Church of Saint-Eustache (Eglise Saint-Eustache) description and photos - France: Paris (Topic)

Eglise Saint-Eustache description and photos - France: Paris. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Eglise Saint-Eustache.

Photo and description

The Church of Saint-Eustache is located next to the Forum les Halles underground commercial center, the former Central Market. The temple is famous for its organ, the largest in France. Organ concerts are held here on Sundays.

The church is dedicated to the Christian Great Martyr Eustathius, equally revered in Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Eustathius Placid was a major military leader during the time of the Roman emperors Titus and Trajan. He converted to Christianity after he met a deer while hunting, in whose horns he saw the image of the Savior (on the roof of Saint-Eustache you can see the head of a deer). Called by the emperor to wage war against the barbarians, Eustathius brought victory and returned to Rome, where he openly confessed his faith. Together with his family, he was given to be torn apart by predators, but wild animals did not touch him. The emperor ordered the martyrs to be thrown into the red-hot womb of a copper bull - here they died.

Saint-Eustache began to be built in 1532 by the architect Lemercier - he took the Gothic Notre Dame de Paris as a model. According to this plan, the nave, the northern chapels and the facade facing south were erected. In the following century, the southern chapels and nave vaults were influenced by the Renaissance style. And in the 18th century, the facade of the church was rebuilt in the classical style - for this, the first span of the church with two chapels was demolished. Thus, the purely Gothic plan of the temple is combined with the Renaissance volumes and the classical facade.

After the royal court moved to the Louvre Saint-Eustache, located not far from the palace, it acquired the role of the church of the royal family. The young Louis XIV was taken here to Mass, his mother Anna of Austria and the omnipotent quartermaster of finance Colbert were buried here. The future Cardinal Richelieu and Moliere were baptized here.

The famous Saint-Eustache organ is larger than the organ of Notre Dame Cathedral - it has about eight thousand pipes. The modern instrument was mounted only in 1989, and some of the old pipes that survived the fires were used. The great Jean Guillou, the beloved organist of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, sits at the organ stand in Saint-Eustache.

In front of the church on the Place Rene-Cassin there is a sculpture “Hearing” by Henri de Miller - a huge human head, a palm near the ear. The head seems to be listening to what is happening underground.

We also recommend reading Ethnographic Museum (Bangkok Folk Museum) description and photos - Thailand: Bangkok

Topic: Church of Saint-Eustache (Eglise Saint-Eustache) description and photos - France: Paris.