Foundation of the Abbey 1624 (≈ 1624)
Promise of Anne of Austria for the birth of Louis XIV.
1er avril 1645
Laying the first stone
Laying the first stone 1er avril 1645 (≈ 1645)
By Anne of Austria and Louis XIV child.
1655
Church completion
Church completion 1655 (≈ 1655)
Resumption of work after interruption.
1790
Closure of the Abbey
Closure of the Abbey 1790 (≈ 1790)
Seized furniture during the Revolution.
31 juillet 1793
Transformation into a military hospital
Transformation into a military hospital 31 juillet 1793 (≈ 1793)
Saved from destruction by this new role.
1826
Back to Worship
Back to Worship 1826 (≈ 1826)
Church restored and restored to the diocese.
1891
Transfer from Cavaillé-Coll organ
Transfer from Cavaillé-Coll organ 1891 (≈ 1891)
Originally from the Pantheon, located in Val-de-Grâce.
16 novembre 1964
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 16 novembre 1964 (≈ 1964)
Protection of church and abbey buildings.
21 juin 2023
Explosion damage
Explosion damage 21 juin 2023 (≈ 2023)
Northern windows and Sainte-Anne chapel affected.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Church, including basements and galleries surrounding bedside; before the choir of the nuns, its octagonal staircase, choir of the nuns and galleries that border it, former sacristy of the ecclesiastical, former sacristy of the nuns; facades and roofs of the buildings located on either side of the facade of the church; fence walls located to the right and left of the courtyard of honour, fence wall on street and gate that surmounts it, statue of Larrey; facades and roofs of buildings surrounding the cloister courtyard; inside these buildings: galleries of the ground floor and the first floor opening onto the courtyard of the cloister, staircase of Anne of Austria, old capitular room (kitchen), staircase of honour in stone and its clearances on the ground floor and on the first floor, old kitchen (library), old dining room (honour room); in the South building: staircase, vestibule and landing of arrival on the first floor, pavilion of Anne of Austria, including living room and fireplace; façades and roofs of the building surrounding the North, West and South of the Cour de Broussais; ancient view of the waters integrated in this building; statue of Broussais; facades and roofs of the building north of the courtyard of the church; 17th century interior staircase and wrought iron ramp; all soils and vegetation located within the following perimeter: west, rue Saint-Jacques and adjoining boundaries to Boulevard de Port-Royal; south, boulevard de Port-Royal to the eastern end of the promenade des patientes; to the east, outer limit of the promenade of the sick; to the north, adjoining limits to Rue Saint-Jacques: classification by decree of 16 November 1964; Total soil and basement of plots containing the foundations of the former Abbey; Mansart staircase; Queen's Pavilion service hole; underground quarries as well as graffiti and topographical inscriptions (Box 05: 03 BE 36; 05: 03 BF 80): classification by decree of 1 March 1990
Key figures
Anne d’Autriche - Queen of France and Founder
Sponsor of the Abbey in ex-voto for Louis XIV.
Louis XIV - King of France
Attends the laying of the first child stone.
François Mansart - Initial architect
Designs the facade and dome, inspired by classicism.
Jacques Lemercier - Architect
Take back Mansart's plans for the abbey.
Pierre Mignard - Decorative painter
Author of "The Glory of the Blessed" (1663).
Michel Anguier - Sculptor
Creates the Nativity group of the high altar.
Gabriel Le Duc - Owner
Realizes the Baldaquin inspired by Saint Peter of Rome.
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll - Organ factor
Designed the organ transferred in 1891.
Origin and history
The royal abbey of Val-de-Grâce was founded in 1624, but its first stone was laid only in 1645 by Anne of Austria and the young Louis XIV, in thanks for the birth of the heir. The works, interrupted by the Queen's disgrace, resumed in 1655 under the direction of François Mansart, then Jacques Lemercier, Pierre Le Muet and Gabriel Le Duc. The church, completed that same year, embodies the Baroque style classicizing French, with a twin-column façade and a dome decorated by Pierre Mignard. His baldaquin, inspired by that of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, frame a group carved from the Nativity by Michel Anguier.
Disused during the Revolution, the abbey became in 1793 the military hospital of Val-de-Grâce, while the church, temporarily transformed into a storehouse, was restored to worship in 1826. The high altar and crèche d'Anguier, disassembled in 1790, were replaced in the 19th century by replicas. The present organ, built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1853 for the Pantheon, was transferred in 1891 and restored in 1993. Ranked a historic monument in 1964, the site retains underground elements, such as the Mansart quarries and stairway.
The church, damaged by the explosion of Rue Saint-Jacques in 2023, remains a major architectural testimony. His Latin cross plan, dome and two-storey facade reflect Mansart's influence, while Michel and François Anguier's sculptures, as well as Mignard's paintings, highlight his connection to the royal court. The baldaquin, a symbol of his past splendor, even inspired a copy in Quebec. Today, Val-de-Grâce combines religious, medical and musical heritage, with a Cavaillé-Coll organ still in use.
The Latin dedication "IESU NASCENTI VIRGINIQ(EU) MATRI", engraved on the pediment, recalls its origin of royal exvoto for the birth of Louis XIV. Anne of Austria closely associated her own motherhood with that of the Virgin, a theme taken up in works of art. Architects and artists, trained with Italian masters such as Le Bernin, merged classical and baroque influences. The transformation into a military hospital saved the building of destruction, unlike neary convents like Ursulines.
The Museum of the Army Health Service, associated with the site, continues its medical history. The successive protections (1964, 1990) also cover the basements, the galleries of the cloister, and the staircase of Anne d'Austria. The graffiti of quarries and topographic inscriptions offer a rare glimpse of monastic life. The organ, classified in 1979, is one of the last Parisian witnesses to the original bill of Cavaillé-Coll, restored to its original sound.
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Future
The buildings of the former abbey are now home to the Museum of the Armed Health Service, the Central Library of the Armed Health Service, and the Val-de-Grâce School, formerly the School of Application of the Armed Health Service (EASSA). The same military island included until 2016 the military training hospital of Val-de-Grâce, located on the former vegetable garden of the Abbey.
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