Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Gilles church of Bourg-la-Reine, located in the Hauts-de-Seine in Île-de-France, is a central monument of local heritage and an active Catholic place of worship. Its history dates back to 1152, when the nuns of Montmartre Abbey built it near the Fontenay Ru, at the corner of Grande-Rue and rue de la Bièvre. This medieval building, rectangular and east-west oriented, was partially destroyed in 1567 by the Huguenots, then abandoned during the Revolution. Infiltration of the Bièvre and lack of maintenance accelerated its degradation, leading to its closure in 1833 and its demolition in 1836.

The first church, characterized by a central nave framed by lows and a 26-metre bell tower, had an architecture inspired by Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its monumental porch (8.1 m long) and carved capitals, two of which remain in Condorcet Square, testify to its historical importance. Despite repairs in the early 19th century, the building, threatened with ruin, was replaced by a new neoclassical church built between 1835 and 1837 by architect Auguste Molinos. This new building, oriented north-south, adopted a basilical plan with a caisson nave and a bell tower rebuilt in 1897.

The present church, enlarged between 1893 and 1897 by Charles Barié, has a Latin cross with a transept and a deep choir. Its bell tower, culminating at 56 meters, houses five bells, one dating from 1780, classified as a historical monument. The interior, restored in the 1980s, includes symbolic stained glass windows and classified works of art, such as the Assumption (17th century) or the Extase of Saint Benedict (1746). The organ, installed in 1978, and the statues, including a 19th century Pietà, enrich its heritage.

The church of Saint-Gilles was also linked to historical figures: Jean de La Fontaine attended a Mass in 1663, and Léon Bloy prayed there daily in 1911. In 1897, she hosted the funeral of the bourgeois victims of the Bazar de la Charité fire, including the Gosse family. The parish, created around 1200, now depends on the diocese of Nanterre. Its architecture and history reflect the religious, social and artistic evolutions of the region since the Middle Ages.

The excavations and archives (museum of Sceaux, archdiocese of Paris) helped to reconstruct its past, thanks in particular to the work of Régis Singer. Successive restorations, such as the ceiling in 1924 or the stained glass windows in the 1980s, preserved its medieval and modern character. The church remains a symbol of local memory, mixing monastic heritage, tragic events and contemporary parish life.

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