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Origin and history

The chapel of Saint-Éloi, known as "the chapel of goldsmiths", was founded at the beginning of the 15th century in Paris, within the walls of the former "hotel des Trois-Degrés", rue des Deux-Portes (current rue des Orfèvres). Blessed in 1403, it served as a place of worship for the brotherhood of Saint-Éloi, the corporation of Parisian goldsmiths, and housed a hospital for the poor of the profession. His privileges, confirmed by an apostolic decree in 1406, enabled him to compete with the church of Saint-Germain-l-l-Auxerrois, on which she depended parishally. The original chapel, built of wood, was replaced by stone buildings in the middle of the sixteenth century, marking its architectural and artistic climax.

The reconstruction of the chapel in the 16th century, completed in 1566, was entrusted to the masons François de la Flasche and Jean Marchand, although an ancient (undocumented) attribution associated with Philibert Delorme. Its sumptuous decor included sculptures by Germain Pilon, stained glass windows by Jacques Aubry after Jean Cousin l'Ancien, and a stone altar by Senlis decorated with marble from Genoa. Financed by loans, including 450 pounds from the widow of a goldsmith, Denise Maraitz, the chapel embodied the prestige of the corporation, protected by monarchs whose arms adorned vaults and portal.

The chapel survived the reconstruction of corporate buildings in the 18th century, but was abolished in 1791 after the abolition of corporations during the Revolution. Sold as a national property in 1797, it was transformed into a depot and then a school, losing most of its decorations. Only a few elements, such as columns, black marble plates, and vestiges of the facade (Tuscanian pilasters, curved niches) remain today. The latter, which were listed as historical monuments in 1974, were rehabilitated between 2009 and 2013 to improve their readability.

Architecturally, the chapel followed a traditional plan with a vaulted nave in a cradle, a cul-de-four choir, and an antiquisant facade inspired by Serlio, typical of the Second French Renaissance. Its western gate, initially surmounted by a triangular pediment, overlooks the rue des Orfèvres. Inside, four lateral altars framed with Corinthian columns supported statues of the Twelve Apostles, while a fence in Montargis oak, decorated with a tabernacle and statues, separated the nave from the choir. The now missing stained glass windows illustrated biblical scenes by juxtaposing Old and New Testament.

A symbol of the power of Parisian goldsmiths, the chapel of Saint-Éloi enjoyed royal protection, as evidenced by the weapons of the king carved alongside those of the corporation. His organ, transferred in the 19th century, and his paintings (copy of works by Bassano and Maratta) gradually disappeared. The current, though fragmentary, remains offer a rare example of the corporate religious art of the Renaissance, combining Italian influences and French tradition. Their preservation makes it possible to evoke the importance of the brotherhoods in the social and religious life of Paris in modern times.

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