn't happen in all churches. The church stands next to the Sorbonne, and it has an interesting history: the patron saint of Paris, Saint Genevieve, is associated with this place. The facade is elegant, in the Renaissance style, and if you look closely, you can see that the building is slightly tilted to the left — this is not a mistake, but the idea of the architects. It's beautiful inside: there are fewer stained glass windows than in Notre Dame, but when the sun is shining, the whole space turns into a real fairy tale. The atmosphere is calm and solemn. In the past, Sorbonne students were often parishioners — no wonder, because before exams everyone wants a little support from above. And you can also see this church in the movie "Midnight in Paris" — it is here that the miracle of time travel takes place. In general, the place is very warm, and if you are nearby, be sure to take a look.

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Azar Samanov

Level 30 Local Expert

The Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, or the Church of Saint Stephen on the mountain, is located in Paris on the hill of Saint Genevieve, next to the Pantheon. Its construction began in 1492 and lasted more than a century. The church was finally consecrated in 1626. The reason for the construction of the new temple was the need to serve the growing population of the quarter, including the students of the Sorbonne. The long construction period has led to a unique architectural appearance, which combines flaming Gothic and Renaissance style. This is especially noticeable in the asymmetrical facade, where a Gothic rose is combined with a classic portal. The interior of the church belongs to the communal type, its length is almost 70 meters, and its width is about 30 meters. The most remarkable detail of the interior is the pulpit, or rood screen, made in the form of a transverse hinged gallery with an openwork balustrade and two elegant spiral staircases on the sides. This masterpiece, created in the 1520s, is the last surviving pulpit in Paris. The pulpit in Saint-Etienne-du-Mont is not just a staircase, but a whole monumental structure, a "rood screen", that is, a transverse hinged gallery connecting two tiers and designed for reading the Gospel and preaching, and it is this gallery that is flanked by two famous openwork spiral staircases. After the Council of Trent, the type of open pulpit became widespread in Catholic architecture, and such complex Gothic pulpit galleries went out of fashion and were massively dismantled as obsolete. Similar architectural structures typical of medieval churches were destroyed or removed from the interiors during numerous alterations, especially during the Baroque and Classicism periods, when tastes changed and the desire for a more unified space led to their dismantling.

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Ольга

Level 30 Local Expert

We flew in March at the request of my eldest daughter Genevieve. It was her dream to see the Abbey of St.Genevieve. Come up and make a wish. We took the subway to the Pantheon. The nearest metro stations are Cardinal Lemoine and Luxembourg. Interestingly, up to 25 years in Paris, travel and entrances to excursions are 50% less. It is considered a child fare. The church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont is not as famous as Notre-Dame-de-Paris, but it definitely deserves attention. It flaunts on the site of the abbey, where Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, once prayed, and where her relics were later kept. The revolution did not spare Saint-Etienne-du-Mont: the remains of the heavenly intercessor were burned, the golden sarcophagus was melted down, the abbey building was given over to the lyceum, and later completely destroyed. But the temple has been revived, and today its facade is recognizable at first glance: the mix of classicism, Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic looks very impressive. The main relic of the church is a richly decorated shrine with the relics of Saint Genevieve. The interior is dominated by Gothic elements: lancet windows, naves with ribbed arches, cylindrical columns, luxurious stained glass windows. There is a small coffee shop nearby, where we went to warm up, and where we drank delicious coffee with famous croissants.

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Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

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