The Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, a stone's throw from the Pantheon

Published by Manon de Sortiraparis · Photos by My de Sortiraparis · Updated on April 12, 2021 at 10:10 p.m. · Published on July 17, 2018 at 12:04 p.m.
The Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont houses the remains of Sainte-Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, as well as a little marvel rarely seen elsewhere that will delight connoisseurs.

After a visit to the Eglise Saint-Séverin (featured here), why not head up to Mont Sainte-Geneviève, a stone's throw from the Panthéon, to discover another church, theEglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont? Especially as (teasing!) the church conceals a well-kept secret, which we'll tell you about in a moment. But first, a bit of history!

TheEglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont was built between 1492 and 1626 next to theformer Eglise Sainte-Geneviève, which had become too small to accommodate all the beautiful people who came to confession and mass. It was in this former church that Clovis and his wife were buried. TheEglise Sainte-Geneviève was subsequently destroyed in 1808, and only a few traces remain, such as the Clovis Tower, its former bell tower.

As theEglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont took almost three centuries to complete, several architectural styles were used during its construction: Gothic and Renaissance. The facade of the church was subsequently renovated in the mid-19th century by Victor Baltard, who a few years earlier had already renovated theEglise Saint-Eustache after the terrible fire that ravaged it.

Not to be missed during your visit are the great organs, the pulpit, the two spiral staircases and the secret we mentioned a few lines back: a marvellous rood screen (used for reading the Gospels before the pulpits appeared) built in the 1540s, which resisted parishioners' demands for its demolition in the 18th century, arguing that it hid the choir. This rood screen, as beautiful as fine lace, is the last in Paris, and one of the last 9 in France!

L'Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, à deux pas du PanthéonL'Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, à deux pas du PanthéonL'Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, à deux pas du PanthéonL'Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, à deux pas du Panthéon
Tom Hilton

Since 1803, thechurch of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont has housed the relics of Sainte-Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, and the philosopher Pascal and playwright Racine were buried here!

Practical information

Location

Place Sainte-Geneviève
75005 Paris 5

Route planner

Prices
Free

Official website
www.saintetiennedumont.fr

More information
Vacation opening hours, Sunday, July 1 to Monday, September 10 inclusive: Monday: closed all day Tuesday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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