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Origin and history

The Saint-Roch church, located at 296 rue Saint-Honoré in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, is a baroque building built between 1653 and 1722. Originally designed by Jacques Le Mercier, it is one of the largest churches in Paris with a length of 126 metres. Ranked a historic monument since 1914, it has been the scene of significant events, as the fighting of the royalist insurrection of 13 year IV (October 5, 1795). Piled during the Revolution, it recovered part of its heritage and now houses a rich collection of works of art.

The building of the church began in 1521 with a chapel dedicated to Saint Suzanne, transformed into a parish church in 1577 under the patronage of Saint Roch. In 1653 Louis XIV laid the first stone of the new building, designed by Jacques Lemercier. After interruptions due to financial problems and the death of Lemercier, the works resumed under the direction of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who added the chapel of the Virgin. The façade, completed in 1739 by Jules-Robert de Cotte, is baroque in style with Doric and Corinthian columns.

The church of Saint-Roch is known as the "artist parish" because of the many personalities who were buried there or whose funerals were celebrated there, such as Pierre Corneille, Denis Diderot, or André Le Nôtre. It also houses major works of art, including paintings by Jean-Baptiste-Marie Pierre and sculptures by Falconet. During the Revolution, it was looted and briefly became the " Temple of Genius". In 1815, she was sacked during a demonstration hostile to the Church.

The architecture of Saint-Roch is inspired by the Jesuit churches, with a unique nave, side chapels and a little salient transept. The chapel of the Virgin, of elliptical form, is a masterpiece by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The interior, richly decorated, includes a Baroque chair of Simon Challe and 19th century stained glass windows. The large organs, built between 1750 and 1756, were redesigned by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and are still in use.

The church also played a role in the political and social history of Paris. His court was the place of fighting during the Revolution, and its walls still bear traces of the machine gun impacts of the time. Today, it remains an active place of worship and a major testimony of the Parisian religious and artistic heritage.

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