Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Saturnin church of Gentilly, located in Val-de-Marne, finds its origins on the remains of a 7th century abbey founded by Saint Éloi. He reportedly built the abbey on an estate offered by Dagobert I. The present building, erected in the 13th century, was profoundly renovated in the 16th century after the collapse of its nave. Its architecture thus blends medieval elements, such as the pillars of the 13th century, with Renaissance additions, including the choir and the bas-sides rebuilt in the first half of the 16th century.

The west façade of the church has a neo-Gothic portal, added in 1902, replacing the historic entrance on the north side. Inside, notable stained glass windows illustrate religious scenes, including one dating from 1500 representing the coat of arms of the Malingre family. Another stained glass window, realized at the end of the 19th century, commemorates Saint Vincent de Paul and his action towards the abandoned children of Bicêtre, a nearby establishment. The church was listed as a historic monument on October 16, 1989, recognizing its heritage value.

According to a local tradition, Ignace de Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, prayed in this church. This detail, mentioned on a panel inside the building, adds a spiritual and historical dimension to the building. In addition, the Bièvre, a river now covered, once followed the south of the nave, recalling the close link between the monument and its past natural environment.

The church follows an elongated plan typical of medieval religious buildings, with a central nave flanked by two sides and a polygonal choir. The vaults of the lower side, in warheads, contrast with the false vault in the middle of the nave. The materials used, such as limestone and bellows, reflect the construction techniques of the time. The bell tower, surmounted by a polygonal arrow, dominates the whole and dates mainly from the sixteenth century.

The first attested parish priest of the church, Detruissart, was mentioned in 1807, marking a continuation of Catholic worship on this site since the Middle Ages. The building, owned by the commune of Gentilly, remains an active place of worship and an architectural testimony to the transformations experienced by rural churches that became urban with the expansion of Paris.

External links