Visitors who enter are greeted by a feast for the eyes from top to bottom. The first thing they pass are two giant shells that are holy water stoups, donated by Francis I (1494-1547), a prodigious patron of the arts who had this church decorated during the time of the emerging French Renaissance. An entire book could be written on the uniqueness of this masterpiece of architecture so full of visual delights that transport the viewer into heavenly regions.
The Rood Screen
The interior is most unique, with great harmony among its blend of style. The photos here below illustrate the fascinating rood screen (the only remaining example in Paris) with its stunning spiral staircases and upper gangway between the pillars. The screen was built between 1521-1545, attributed to Antoine Beaucorps.
The screen was intended to separate the nave from the choir. Like an arched bridge, its main arch is 9 m long. The tracery of the stone carvings and the spiral staircases (with their steps that are not perpendicular) are delicately supported by sturdy lender columns. In past centuries this area served as the pulpit to preach sermons.
The gangway on each side and the youthful figures that top them (completed in 1605), are probably the work of Pierre Biard, one of the sculptors of the Galerie du Bord de l'Eau in the Louvere.
Even though they were a common sight in the Middle-Ages, rood screens later disappeared after the Council of the Council of Trent (1545-1563), which in point of fact did not abolish them. The Tridentine goal was overall to make the majesty of such ceremonies at the altar more visible to the congregation beyond the choir and this led to their widespread disappearance.
As a side note, important insights can be learned from reading the Council of Trent when it speaks of the value of visible sights and sounds and smells - for example, as articulated in Chapter V -- On the Solemn Ceremonies of the Sacrifice of the Mass:
"And whereas such is the nature of man that, without external helps, he cannot easily be raised to the meditation of divine things; therefore has holy Mother Church instituted certain rites, to wit, that certain things be pronounced in the Mass in a low (can. ix), and others in a louder tone. She has likewise employed ceremonies (can. vii), such as mystic benedictions, lights, incense, vestments, and many other things of this kind, derived from an apostolical discipline and tradition, whereby both the majesty of so great a sacrifice might be recommended, and the minds of the faithful be excited, by those visible signs of religion and piety, to the contemplation of those most sublime things which are hidden in this sacrifice." (Source: Dogmatic Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, p. 138).
Interior Highlights
The nave thus has two levels of arcades -- successive arches at the ceiling and below, holding a passageway with balustrades, separating the nave from the outer aisles. This elevated area was used to drape banners on special feast days. The large windows above fill the interior with light.
As is the custom in many medieval churches in France, there is the unusual feature of the axis of the church being slightly off, slanted to the side. This subtle curve of the spine of the church building is a sobering thought for meditation, representing the view of Christ from the Cross (with his head tilted at a slant, looking down the nave of the church from the main altar in the sanctuary).
There is also an unusually stunning wood pulpit, built in 1650 by Germain Pilon, a cabinet maker. It shows a powerful Samson holding up the bowl of the covered structure, surrounded by virtues. The sculptures were designed by Laurent de la Hire, and made by Claude Lestocart.
The choir loft must also be mentioned, with its organ and fine case dating from 1630, a work of Jean Buron, dominated by the resurrected Christ in the middle with two angels on the side (the organ case partially blocks the rose window).
A Neighborhood Rich with Catholic History
The church stands in the Latin Quarter, the same neighborhood that was familiar to St. Tomas Aquinas when he lived in Paris. It is perched on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, a hill overlooking the left bank of the Seine with the distant Notre-Dame Cathedral visible down below.
This beautiful edifice is also famous for containing the relics of St. Genevieve, the patroness of Paris. In addition, Blaise Pascal is buried here. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in this church in 1997 for the youth of the world in conjunction with the World Youth Day in Paris.
Directly across the street is the Panthéon, built by King Louis XV. It was originally intended to be dedicated to St. Genevieve, honoring the patroness of the city. Her relics were to be housed in the church. By the time construction was completed, the French Revolution had started and it was decided the church would be a mausoleum.
Further, King Clovis (466-511) decided to be buried here along with his wife, St. Clotilde. Clovis was the first king to be baptized and he adopted the Catholic Faith for his kingdom. Several other kings were later buried at this location as was St. Genevieve. In 502, the Abbey of Sainte-Genevieve was founded here next to the church, which became part of the Abbey.
