Évry Cathedral (; "Évry Cathedral of the Resurrection") 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 ...

located in the

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of Évry,

Essonne Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

was designed by Swiss architect

Mario Botta Mario Botta is a Swiss architect born in Mendrisio, Ticino on 1 April 1943. At age fifteen, Botta dropped out of secondary school and apprenticed with the architectural firm of Carloni and Camenisch in Lugano. After three years, he went to the Ar ...

. It opened in 1995 and was consecrated and dedicated to Saint Corbinian in 1996. It is the only cathedral begun and completed in France in the 20th century.

History

Évry is located in the suburbs 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 ...

, a new town taking the place of

Corbeil-Essonnes Corbeil-Essonnes () on the River Seine is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Although neighboring Évry is the official seat of the Arrondissement of Évry, the sub-prefecture buildin ...

as the chief town of the

Essonne Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.Corbeil Cathedral, but neither it nor any other existing church was suitable in size and location, and the bishop's offices were in a converted primary school. Évry was the natural centre of the area and population of the new diocese and was accordingly chosen as the episcopal centre, but lacked a suitable significant structure. In 1988, the diocese was renamed the Diocese of Évry–Corbeil-Essonnes and Évry Cathedral was commissioned from the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

architect

. Forty-one years old at the time, Botta was particularly known for his reconstruction of the church of St. John the Baptist in Mogno, after the former church was destroyed by an avalanche. The new church in Mogno, in the Ticino Canton in Switzerland, was built in the form of a truncated cylinder, and was completed in 1986. Initial studies for the cathedral began in 1988. Fundraising began in 1989. The new Cathedral was funded by contributions from more than 200,000 donors. Other major contributors included a national fund created between the two World Wars for the reconstruction of religious structures destroyed in the Paris region, a major contribution from the Diocese of Freising-

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

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, and public agencies in the

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

region. Initial studies were carried out the same year, and the first stone was laid at Easter of 1991. Construction began in 1992 and was completed in 1995. The first mass was held in that year. The cathedral was formally consecrated on May 2, 1996. The Cathedral was visited by Pope John-Paul II on August 22, 1997.

Exterior

File:3 Evry Cathedral.jpg, The cathedral from the northwest (photo by Pino Musi) File:2 Evry Cathedral.jpg, Facade of Evry Cathedral

Form

The cathedral is in the form of a truncated cylinder, with an inclined roof. The line of the roof is broken by trees, giving a variation of color with the changing seasons. Describing his choice of the cylindrical form, Botta wrote, "I find in the primary forms a clarity and a call to order amid disorder, whether it concerns a church, a mansion or a house." The truncated cylinder had appeared in one his first buildings, the Church of San Giovanni Batista in Mogno, Switzerland (1986–1996) and later appeared in the

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art, modern and contemporary art museum and nonprofit organization located in San Francisco, California. SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art ...

. (1990–1995)

Material

The cathedral exterior gives the impression of being constructed entirely of brick, but actually is composed of two cylinders of reinforced concrete covered with bricks of the classic construction size. The inner cylinder is ; the outer is The space between the cylinders is filled with passageways, staircases and technical spaces. The brick of the exterior is designed as a series of horizontal bands, broken by a small number windows. The bricks are laid in designs that give it a delicate, lace-like quality. Botta explained that he selected brick for its aesthetic qualities, and because "I try to utilise the most basic, humble materials, but with the desire to give them a certain dignity."

Northwest side – bell tower

The highest point of the cylinder faces to the northwest, and presents a series of geometric forms and symbols from the bottom to the top. At the bottom is a hemispherical window with a design that represents a stylised tree of life. Above this are the windows of the National Center for Sacred Art. separated by a vertical rectangular column that contains a stairway. Above this is an oculus window, in the form of a rosace, and above it, attached to the facade, is the metallic bell tower, containing five bells. The bell tower supports the cross above.

Southeast side – main entrance

The principal entrance to the cathedral is on the southwest side, behind a v-shaped terrace. The voussures over the entry porch suggest the portal of a Gothic cathedral, but in this case, the voussures are pure rectangles without sculpture, designed to highlight the contrast between darkness and light. Over the entrance are rows of small vertical windows that resemble the meurtrières, or narrow defensive arrow slits, adding to the appearance of a medieval castle.

Interior

File:7 Evry Cathedral.jpg, View from the back toward the altar File:4 Evry Cathedral.jpg, Altar and nave of Evry Cathedral File:6 Evry Cathedral.jpg, Nave and the roof Within the interior of the church, the altar and the chancel are located to the northwest, facing the main portal to the southeast.

Nave

The semicircular nave, the portion of the church where the congregation is seated, resembles a theater, with rows of seats on the main floor and additional seating in two levels of galleries. It can seat between eight hundred and fifteen hundred worshippers. The organ is placed in a niche in the brick, overlooking a balcony to accommodate the singers. The wooden pews or seats were designed by Botta and made from light-coloured oak from

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

. Their design is very simple and geometric, and the straight rows provide a contrast with the curving walls of the nave.

Chancel

File:8 Evry Cathedral.jpg, Altar and stained glass File:9 Evry Cathedral.jpg, The Bishop's Chair The chancel is traditionally the part of the cathedral reserved for the clergy, separating the nave and apse. At Évry it separated from the nave by six steps up to a platform where the altar is located. Behind the altar is a dramatic curving arch with a modern stained glass window in light and dark glass, representing the

Tree of Life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...

. This was not part of the original design of the cathedral but was requested by the Bishop as a means of representing the divinity of light. * The altar is made of a single block of Carrera marble. Above the altar and window is a 19th-century statue of Christ on the cross carved of light-coloured wood, from

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

. * Against the wall overlooking the lectern is a modern bronze statue of Saint Corbinien on the Cross, the Cathedral's patron saint, made by the French sculptors Hugues and France Siptrott. * The Baptismal font is located to the left of the altar platform, viewed from the nave. It is circular and large enough for baptisms by immersion, and made of white Carrara marble set against the black granite of the floor. Its placement corresponds with the doctrine of the Vatican II Council, which declared that baptism was an event to be shared with the whole church community. * The lectern is made of light-coloured wood from Burgundy, and is normally to the right of the chancel viewed from the nave, but can be placed as needed for a ceremony. * The tabernacle in the chancel, near the lectern, contains the consecrated hosts used during the ''communion'' ceremony. It is a cube designed by the French artist Louis Cane, its three outer sides decorated with Biblical symbols inspired by those of the early Christians. * The rectangular Bishop's seat or throne (literally the "Cathedra") is made of the same light-coloured oak as the pews. It is flanked by two smaller seats for the assisting clerics. The position of the seat is given visible prominence by the design on the brick wall behind it, and by the semicircular section of black stone floor on which it lies.

Deambulatory

The Deambulatory is a wide curving stairway that gradually descends from the southeast entrance along the church wall down to the intersection between the chancel and the nave. On the left, going down, are a series of wide horizontal openings containing a series of twelve narrow vertical bays with stained glass windows depicting the twelve apostles, made by Father Kim En Joong, a Dominican priest of Korean origin. The lower portion of the gallery is decorated with works of art, including three large plaques created with petrified wood from Arizona, made by the artist Jean-Christophe Guillon, which depict the arrest, death and resurrection of Christ, and two bronze arcs representing the crown of thorns, engraved with the numbers of the stations of the cross.

Ceiling and skylights

File:5 Evry Cathedral.jpg, The ceiling In the center of the sloping circular roof is a three-dimensional triangle of metal tubing, with at its edges windows shuttered by movable panels, to control the level of incoming light. When the panels are open, the congregation below can also see the circle of trees around the roof. Botta described his nave as "a primary space held between the earth and the sky, a place for meditation, for silence."

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament

The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, also called the Day Chapel, is the only chapel within the Cathedral. It is in an octagonal form, borrowed from early Christian churches such as the

Basilica of San Vitale The Basilica of San Vitale is a late antique church in Ravenna, Italy. The sixth-century church is an important surviving example of early Byzantine art and architecture, and its mosaics in particular are some of the most-studied works in Byzan ...

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

. The number eight is considered a symbol of harmony. The roof has a caisson or rectangular grid form, similar to those of Romanesque cathedrals and some Italian churches, such as the

Pisa Cathedral Pisa Cathedral (), officially the Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (), is a medieval Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa, Italy, the oldest of the three s ...

. The floor of the chapel has alternating rows of polished stone and dulled stone, an updated and stylised version of the labyrinth of

Chartres Cathedral Chartres Cathedral (, lit. Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the List of bishops of Chartres, Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary ( ...

. The sculptural elements of the chapel include a modernised Virgin and Child statue, a stylised crucifix and a tabernacle made of forged iron and gilded bronze, all by the French artist

Gerard Garouste Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this cas ...

Setting

Rather than standing apart from the other buildings around it, the cathedral is closely integrated with them. It stands just ten meters from the city hall and is directly connected with a residential and commercial building complex that contains one hundred housing units, offices and shops, that form an informal "cloister" to the cathedral. The cathedral is also covered with the same color brick as the surrounding buildings. Botta planned the heights of the cathedral cylinder ( to ), designed to be in keeping with the height of the adjacent buildings, () to ). He added an additional contrast between the small number of windows on the cathedral cylinder and the large and multiple windows of the adjoining buildings.

The bells

The cathedral has five bells, which were made at the Paccard Foundry in

Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

. The three largest bells are in the horizontal portion of the campanile, while the smaller bells are in the vertical portion. The peal is tuned to G, A, B, D, and E. The largest bell, weighing 640 kilos, is named "Mario Maria Giuditta Tobia Tomaso", the names of the family of the architect. The others are named for donors, and one, François-Michel, for a young priest of the diocese who died in 1984. The bells were rung for the first time in October 1994. They can be heard by clicking on the link at right.

Inspiration

File:San Vitale Ravenna.jpg,

(6th century) File:Saint Sophia, Constantinopolis.jpg,

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; ; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (; ), is a mosque and former Church (building), church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively ...

in Istanbul (6th c.) File:RonchampsBruxelles.jpg, Model of Notre-Dame-du-Haut by

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , ; ), was a Swiss-French architectural designer, painter, urban planner and writer, who was one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture ...

(1955) Botta wrote, "I was inspired by the great eastern and Byzantine tradition of Christian architecture, with its circular plan or Greek cross, but without a central altar, and by the western tradition with its use of a Greek cross. I tried to mix these two typologies." He cited the

(6th century), and the

Byzantine architecture Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great established a new Roman capital in Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until the Fall of Cons ...

and

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

of northern Italy, which he studied as a student in Venice. He said it offered a sense of sobriety, solidity, an appreciation for primary forms, and a sensibility to the effects of light on the exterior. He was also inspired by more recent works, including Notre-Dame-du-Haut at Ronchamp by

(1955). He had met and briefly collaborated with Le Corbusier in 1965 on a hospital project, not fulfilled.

Botta and the truncated cylinder

File:Mogno.jpg, Church in Mogno, Switzerland File:San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2011.jpg, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art The truncated cylinder became a motif associated with Mario Botta, both before and after Evry Cathedral. He used it previously in a simple form at the Church of Mogno (1986–1996), and used it later in a more complex setting, in the

(1989–1995).

Statistics

*Height: to *Interior diameter: *Exterior diameter: * Volume: 45,000 cubic meters (1,589,160 cubic feet) * Capacity: 1500 places, including 800 seated * Cost: 10.7 million Euros

Chronology

* 1988 – first plans and studies * 1989 – laying of first stone * 1992 – construction begins * 1995 – completion of work, first mass * 1996 – official inauguration (May 2) * 1997 – visited by Pope John-Paul II (August 22) A number of new cathedrals have been created in the 20th century but apart from Évry they were all already in existence as churches or were reconstructions of previously existing buildings. As the seat of the diocese, it has now superseded Corbeil Cathedral.

Notes and citations

References

* Debruyères, F. ''Ville nouvelle d'Evry (Essonne)'', in "Travaux", March 1992, n. 674. *

External links

*
Évry Cathedral website of the Diocese of Évry-Corbeil-Essonnes
* ttp://cathedrale-evry.net Évry Cathedral website of the Diocese of Évry-Corbeil-Essonnes* Buildings and structures in Essonne Churches in Île-de-France Roman Catholic cathedrals in France Buildings and structures in Évry, Essonne Roman Catholic churches completed in 1995 1995 establishments in France Mario Botta buildings Brick buildings and structures Modernist architecture in France 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France {{-