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Origin and history

The Saint-Sulpice church, located in Place Saint-Sulpice in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, is an emblematic monument whose construction spans nearly 130 years, from the initial plans of Daniel Gittard in 1660 to its completion in 1870. Its history begins long before, with a first chapel attested from the ninth century, replaced by a Romanesque church in the twelfth century. The parish, originally linked to the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, became independent and prosperous, requiring an expansion in the seventeenth century under the impetus of the parish priest Jean-Jacques Olier, founder of the Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice. The work, interrupted by the Fronde and financial difficulties, resumed in 1719 thanks to the commitment of the parish priest Languet de Gergy and to a royal lottery authorized by the Regent.

The architecture of Saint-Sulpice reflects the stylistic evolutions of three centuries. The façade, designed by Giovanni Servandoni in 1732, is inspired by the St Paul's Cathedral in London, with a peristyle with a paired columns and two dissymmetric towers, only the north tower, remodeled by Jean-François Chalgrin in 1777, is completed in a neo-classical style. The interior, marked by Jesuit influence, includes a unique nave flanked by chapels, an imposing choir decorated with statues of Edmé Bouchardon, and remarkable frescoes, including those of Eugene Delacroix in the chapel of Saints-Anges (1855–61). The astronomical gnomon, installed in 1727, bears witness to the links between science and religion, while the organs, signed Cavaillé-Coll, are among the greatest in France.

Saint-Sulpice plays a central role in Parisian life, both religious and cultural. During the Revolution, it successively became a temple of Reason, a forage store, and then regained its cult vocation in the 19th century. The church hosts famous marriages, such as those of Victor Hugo (1822) or Camille Desmoulins (1790), and houses the tombs of personalities such as the Marquise of La Fayette or Molières widow, Armande Béjart, before their disappearance. In the 20th century, major restorations preserved its heritage, especially after the 2019 arson. Today, it occasionally serves as a diocesan cathedral to replace Notre-Dame, while remaining an artistic and historical pilgrimage site, marked by its "Sulpian" style and intellectual influence.

The Place Saint-Sulpice, furnished by Servandoni and equipped with a monumental fountain by Visconti in 1847, completes this ensemble. The adjacent seminary, founded by Olier in 1642, formed generations of priests before being abolished in 1906. The church, classified as a Historical Monument in 1915, thus embodies the religious, political and artistic evolution of Paris, from the Enlightenment to the present day, while sheltering an unusual fauna: a couple of peregrine hawks nested since 2020 in its northern tower.

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