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The Church of Saint-Merri or ''Église Saint-Merry'') is a parish
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...
in
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. Si ...
, located near the
Centre Pompidou The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou ( en, National Georges Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of ...
along the rue Saint Martin, in the 4th arrondissement on the
Rive Droite The Rive Droite (, ''Right Bank'') is most commonly associated with the river Seine in central Paris. Here, the river flows roughly westwards, cutting the city into two parts. When facing downstream, the northern bank is to the right, and the so ...
(Right Bank). It is dedicated to the 8th century
abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...
of Autun Abbey,
Saint Mederic Saint Mederic or Medericus, also known in French as Saint Merri or Médéric (died 29 August 700), was a monk and a hermit, who is considered patron saint of the right bank
, who came to Paris on
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
and later died there in the year 700. In 884 Mederic was declared
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of the Right Bank.


History

A small chapel, called Saint-Pierre-des-Bois, existed on the in what was then a clearing. In about 700 AD. Saint Merri was buried there. Mederic, the future Saint Merri, was born in Autun in Burgundy, and is believed to have lived in the Benedictine Abbey there. He later went into the desert as a hermit. On his return, he moved to Paris, because he wished to live near the Tomb of Saint Symphorien, founder of the Abbey of Autun, which was within the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres in Paris. In 884 he was chosen as the patron saint of th Right Bank of Paris.Dumoulin, Ardisson et al., "Eglises de Paris" (2010), p. 70 In about 890 Gozlin, the Bishop of Paris, had his remained exhumed, and a particularly rich reliquary created for him, The church was constructed to contain it. Gradually it became known simply as Saint Merri.Hillairet (2017). pg. 87 As the neighbourhood grew into an important commercial district, the church became too small. A new church was built upon the same site in about 1200, but this also soon became too small. The present church was begun under King
Francois I Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
in about 1520, and finished in about 1560. Though it was built in the middle of the Renaissance, it was built in the
Flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...
or late Gothic style. In the 18th century, the church was gradually modified with elements of the classical style. The jubé, or
rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...
, between the nave and the choir was removed, and the Gothic pillars were recovered with marble or stucco. The deeply-colored stained glass in upper windows of the nave and choir was replaced by clear glass, The
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, acces ...
is by P. A. Slodtz and was made in 1753. The bell tower contains one of the oldest
bells Bells may refer to: * Bell, a musical instrument Places * Bells, North Carolina * Bells, Tennessee * Bells, Texas * Bells Beach, Victoria, an internationally famous surf beach in Australia * Bells Corners, Ontario Music * Bells, directly st ...
in Paris, cast in 1331, which survived the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
. From the 11th century onwards, Saint-Merry was closely associated with
Notre Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...
. All seven of the canons of the church came from the cathedral. It became known, along with three other churches, as the "Daughter" of Notre Dame, and is the only one still having that status today. The church was badly damaged during the French Revolution. The Chapter was abolished and the building became for a time a gunpowder factory. It was returned to the church in 1795, and served for a time as the "Temple of Commerce." In 1832, It was again in the midst of barricade fighting during a republican uprising against the
July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 ...
. The organ was reconstructed in 1781 by
François-Henri Clicquot François-Henri (also Henry) Clicquot (1732 – 24 May 1790) was a French organ builder and was the grandson of Robert Clicquot and son of Louis-Alexandre Cliquot, who were also noted organ builders. Clicquot was born in Paris, where he later ...
, the famous organ builder. It was played by
Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...
, who was organist of the church from 1853 to 1857.Ratner, Sabina Teller, et al
"Saint-Saëns, Camille"
Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, retrieved 7 February 2015 .
The church is now home to the Halles-Beaubourg Pastoral Centre. It also is the base of Académie vocale de Paris, which performs concerts in the church every Saturday throughout the year.


Exterior

File:Paris (75004) Église Saint-Merri - Extérieur - Portail occidental.jpg, The flamboyant west portal File:P1290347 Paris IV eglise St-Merri portail detail rwk.jpg, The mythical figure at the top of the west portal (19th c.) File:P1290378 Paris IV eglise St-Merri portail statues rwk.jpg, Detail of west portal sculpture (19th c.) File:P1000949 Paris IV Eglise Saint-Merri façade nord reductwk.JPG, The north facade and transept File:Eglise St Merri PA00086259.JPG, The transept, competing with art from the Centre Pompidou File:Paris Saint-Merri416.JPG, Flamboyant pinnacle and a whimsical
gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry wa ...
File:St Merri Paris.jpg, Campanile (left) and shortened old tower (right) on south side
Though the church was built in the midst of the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...
period, its architecture is predominantly
Flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...
or late Gothic, with an abundance of floral and vegetal carved decoration, as well as sculptures of fantastic creatures, particularly on the door and window casings. The church is pressed by large buildings which almost hide three sides; a house from the same period is attached to the right side of the church; this was the former residence of the canons of the church. However, its north side opens upon the terrace and sculpture garden of the Pompidou Center. The original bell square bell tower on the south side was built two stories high. It was given a third level in 1612, but after a fire in 1871 it was reduced to its original height. On the left side is a more slender bell tower, with decorative arches. It contains one of the oldest church bells in Paris, from 1331. The three portals on the west front are covered with a large pointed bay, and enclosed by two large buttresses. The sculpture on the west front is almost entirely from the time of Kin
Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...
in the first half of the 19th century. The statues in the archway of the door on the west front are copies of those in the south transept facade of Notre-Dame-de-Paris. A few more modern sculptures were added on the upper levels, including cheerful images of a rabbit and a dog at the top of cornice, and an assortment of whimsical gargoyles.


Interior

File:P1380704 Paris IV eglise St-Merri plan rwk.jpg, Plan of Saint-Merri File:Saint Merri Church Interior 2, Paris, France - Diliff.jpg, The Transept looking toward the choir and apse File:Église Saint-Merri (22439629142).jpg, Upper windows, arcades and the organ of the choir File:Saint Merri Church Interior 1, Paris, France - Diliff.jpg, The pulpit in the nave, looking toward the choir The interior of the church, like the exterior, shows Gothic architecture skilfully blended with Renaissance features and decoration. The slender Gothic pillars of the nave and choir which support the vaults have been transformed into Renaissance arcades with massive classical pillars, and abundant decoration. The walls and columns are covered with sculptural foliage, animals, and elongated statues of Biblical figures, including Saint Peter, Moses holding the Ten Commandments, and Saint Merri himself.Dumoulin, Ardisson et al., "Eglises de Paris" (2010), p. 72 In about 1753, most of the stained glass was removed from the upper windows and replaced with white glass, giving the interior its exceptional brightness. The original pulpit was replaced between 1753 and 1761 with a much more ornate version, supported by two sculptured palm trees. It was made by Pierre-Alexis Hemon, following designs of the Slodtz brothers, whose work is found in many Paris churches of the period.


The Choir and altar

File:Autel Saint-Merry.jpg, The altar in the choir, with its gilded "Gloire", or "Glory". File:Tetragrammaton Paris StMichele.JPG, Detail of the "Glory" behind the altar File:P1290508 Paris IV eglise St-Merri cuve baptismale rwk.jpg, Baptismal font with emblems of
Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...
and
Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...
(16th c.)
The choir, the portion of the church reserved for the Clergy, occupies about half of the total interior. It underwent a thorough remodelling into the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...
style, with designs by the Slodtz brothers. This is most visible in the arcades with rounded arches, and the pillars covered with plaques of marble and stucco in different colors. The floor of the choir was also replaced with marble pavement. The most imposing feature of the choir is the marble altar, which is dominated by a towering "Gloire", or "Glory" (1753), a sculptural work designed by the Slodtz brothers and made of gilded wood and decorated with the sculpted heads of
cherubs A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the u ...
. This was given further decoration in the 18th century by large painted panels behind the altar, by
Henri Lehmann Henri Lehmann (; 14 April 1814 – 30 March 1882) was a German-born French historical painter and portraitist. Life Born Heinrich Salem Lehmann in Kiel, in the Duchy of Holstein, he received his first art tuition from his father Leo Lehmann ...
(1814-1882), showing the Apostles and heads of anagels, representing Joy and Sadness.


Art and Decoration

Much of the art and decoration is found in the chapels that surround the nave and the choir, the disambulatory behind the altar, and in the transept. Some dates to the 17th century, while a large part comes from the 20th century, replacing art destroyed in the Revolution. File:Les Disciples d'Emmaüs by Charles Coypel global.jpg, "The Pilgrims of Emmeaus" by Charles Coypel (1694-1792) (Chapel of the Communion) File:Les Disciples d'Emmaüs by Charles Coypel detail.jpg, Detail of "The Pilgrims of Emmaus" by Charles Coypel (Chapel of the Communion) File:P1290398 Paris IV eglise St-Merri St-Vincent de Paul en Afrique rwk.jpg, "Samt Vincent de Paul in Africa", fresco by François-Gabriel Lépaulle (1804-1886) File:Paris-Saint-Merry Fresko 99.JPG, Fresco of The Virgin by
Théodore Chassériau Théodore Chassériau (September 20, 1819 – October 8, 1856) was a Dominican-born French Romantic painter noted for his portraits, historical and religious paintings, allegorical murals, and Orientalist images inspired by his travels to Alger ...
(1819-1856), his first major work (Chapel of Saint Marie the Egyptian)


The Chapel of the Communion

The Chapel of the Communion was built in 1743 by Pierre-Louis Richard, on the plans of Gabriel-Germain Boffrand. It was originally separate from the church, but it was united with the rest of the building in 1760. It occupies three square traverses on the right side of the church. Its lower level symbolises earthy existence, with the sections separated by Corinthian columns, while the decoration of the upper level features three cupolas with windows, represented the vaults of heaven. The centrepiece of the chapel is a large painting, "The Pilgrims of Emmaus" by Charles Coypel (1694-1752). The painting appears like a scene in the theater, blending architecture and art, complete with painted curtains. In the center of the painting is a figure of Christ, bathed in a heavenly light from the painted cupola.


The transept

File:Eglise saint-merri028.jpg, "Jesus and the Samaritan" by
Noel Coypel Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places *Noel, Missouri, United States, a city * Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * 1563 Noël, an asteroid *Mount Noel, Britis ...
(Transept) File:Van Loo Virgen.jpg, "Virgin and Child" by
Charles-André van Loo Carle or Charles-André van Loo (; 15 February 1705 – 15 July 1765) was a French painter, son of the painter Louis-Abraham van Loo, a younger brother of Jean-Baptiste van Loo and grandson of Jacob van Loo. He was the most famous member of a ...
(1753) (South transept) File:St Charles Borromee par GF Colson.jpg, Saint Charles Borromée by GF Colson. File:Sainte-philomene-amaury-duval.jpg, "Saint Philomene" by
Eugène Emmanuel Amaury Duval Eugène Emmanuel Amaury Pineux Duval (16 April 1808 – 25 December 1885), better known by the pseudonym Amaury-Duval, was a French painter. He was one of two sons of Amaury Duval (1760–1838) and thus a nephew of the playwright Alex ...
, (1808-1885)
File:Saint Merri délivrant les prisonniers.jpg, ""The Adoration of the Holy Name by the Four Saints", by Simon Vouet (Left Transept) The transept displays two large paintings in classical frames of New Testament scenes; "Jesus and the Samaritan" by
Noel Coypel Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places *Noel, Missouri, United States, a city * Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * 1563 Noël, an asteroid *Mount Noel, Britis ...
(1628-1707) and "Saint Peter Repentant" by Joseph-Marie Vien (1716-1809). Within the transept on the left is another major work of 17th century French religious art, "The Adoration of the Holy Name by the Four Saints", a work by Simon Vouet. In this work, a holy light reveals the presence of God, indicated by his name in Hebrew, "Yhwh" ("
Jehovah Jehovah () is a Latinization of the Hebrew , one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. The Tetragrammaton is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism ...
") in the centre of the painting. Saint Peter, Saint Leonard of Noblat and Saint Frou are awed by the light above, and the light dramatically illuminates the black robe of Saint Merri. The A painting of "Saint Philomene with an Angel" by artist Eugène Emmanuel Amaury-Duval (1808-1885), "Saint Philomene" is found in the transept. He was a pupil of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, whose style greatly influenced his work.


The chapel of Saint-Marie-l'Egyptienne

The chapel of Saint Marie the Egyptian in the disambulatory behind the altar contains a fresco by
Théodore Chassériau Théodore Chassériau (September 20, 1819 – October 8, 1856) was a Dominican-born French Romantic painter noted for his portraits, historical and religious paintings, allegorical murals, and Orientalist images inspired by his travels to Alger ...
(1819-1856), which was his first major work. He was a pupil of
Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( , ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassical painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic orthodoxy against the a ...
, and, following Ingres, his work is distinguished by the perfection the features of the figures and the refinement of the colors.


Stained glass

File:Paris-Saint-Merry705.JPG, Renaissance window (17th c.) in bay 5 of the choir File:Paris-Saint-Merry36.JPG, Renaissance window (17th c), bay 5 of the Choir. Saint Martin shares his cloak with a poor man File:Paris-Saint-Merry109.JPG, Window in the Chapel of the Virgin (19th century) File:Paris-Saint-Merry695.JPG, Window of Saint Mary the Egyptian File:Paris-Saint-Merry716.JPG, Window depicting the doubts of Saint Thomas, upper window in Chevet (17th c.) The church has an extensive collection of stained glass from the 17th century and from the 19th century. Much of the early stained glass, especially in the high windows, was removed and replaced with white glass, to bring in more light, and to make it easier for parishioners to see their texts for reading. Most of the windows were created with various techniques using silver stain and other means of painting on the glass with enamel paints, which were then baked, and then sometimes scratched to create shading effects. This allowed more three-dimensional art and greater realism, and brought the art of stained glass closer to paintings than earlier stained glass. However,though they lost some of the mystical qualities of the deeply-colored light coming through the thicker Gothic windows. Many of the original windows were destroyed during the Revolution, and were replaced in the 19th century with new windows in the Renaissance style, which often used panels from surviving 17th century Renaissance windows. The remade windows frequently have the date of the remake at the top.Site officiel de l'église Saint-Merry
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See also

*
List of historic churches in Paris This is a list, not yet complete, of churches in Paris classified by the French Ministry of Culture as national historic monuments, They are listed by historical periods though many have features from several different periods. Romanesque and Goth ...


References


Bibliography (in French)

* *Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; ''Églises de Paris'' (2010), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, *Hillairet, Jacques; ''Connaissance du Vieux Paris''; (2017); Éditions Payot-Rivages, Paris; (in French).


External links


Site officiel de l'église Saint-Merry
*
Official website of the Choir
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Merri Roman Catholic churches completed in 1550 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France Roman Catholic churches in the 4th arrondissement of Paris Church of Saint-Merri