Description of the attraction
The Church of Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile is the only one on the island of Saint-Louis. This is one of the smallest parishes in Paris. If you don't look up, you won't immediately understand that a simple, austere building is a church. But from a distance the spire is clearly visible, all in the holes, like cheese. This is not a decoration, but a necessity - so that it does not work out, as in 1701 with the chapel that stood on the site of the present church. Then, due to a strong wind (which is not uncommon on the island), the roof was blown off, several people died.
The old chapel was called Notre-Dame-en-l'Ile (Our Lady-on-the-Island). Then the island was called Notre Dame. It was renamed in 1725 in honor of Saint Louis IX. According to legend, the king, canonized by the Church, loved to pray in this deserted place. It was here that he received the cross before going to Tunisia, where he died. The new church, built according to the project of François Le Vaux and consecrated in 1726, was named after the saint - Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile (Saint-Louis-on-the-island).
Its history contains tragic pages from the times of the French Revolution. Curé Corentin Corolla took the oath of office to the Republic, the church was closed and plundered, all metal parts were sent to be melted down to the Mint. Only the statues of the Mother of God with the Child and St. Genevieve works by François Ladat, but they were renamed Liberty and Equality. The church became a book warehouse, then it was sold to a private person. The new owner, a certain Fontaine, allowed Father Corentin to secretly celebrate Mass.
After the conclusion of the Concordat in 1801, Father Corentin, who had long renounced the oath, again became a priest in his parish. And on March 10, 1805, he solemnly received Pope Pius VII - the Pope, who arrived in Paris for the coronation of Napoleon, celebrated Mass in Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile. The damaged walls were covered with tapestries. Part of the tapestry with the pontiff's coat of arms is still kept behind the altar.
The restoration of the church was partly at the expense of the city, partly at the expense of the next curé, Father Louis-Auguste Bossuet (he even sold his huge library). The completely renovated interior is now a fine example of the Baroque style. Eight paintings in the baptistery, depicting scenes from the life of Christ, belong to the Rhine school of the 16th century. The luxurious organ is new, built in 2005.
The atmosphere in Saint-Louis-en-l'Isle is peaceful, calm, there are no crowds of tourists, this is an example of an ordinary parish Christian church.
