2.2.12

Notre-Dame-de-Lorette




In a recent post, I made an « excuse » about maybe too often posting about churches. Obviously, according to the comments, I’m “allowed” to make a few more and I’m so far still only on a 17-18% level when it comes to the coverage of the Paris churches… so here is about one more. Genie (‘”Paris and Beyond”), who recently was in Paris, made a post, which incited me to go to…

Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, built in neoclassical style, which stood ready in 1836 and then was on the outskirts of Paris, being more and more populated. A new church was needed. Behind the church you find which was named “Nouvelle Athenes”, which during the next decades became a refined area for the bourgeoisie and also was where lived a number of artists like Liszt, Chopin, Georges Sand, Delacroix… (See some previous posts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.)

“Lorette” refers to the Italian city of Loreto and a legend linked to Virgin Mary. However, the church gave the name to the great number of mistresses, courtesans, who those days lived in the area and were named “lorettes” and who of course also visited the Sunday mass. On the map at the end of the post, I included a picture (made by Paul Gavarni, a famous caricaturist who also has his statue in the area, see previous post) of a “lorette” praying at the church.

But let’s just have a look at the church; from the outside (Sacré Coeur can – the rainy day I took the photo - be more or less seen in the background).…


… and from the inside. What is particular about the church is that most walls are painted (which obviously upset some people when it opened). The ceiling is also remarkable. The organ is by one of the most famous organ manufacturers, Cavaillé-Col (Notre-Dame, La Madeleine, St Roch, Pantheon, St.Sulpice…), and Cesar Franck was for a while the organist.
















23 comments:

Virginia said...

A beautiful church and when I saw it in jan. '10, there was repair work being done inside. There's a lovely statue to the right I think as you walk in. You must go back and photograph her Peter! Back to work for you.
V

Maria O. Russell said...

Wish I looked as young and sweet as that demi-mondaine on the map...

Fantastic photos!

Fantastic post!

Mystica said...

Please do not stop the church pictures! The altar of the church is glorious. Have you done a feature on the Sacred Heart church that I have missed somewhere?

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

Thanks for linking to my post, Peter. When I was there in November it was a misty day and I could not see Sacré Coeur in the background. When Holly and I were there a few weeks ago, we walked all the way from our apartment and the view was exquisite.

In November I had to ask special permission to use my tripod, and was graciously allowed. There is much to see and photograph in this large, ornate church.

Bises,
Genie

Vagabonde said...

C’est drôle tu sais Peter d’avoir passé mon enfance et ma jeunesse à Paris et de n’être presque jamais rentré dans ces églises. J’ai passé des heures sur les marches du Sacré Coeur et n’y suis rentré qu’une fois pour le faire visiter à mon amie anglaise. Toutes les autres églises que tu montrent je les connais bien, mais que la façade, pas l’intérieur et je m’aperçois par tes images que les intérieurs sont bien beaux. I think that many Parisians must be like me because last May I made a point to go inside one church, the one near métro St Antoine, well it was almost empty, just some tourists and some French people from Bretagne.

Olivier said...

encore une tres belle eglise parisienne, le lustre est impressionnant

Cergie said...

Il y a une rue ND de Lorette à Epinal et je me posais à l'instant la question de l'origine de ce nom ; tu y as répondu. L'intérieur bleu est très marial et cette perspective avec les deux églises, la plus célèbre au dessus de la plus modeste, est bien connue...

SusuPetal said...

That church is truly a work of art. Those paintings, the ceiling...it's just a joy for the eye.

Ash said...

Fabulous photos! I can't wait to come to Paris :-)

M said...

Exquisite!

Nathalie said...

La richesse des peintures laisse pantoise.

hpy said...

Parfois j'ai envie de faire la même chose (montrer des églises de l'intérieur) mais elles sont le plus souvent fermées!

Synne said...

Wow, that looks lovely, and I've never even heard of it! Thanks, Peter!

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Iconic

delphinium said...

Salut Petel!

J'aime beaucoup les compositions de César. Dis donc, à force de visiter les églises, tu vas bientôt dire les messes. ;-)

LeenaH said...

Warm greetings from cold Finland.
The interior of this great building is wonderful.

Happy weekend to you, welcome to visit here, we have -30 degrees Celsius. But you know
this kind of weather:)

Owen said...

Hi Peter, was just catching up on your last few posts... so rich, so rich, so rich. I particularly like the Plans and Reliefs, I've been to the museum in the Invalides a couple of times over the years, it is fabulous, impossible to imagine how many people and how many hours it took to put those incredibly intricate 3D maps together, down to the chimneys and windows on each house in the cities. I remember seeing the "Relief" map of Briançon, and being inspired to go there, so I did, and the real life town is even more amazing than the relief map of it. Wonderful...

Thérèse said...

Une belle decouverte de plus a ton actif.
Peut-etre as-tu photographie l'interieur de la station de metro du meme nom par la meme occasion qui doit etre toute proche.

Alain said...

Extérieurement, elle ne paye pas de mine, mais l'intérieur est somptueux.

claude said...

Je dirai la même chose qu'ALAIN. Par l'intermédiaire de ton blog, je vais avoir visité toutes les Eglises de Paris, c'est génial !
Le lustre est très beau.

Ruth said...

I have seen this church from the outside and wondered about it. It is so much more beautiful inside! Just tremendous. And I am happy to hear there is a church where mistresses are welcome. But I suppose these things are a bit more free in Paris. :-)

Cezar and Léia said...

Many beautiful details inside, certainly worth a visit! Thanks for sharing.
God bless you!
Cezar

Trotter said...

I love this one!!