Saint Gervais et Saint Protais is one of the oldest churches in Paris, known for being a center for religious music and for its relationship with the Couperin musical family through centuries.
There are mentions of St-Gervais-et-St-Protais church dating as far back as 4th century AD.
The church is dedicated to saints Gervasius and Protasius, who were popular during the period of church’s original construction.
PHOTO: St Gervais et St Protais, as seen from Place Saint-Gervais, next to the Hôtel de Ville.
PHOTO: Statues on the main church facade are by Simon Guillain, a French Baroque sculptor, whose works include Saint-Eustache’s altar section, and the facade and interiors at Chapelle de la Sorbonne.
The current church is from a rebuilding done during the French Renaissance, from 1494 onwards, with work on it lasting over 150 years…
…even though the facade, a design by architects Salomon de Brosse and Clement II Métezeau, was completed earlier, by 1621.
The church is especially famous for being the home church for the French Couperin musical dynasty, for a period of over two centuries, from 1653.
Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais
Address: 13, Rue des Barres, 75004 Paris, France
Official website: jerusalem.cef.fr/paris-saint-gervais
- François-Henri Clicquot,
- Louis-Alexandre Cliquot, and
- Robert Clicquot.
Highlights inside the church also include the many artworks, most notably Guercino’s painting “Le martyre de sainte Pétronille” (“Martyrdom of Saint Pétronille”).