The 6th district in Paris – Saint Sulpice

It is the heart of historical Paris – the center of the literature and artistic world. A short walk away you can stroll around boulevard Saint Germain des Prés, into the Luxembourg Gardens (admiring the Senate building) as well as discover the nearby prestigious cultural institutions such as the Institute of France, the Hotel de la Monnaie, the Odéon Theatre or the Beaux Art School. You can wander along to the Pont Neuf and it will take you onto the Ile de la Cité (Place Dauphine, The Sainte Chapelle, the Palace of Justice-la Conciergerie) and over onto the right bank (the Louvre).

The 6th is one of the central Parisian districts – and the Saint Sulpice church is at its center. It is the largest church in Paris after Notre Dame de Paris but it is incomplete. The present church is the second building on the site, erected over a Romanesque church originally constructed during the 13th century. Additions were made over the centuries up to 1631. The new building was commissioned by The Prince de Condé and founded in 1646 and it was mostly completed in 1732, by the architect Servanoni.

Yet the twin towers in front do not match – one of the towers was added shortly before the French Revolution in the neoclassical style but the work to finish the matching tower was never begun, and the former simpler tower remains!

The rather unique disparate style on the façade is thus the result of financial problems, war and revolution: in other terms History!
Inside the church there are three frescoes by famous painter Delacroix. Two of Louis 14th’s granddaughters are buried here, Louise Elisabeth de Bourbon and Louise Elisabeth d’Orléans. It is also the central point of the DaVinci Code and the movie crew used the hotel as a base during the set.

Victor Hugo, the French writer of Les Misérables married in this church.
The organ is equally remarkable – it was designed by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and you may usually hear it being played on a Sunday morning at approximately 11.30 am.