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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Éphrem-le-Syriaque, located at 17 rue des Carmes in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, is a religious building of Baroque architecture completed in 1738 by Pierre Boscry. Its portal is inspired by that of Saint-André du Quirinal in Rome, designed by Le Bernin. Ranked a historic monument in 1927 for its facade, it is now dedicated to the Syriac Catholic cult, after having been a college chapel.

The site initially houses, as early as 1334, a mansion transformed into the College of Lombards by the bishop of Arras André Ghini, intended to accommodate Italian students. Repurchased in 1677 by two Irish priests, the place became the College of Irish, with a first chapel rebuilt around 1685. The present chapel, the third of the site, replaces these medieval buildings and ceases its religious use in 1825.

In 1925, the Paris City Hall awarded the building to the Syrian Catholic Mission in France, offering it a new cult vocation. The church, still active, also hosts classical concerts and preserves traces of its centuries-old history, mixing Italian, Irish and Syriac heritage. Its final classification as a historic monument took place in 1992, recognizing its heritage and architectural value.

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