Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grâce church, a royal edifice near the hospital in the Latin Quarter

Less well known than Saint-Denis Basilica or Notre-Dame Cathedral, theChurch of Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grâce is just as exceptional and historic, founded in 1645 at the request of Queen Anne of Austria. She had the church built by François Mansart and Jacques Lemercier - among others - in gratitude for the birth of her son, Louis XIV, in the heart of the Benedictine abbey. Inspired by Italian architecture, it features a grandiose cupola modelled on that of St. Peter's in Rome.

Seized as national property during the Revolution, a military teaching hospital was set up in the abbey in 1793, as was a military medical school which still trains practitioners for the Armed Forces Health Service. In 1916, the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces set up the Armed Forces Health Service Museum here, and the church was assigned to the Armed Forces Diocese.

Emblematic of the French Baroque style, the church is home to numerous works of art, including the dome fresco, "La gloire du Val de Grâce", by painter Pierre Mignard, depicting the Holy Trinity in Paradise surrounded by the triumphant Church, the massive baroque high altar commissioned by Anne of Austria, with its six twisted marble columns, as well as a Latin inscription on the church pediment, the queen's thanks dedicated to the Virgin Mary, or its marble saved from the Revolution.

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The church is set to undergo some restoration work after being affected by the Saint-Jacques Street explosion in 2023, in order to preserve this 17th-century architectural gem. To visit it, visitors must go through the museum, as it is part of the guided tour, which costs 5 euros. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., except in August.

An extraordinary site, usually visited in complete solitude since it requires passing through this little-known museum—an excellent opportunity to explore it. A quick note: visitors are asked to leave their ID at the reception for security reasons. If the barrier on the right side of the monument is closed, no worries—just ring the bell!

But for free access, masses are always celebrated, on Sundays at 11am and on Catholic feast days. Every first Sunday of the month, from October to June, free concerts are also held at 5.30pm, with the participation of renowned military bands such as the Garde républicaine.

The Musée du Service de Santé des Armées: a little-known site on the history of military medicine
The little-known Musée du Service de Santé des Armées retraces four centuries of military medical history in the heart of the former Val-de-Grâce abbey, featuring medical instruments, casts and scientific developments. [Read more]