St. Etienne du Mont is located just to the rear of the Pantheon on its northeast corner. When I first stumbled (if it's possible to stumble onto anything so close to a giant national monument) across the cathedral this past summer I was astounded. When I revisited a few weeks ago I was astounded again. I've read quite a few Paris guidebooks and never seen mention of this majestic church. It is by far my favorite. If it's possible to put a finger on why it ranks so highly I would venture that it is its simplicity. This is a somewhat paradoxical word to use with something this ornate but you can judge for yourself.
St. Chappelle has already been a subject of a post here before. (If you want to read about it and see the pictures, click here: Words and Wonders ) In size it is simple but the simplicity of size is compensated for in the majesty of its stained glass windows.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres
Initially I wavered between restricting the list to just churches in Paris or all of France. I decided to opt for France expressly so it would allow me to include the cathedral in Chartres. The cathedral is about 45 minutes west by southwest of Paris. It sits atop a hill overlooking the city that surrounds it, a mammoth manifestation of devotion and worship. My favorite aspect of the cathedral is the view from the yard in the rear of the church.
Basilique Saint-Denis
Competing in size and fame with the Cathedral at Chartres is the Basilique Saint-Denis which is located in a banlieue of the same name north of Paris. There are two reasons why this particular church is in the Top 5, one obvious and the other not so obvious. First the obvious: It houses the tombs of all but three French monarchs from 496AD onward. As a history lover, how could this not earn a place in my top five?
It is, as you can see, not lacking in beauty. Outside the church grounds is the impetus for the other reason I like the church. Saint-Denis is now a largely Muslim community with around 40 percent of the population being non-natives. Unfortunately it also suffers from the highest crime rate in France. When Morgane and I went to visit it a few weeks ago, we had to walk about a half mile from where we parked to the basilique. Our path lead us through a lively pedestrian market avenue which, except for the biting cold, reminded us both more of a lively Moroccan souk than a French avenue. The clash between the past and the present is what adds to the allure of this massive church.
For number five I'm going to drop "a sly declaration of new classic status." What's a list without a curveball? (that's me painting at the bottom of the picture)
St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Located at the corner of rue Daru and rue Pierre le Grand in the heart of "little Russia," this mid 19th century church is quite a spectacle. There are a few things that made this stick out to me. Foremost is that the church is very close to my favorite area of Paris. Secondly, it's the only Russian Orthodox church I've had the pleasure of visiting. For every similarity with other churches I've seen there are just as many differences. Next to the gilded wealth of the other churches on the list, it is bare. But within the plain austerity is the true beauty of the cathedral.
Since there is no way of working it into the list, I'll just label this as an honorable mention.
This is a pulpit sculpted out of wood by H.F.Verbruggen in 1699 for St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral in Brussels. Hands down not only one of the scariest things I could imagine seeing as a child in church but also one of the coolest and most amazing pieces of art I've seen in my life.
Here's a better image of the scene (Adam and Eve being cast out of Paradise)--
I'm not so sure this post will qualify as an adequate excuse for skipping church today but, it might.
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