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Origin and history

Saint-Louis-et-Saint-Nicolas Cathedral of Choisy-le-Roi was built between 1748 and 1760 under the direction of architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, on the orders of Louis XV. Destined to replace a medieval church deemed too small and close to the Seine, it is part of an ambitious urban project aimed at creating a new village. The king himself laid the first stone on 4 July 1748. The architectural party, without classical orders, is distinguished by a sober monumentality obtained by the treatment of surfaces and volumes.

The church was consecrated on September 21, 1760 in the presence of Louis XV, the court, and twelve bishops symbolizing the apostles. Its bell tower, originally planned on three levels, had only two, which limited the scope of the bells, a source of complaints from the villagers. At the time of the Revolution, the building was de-acralized and converted into a guard room, courthouse, town hall, or library, before being restored in the 19th century. It housed two statues of Jacques Bousseau (1729) representing Saint Louis and Saint Maurice.

In the 20th century, the church briefly became cathedral of the diocese of Créteil (1966-1987), before retaining this title in honour. Classified as a historic monument in 1975, it was restored in 2007. Its bedside, with a Mansart roof and a royal pavilion, gave Louis XV direct access from the castle gardens. The absence of architectural orders and the detached tower make it an original achievement of French classicism.

The materials used, from the local quarries (stone of Saint-Maur, mill of Choisy, bricks of Igny or Massy), reflect a construction anchored in its territory. The initial estimate also included a vaulted vault in the lower side. In the 19th century, paintings by Jacques and Paul Pauthe (1878) decorated the cul-de-four and the lateral chapels, while the royal pavilion, occupied by the town hall and then a police station, was restored several times.

Today, the building retains its status as an honorary cathedral, testifying both to its royal, revolutionary and diocesan past. Its architecture, combining classicism and innovations, as well as its turbulent history, make it an emblematic monument of Val-de-Marne and Île-de-France.

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