Saint Germain des Pres and Saint Sulpice

September 27th, 2017

Kate and I have tried going to mass at two different churches near us so far, Saint Germain des Pres and Saint Sulpice.  Both are imposing buildings with fascinating histories.  Both are short walks from our apartment.  We may continue to split our time, or perhaps we'll come to prefer one over the other.  (My friend Marie Claude told me that we would prefer the style of worship at Saint Germain des Pres.  I feel like, at least for the time being, subtle differences in theological leanings between the two churches might be lost on us.) 

Saint Germain des Pres:

King Childebert I founded the abbey at the site of Saint Germain des Pres in 558AD on the ruins of a Roman Temple.  It served as the burial ground for the Merovingian Kings until the 7th century.  It was destroyed by the Normans in 885 but was rebuilt as a Romanesque church between 990 and 1021.  It has undergone many renovations and transformations since then, of course, and is currently undergoing a major restoration.  There is scaffolding and plastic sheeting everywhere, but I was able to take some photos of areas that have already been restored.  You can see something from the photos about the aesthetic of the church, almost Byzantine styling with a dark, rich palette.  Stained glass windows tend to be jewel tones.   

Saint Sulpice:

Saint Sulpice, only two blocks away from Saint Germain des Pres, has a completely different feel: 

 The colors are subdued and pale, with a heavy emphasis on gold.  Here's a wider view.

 Saint Sulpice, of DaVinci Code fame, is the second largest church in Paris, behind Notre Dame.  It was built starting in 1646.  Marquis de Sade and Charles Baudelaire were both baptized there, and Victor Hugo was married there.

Aside from the climactic scenes from The DaVinci Code, the church is probably currently most famous for housing one of the finest organs in the world and, along with it, one of the finest organists in the world, Daniel Roth.  He will typically play at 11am mass on Sunday, with short recitals both before and after mass.  It is quite something to hear.

Finally, here is a holy water basin at Saint Sulpice made out of an enormous clam shell and a stone sculpture.  I should have included my hand for scale.