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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux came into being in the 13th century, when the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin — nicknamed "White-Coteaux" because of their black dress and white coat — moved to Paris in 1258. Founded on the initiative of knight Pierre Luillier and his wife Mahaut Boucher d'Orsay, the monastery includes a first church oriented east-west, along the current rue des Blancs-Manteaux. The order, approved by Saint Louis and Bishop Renaud III of Corbeil, was however abolished in 1274 by the second council of Lyon. The religious then join the order of Saint-Guillaume (the "Guillemites"), explaining the name of the nearby street.

In the 17th century, the monastery, then occupied by Benedictines, was rebuilt between 1685 and 1690 under the direction of architect Charles Duval. The church is reoriented north-south, perpendicular to the street, and a new convent is erected. The Cardinal of Retz closed the monastery in 1618 for "great disorder". During the Revolution, the religious were driven out, the buildings sold as national property, and part of it was annexed by the Piety Mountain. The church, bought by the City of Paris, was restored to worship in 1801 thanks to the concordat, becoming parishioner in 1807.

In the 19th century, Victor Baltard added in 1863 a southern façade from the church of Saint-Éloi-des-Barnabites, demolished during the Haussmannian works. This facade, built in 1705 by Cartaud, is raised and integrated into the nave, while a fountain of the monastery (1719) is replaced in 1929. The church, classified as a historical monument in 1983, preserves remains of its medieval and Baroque past, including biblical bas-reliefs, an 18th-century Bavarian pulpit, and stained glass windows by Raphaël Lardeur (1946) telling its history.

The interior, clean and bright, highlights a liturgical decor restored after the Revolution, with works such as a 14th century Virgin with Child or seventeenth century paintings. The crypt and remains of the monastery, as well as graves of personalities such as Françoise de Selve or Catherine de Bourbon, testify to his historical role. Today served by the Saint Martin community, the church remains an active place of worship and a remarkable example of Parisian religious heritage.

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