Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Paris
  4. Paris 4ème
  5. 75004 Paris 4e Arrondissement

  6. Old chapel Saint-Aignan

 Old chapel Saint-Aignan à Paris 1er dans Paris 4ème

Patrimoine classé
Chapelle romane
Patrimoine religieux
Paris

Old chapel Saint-Aignan

    24 Rue Chanoinesse
    75004 Paris 4e Arrondissement
Chapelle Saint-Aignan à Paris
Chapelle Saint-Aignan à Paris : Chapiteau
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Aignan
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Aignan
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Aignan
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Aignan
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Aignan
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Aignan
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Aignan
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Aignan
Crédit photo : Mbzt - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1200
1300
…
1700
1800
1900
2000
1er quart XIIe siècle (vers 1120)
Construction of the chapel
1790
Revolutionary suppression
29 juin 1966
Classification of the remnants of the nave
1992
Partial restoration
29 septembre 1995
Classification of the remains of the choir
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The remains of the nave, 19 rue des Ursins : classification by decree of 29 June 1966 - The remains of the choir, 24 rue Chanoinesse (cad. 04 AW 19): classification by decree of 29 September 1995

Key figures

Étienne de Garlande - Bishop of Orléans and Chancellor of Louis VI Founder of the chapel around 1120.
Héloïse - Intellectual and religious He prayed and probably summoned Abélard.
Pierre Abélard - Philosopher and theologian Meet Heloïse in this chapel.
Bernard de Clairvaux - Cistercian monk and reformer It meditated in the 12th century.
Louis VI le Gros - King of France (1108–1117) Reigns during the construction of the chapel.

Origin and history

The chapel of Saint-Aignan, dedicated to Aignan d'Orléans, was built around 1120 by Étienne de Garlande, bishop of Orléans and Chancellor of King Louis VI le Gros. It occupied an extramural location of the Gallo-Roman enclosure, making it the first such building on the island of the City. Of modest dimensions (10 metres by 5.20 metres), it had two spans and a semicircular apse. Its southern portal, of which eight capitals and elements are preserved, is considered the oldest carved portal in Paris.

The chapel is linked to major historical figures: Héloïse prayed there and probably summoned Pierre Abélard, while Bernard de Clairvaux meditated there. It was abolished in 1790 during the Revolution, sold as a national property in 1791 and then divided by a wall. Part of the building was restored in 1992. The remains of the nave (19 rue des Ursins) and choir (24 rue Chanoinesse) have been classified respectively since 1966 and 1995.

Among the 23 shrines of the island of the City, the chapel Saint-Aignan is the only remaining Romanesque church in elevation, with Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle. It bears witness to the medieval religious architecture of Paris and its role in the intellectual and spiritual life of the twelfth century. Its access remains exceptional, limited to Heritage Days.

The chapel was originally located in the canonial district, near the cloister of Notre-Dame. Étienne de Garlande, its founder, offered for his construction a house in this cloister as well as vineyards on Mont Sainte-Geneviève and Vitry. This place of worship, although small, played a symbolic role in the religious and cultural history of Paris.

The preserved architectural elements, such as the capitals and the southern portal, offer a rare example of Parisian Romanesque sculpture. The chapel also illustrates the urban transformations of the island of the City, marked by the destruction of many religious buildings over the centuries. Its classification as historical monuments underscores its heritage importance, despite its fragmentary state.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum