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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame de Richelieu, located in the eponymous city, is an emblematic 17th-century monument. It was built between 1633 and 1639 by Pierre Lemercier, according to the plans of his brother Jacques Lemercier, in a classic style inspired by Italian models. This project was part of the vast urban plan launched by Cardinal de Richelieu from 1631 onwards to transform the city. The three-vessel church, with a two-order facade, reflects the adaptation of French taste to the architectural influences of the Italian Renaissance.

In 1638 an agreement was reached with the Lazarists to administer the parish, while Pierre Lemercier died that same year by falling from a scaffolding. The building, marked by decorative elements such as the statues of the four evangelists commissioned in 1761 by Fleurant Lecomte, underwent degradation during the Revolution, with the suppression of the cardinal's coat of arms. Despite these vicissitudes, the church retains remarkable elements, like an organ built in 1853 by Louis Bonn, the only instrument of this organ factor that has remained intact since its creation.

Ranked a historic monument in 1921, the church Notre-Dame de Richelieu is distinguished by its elongated plan, its vaults of flat ridges made of cut stone, and its two symmetrical bell towers surmounted by obelisks. The adjacent cloister, built around 1638 to house the priests of the Mission congregation, was partially transformed after the Revolution. Today, the building remains a major testimony of the 17th century classical religious architecture and the urban heritage of Cardinal Richelieu.

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