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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Marie des Batignolles came into being in 1826, when a wooden chapel was erected to serve the 6,000 inhabitants of the Batignolles, then a simple hamlet on the outskirts of Paris. Funded by donations from Charles X and the Duchess of Angoulême, it is dedicated to Mary of Nazareth at the request of the latter. In 1830, the chapel officially became the church of Sainte-Marie when the commune of Batignolles-Monceau was created, separated from Clichy-la-Garenne. His name thus celebrates the patron saint of the Duchess, although a local legend evokes the discovery of a statuette of the Virgin during the foundations.

Between 1834 and 1841, the church was enlarged under the direction of architect Paul-Eugène Lequeux to respond to population growth. Two side chapels were added, and in 1841 Archbishop Denys Affre consecrated the altars dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Vincent de Paul. The current aspect, inspired by the Greek temples with its triangular pediment and its four columns, dates from this period. A campanile was finally built in 1857 to house the Etiennette bell, after the abandonment of a project of two bell towers.

During the Commune of Paris (1871), the church became a place of women's meetings claiming gender equality. Ranked a historic monument in 1975, it also houses an organ of 1923, restored twice (1947, 1994), but whose wind tunnel now requires repairs. Its neo-classical style and social history make it a symbol of the Batignolles neighbourhood, between religious heritage and collective memory.

A second phase of construction, often confused with the original church, was launched in the 20th century under the direction of architect Bernard Haubold. Authorized in 1913 but delayed by the First World War, the project adopted a "Romano-Byzantine" style of brick and reinforced concrete, with a campanile inspired by Mont-Saint-Michel. Although mosaic decorations have been planned, much of it has never been realized. The building is once again listed as a historic monument in 2016, protecting the entire site, including its exterior spaces.

The church occupies a central place in local culture, serving as a framework for Joseph Roth's Legend of the Holy Drinker (1939). Served by the metro stations Brochant, Rome and La Forche, it remains an active place of worship and a testament to the urban transformations of Paris, from the 19th century outlying villages to integration into the capital.

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