View source for Saint-Augustin, Paris

{{Infobox church
| name                   = Église Saint-Augustin de Paris
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| native_name_lang       = French
| image                  = Eglise Saint Augustin de Paris.jpg
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| location               = [[8th arrondissement of Paris]]
| country                = [[France]]
| denomination           =[[Catholic]]
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| website                = {{URL|http://www.saintaugustin.net|saintaugustin.net}}
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| heritage designation   = [[File:Logo monument historique - rouge ombré, encadré.svg|15px]] ''Monument Historique'' PA00088813<ref name=merimee>{{Base Mérimée|PA00088813|Eglise Saint-Augustin}}</ref>
| designated date        = 1993
| architect              = [[Victor Baltard]]
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| style                  = [[Eclecticism in architecture|Eclectic]]; Romano-Byzantine
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| groundbreaking         = 1860
| completed date         = 1868
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The '''Église Saint-Augustin de Paris''' ({{IPA|fr|eɡliz sɛ̃t‿oɡystɛ̃ də paʁi}}; [[English language|English]]: '''Church of St. Augustine''') is a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] church located at 46 [[boulevard Malesherbes]] in the [[8th arrondissement of Paris]]. The church was built between 1860 and 1871 by the Paris city chief architect [[Victor Baltard]]. It was the first church in Paris to combine a cast-[[iron frame]], fully visible, with stone construction. It was designed to provide a prominent landmark at the junction of two new boulevards built during [[Haussmann's renovation of Paris]] under [[Napoleon III]].<ref name="Dumoulin 2010 p. 141">Dumoulin. "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 141</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|title=Saint Augustin Church|url=http://www.napoleon.org/en/magazine/museums/files/Saint_Augustin_Church.asp|website=Napoleon.org}}</ref>  The closest [[Paris Métro|métro]] station is [[Saint-Augustin (Paris Métro)|Saint-Augustin]] [[File:Metro-M.svg|15px]] [[File:Paris Metro 9.svg|15px]]
In 1886, Saint-Augustin was the site of the conversion of [[Charles de Foucauld]], who was canonised as a saint by [[Pope Francis]] on 15 May 2022. The church includes a chapel dedicated to Foucauld, in which is preserved the [[confessional]] where he returned to the Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite web|title=COMMISSION DIOCÉSAINE D'ART SACRÉ DE PARIS |url=https://www.paris.catholique.fr/charles-de-foucauld-a-saint.html}}</ref>
==History==
[[File:Victor Baltard - Church of Saint Augustin, Paris, elevation of the main facade - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Plan of church by [[Victor Baltard]]]]
In the 1850s and 1860s [[Napoleon III]] carried out a massive reconstruction of the center of Paris, which was carried out by [[Georges-Eugène Haussmann]]. Wide boulevards were built to cut through the overcrowded medieval city, with monumental new buildings at the meeting points of the new  boulevards. Saint-Augustin was intended to be the anchor of [[Boulevard Malesherbes]], balancing [[La Madeleine, Paris|The Church of La Madeleine]] at the other end. It was also designed to be visible from the [[Arc de Triomphe]] down the avenue de Friedland. The size and design of the church was inspired by Saint Paul's and other great churches of London, where Napoleon III had lived in exile before becoming President of France and then Emperor.<ref name="Dumoulin 2010 p. 141"/>
The church was designed by Haussmann's fellow [[Protestant]], architect [[Victor Baltard]], who from 1849 onwards was Chief Architect of the City of Paris. He was responsible for the restoration of several Paris churches damaged in the French Revolution, including [[Saint-Étienne-du-Mont]], [[Saint-Séverin, Paris]], and [[Saint-Germain-des-Prés (abbey)|Saint-Germain-des-Prés]]. In the 1850s he designed his most famous work, [[Les Halles]] markets, also using an iron structure. They were demolished in the 1970s and replaced by an underground shopping mall.<ref>[https://www.patrimoine-histoire.fr/Patrimoine/Paris/Paris-Saint-Augustin.htm] Church history and art (in French)</ref>
The chosen site was trapezoid-shaped lot at the intersection of four streets, which meant that the back of the church was wider than the front. The length of the boulevard, the small site the need to make the church visible from far away, called for a dome of {{convert|200|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=off}} which covered virtually the entire church.<ref name="Dumoulin 2010 p. 141"/> The key innovation of Baltard was the use of cast iron for the structure of the church which permitted Baltard to greatly reduce the thickness of the walls, and to eliminate the need for heavy buttresses outside.{{sfn|Jordan|p=489}}
By the end of the 20th century, after the period of modernism, the church design was considered by some holding modernist views to be out of fashion, although this view has largely been superseded in favour of conservation. As late as 1995, one critic described the church as "an eyesore: ridiculously sited, without proportion, crushed beneath an outsized dome".{{sfn|Jordan|p=195}}{{sfn|Jordan|p=243}} Despite this, it is still considered a masterpiece of architecture of the [[Second Empire style|Second Empire]] and is duly given the honour of ''Monument Historique'' by the French State<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00088813 | title=Eglise Saint-Augustin }}</ref>
==Exterior==
The church was built between 1860 and 1871 in an eclectic style combining Tuscan [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] and [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine]] elements. The church is very large: one hundred meters long and eighty meters high to the lantern of the dome, which has a diameter of 25 meters. Because of the boulevards that converge at the site, it also has an unusual shape, a trapezoid, with the front much narrower than the rear. The dome occupies almost the entire facade.
Saint-Augustin's facade features a frieze by sculptor [[François Jouffroy]] depicting [[Jesus]] and the [[twelve apostles]] above the [[four evangelists]]. The rose window was designed by [[Prosper Lafaye]] (1806-1833). It has the unusual feature of being reinforced with an armature of cast iron. The dome is surrounded by four towers which serve as buttresses.<ref name="Dumoulin 2010 p. 141"/>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Church in Paris412.jpg|The facade
File:Paris, Saint-Augustin, Außenansicht (3).jpg|The apse or rear of the church, surrounded by chapels
</gallery>
==Interior: the nave and choir==
The most striking feature of the interior is the great open space, made possible by the [[cast iron frame]] and roof. The frame, which is fully visible, serves as well as a decorative element; the cast-iron columns line the walls, and are painted and decorated with gilding and with polychrome angels, created by Louis Schroeder (1828-1898).<ref name="Dumoulin 2010 p. 141"/>
The choir is the portion of the church reserved for the clergy in the centre of the church, and is raised. Over the altar is a ciborium or baldaquin, an open walled domed structure made of gilded cast iron, in the Renaissance style. A modern, moveable altar is placed in the centre of the choir, obstructing the view of the former high altar, in order to facilitate mass [[people's altar|versus populum]], and may be removed when mass is celebrated [[ad orientem]], whether in the [[Second vatican council|Roman Rite]] or Tridentine form of the Roman Rite.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Paris, Saint-Augustin, Innenansicht (2).jpg|The nave, choir and the ciborium over the altar with the original high altar partially obstructed by the modern timber altar
File:Dome @ Eglise Saint-Augustin @ Paris (31411198736).jpg|The interior of the dome, eighty meters high, showing its iron structure
File:Baldaquin StAugustin.jpg|The Ciborium or baldequin over the main altar
</gallery>
== Chapels ==
A series of chapels, filled with art, surround the nave and choir. On the right side of the nave is a chapel dedicated to the soldier, geographer and priest [[Charles de Foucauld]], who was converted to Christianity in the church in 1886. It displays documents related to his life. He was beatified 2005 and declared a saint in 2022.
The largest chapel is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and by tradition is located in the apse at the east end of the church.<ref name="Dumoulin 2010 p. 141"/>
Three chapels are placed around the choir, and are decoration with lavish materials; they are entered through archways with rose-colored marble columns and arches, and altars decorated with mosaics.
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:P1030116 Paris VIII église Saint-Augustin Chapelle de la Vierge rwk.JPG|The Chapel of the Virgin
File:Chapelle du Sacré-Cœur de l'église Saint-Augustin de Paris.jpg|Chapel of the Sacred Heart
File:Chapelle Saint-Joseph de StA.jpg|The Chapel of Saint Joseph
</gallery>
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:Chapelle Foucauld.jpg|The austere Foucauld Chapel, dedicated to Saint [[Charles de Foucauld]], who was canonized in 2005.
</gallery>
== Art and Decoration ==
The church is lavishly decorated with art. The stained glass windows depict bishops and martyrs of the first centuries and the cast-iron columns are decorated with polychrome angels. A [[Joan of Arc (Dubois)|statue of Joan of Arc]], by [[Paul Dubois (sculptor)|Paul Dubois]], was erected in the church in 1896.  The church features paintings by [[William-Adolphe Bouguereau]], [[Jean-Hippolyte Flandrin]], [[Émile Signol]], [[Alexandre-Dominique Denuelle]] and sculpture by [[Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse]] and [[Henri Chapu]].<ref name=merimee/> The large oval paintings of Saints and angels on the upper walls  were made by [[William Bouguereau]] (1825-1925). He simplified and enlarged the figures because of their height on the walls and the dim light, and often placed them against a background of a blue sky.
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:P1030126 Paris VIII eglise Saint-Augustin façade détail rwk.JPG|The frieze depicting Christ and the Twelve Apostles over the west portal
File:Charles Marville, Eglise St. Augustin - portes, ca. 1850–70.jpg|Portal doors by [[Charles Marville]] (1850–70)
File:Charles Marville, Eglise St. Augustin, Moreau, Mathurin, sculpteur 2, ca. 1853–70.jpg|Sculpture by [[Charles Marville]] (c. 1853-70)
</gallery>
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:P1030365 Paris VIII église Saint-Augustin 4 Evangelistes Saint-Mathieu rwk.JPG|Saint Matthew on the facade
File:Rosace saint Augustin Paris.jpg|Rose window exterior
File:Poteau St Augustin Paris.jpg|A sculpted cast iron post from the interior
</gallery>
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:Paris (75008) Église Saint-Augustin - Extérieur - Façade principale - 18.jpg|Decoration on the facade: "Faith", painted by Paul Balze
File:Paris (75008) Église Saint-Augustin - Extérieur - Façade principale - 17.jpg|Facade: "Hope" by Paul Balze
</gallery>
== Stained glass ==
Unlike the custom in other 19th-century churches, the architect Baltard did not install white glass to bring more light into the nave.  On the two lower levels of the nave, he employed windows with geometric figures. On top level, he used images of saints and martyrs, The stained glass of the windows on the dome over the choir are coloured with [[grisaille]], heightened with jaune d'argent. This accounts for the rather dim light in the nave.<ref name="patrimoine-histoire.fr">[https://www.patrimoine-histoire.fr/Patrimoine/Paris/Paris-Saint-Augustin.htm] Site on church history and art (in French)</ref>
The stained glass portraits of saints surrounding the dome are  examples of monochrome [[grisaille]] windows, highlighted with gilded designs The chapels around the nave and the choir feature windows devoted to saints and apostles, noting the names of the donors at the bottom.<ref name="patrimoine-histoire.fr"/>
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:Paris Saint-Augustin531.JPG|the rose window, made with an iron framework
File:Paris Saint-Augustin545.JPG|"An Angel" (detail - click to enlarge)
File:Paris Saint-Augustin536.JPG|"The Visitation" (apse)
</gallery>
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:Paris Saint-Augustin530.JPG|"Descent from the cross" (Apse)
File:Paris Saint-Augustin11.JPG|"Saint Vincent de Paul,  a [[Grisaille]] window on the drum of dome
File:P1030108 Paris VIII église Saint-Augustin vitrail rwk.JPG|Geometric window designs (nave)
File:Paris Saint-Augustin671.JPG|Window detail (nave)
</gallery>
==Organs==
The organ is celebrated in the world of organ building. The church's main organ was built by [[Charles Spackman Barker]], famous in the organ design world for inventing the [[Barker lever]] which revolutionised the means of transmission from the keyboard to the organ pipes. It was constructed in 1867-1868, and dedicated on June 17, 1868. The same organ was also one of the first to employ electricity. It was removed for restoration by Cavaillé-Coll (1899), Beuchet-Debierre (1961) and Dargassies (1987). It features 54 stops with three 54-key [[Manual (music)|manual]] keyboards and [[Pedal keyboard|pedalboard]]s.<ref name=organs>{{cite web|title=Saint Augustin|url=http://www.organsofparis.vhhil.nl/after-the-revolution/cc/saint-augustin/index.html|website=The Organs of Paris}}</ref>
The church has a smaller organ located just over the choir. The choir organ was built by  Cavaillé-Coll-Mutin in 1899, rebuilt by [[Gonzalez-Danion]] in 1973, and(1983) It has two keyboards with 61 notes, a pedalier with 32 notes, electric transmission, and 30 pipes, 21 working.<ref name=organs />
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:Paris, Saint-Augustin, Hauptorgel (2).jpg|The grand organ over the west entrance of the nave
File:P1030123 Paris VIII église Saint-Augustin orgue rwk.JPG|The grand organ and the rose window
File:P1030119 Paris VIII église Saint-Augustin Orgue du choeur rwk.JPG|The choir organ
</gallery>
==The Church and its setting ==
The church was designed to be a highly-visible landmark at the meeting of two boulevards, and to be seen from the top of the Arc de Triumphe.
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:St. Augustine Church, Paris, France-LCCN2001698532.jpg|The church in the 1890s
File:Toits Paris Saint Augustin depuis arc de Triomphe 2.jpg|From the [[Arc de Triomphe]]
</gallery>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==Sources==
*Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; ''Églises de Paris'' (2010), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, {{ISBN|978-2-7072-0683-1}} (in French)
* {{cite book |last=Jordan |first=David P.|title=Transforming Paris: The Life and Labors of Baron Haussman |publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=1995|isbn=9781439106013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FiXSlpjdxxYC&q=augustin|ref={{sfnRef|Jordan}}}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Église Saint-Augustin de Paris}}
* [http://www.saintaugustin.net Official church website]
* [http://paris1900.lartnouveau.com/paris08/l_eglise_st_augustin.htm Lartnouveau.com article] {{in lang|fr}}
* [https://www.patrimoine-histoire.fr/Patrimoine/Paris/Paris-Saint-Augustin.htm] patrimoine-histoire.fr (Site on history, architecture, art and decoration of church (in French)
{{8th arrondissement of Paris}}
{{Visitor attractions in Paris |state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eglise Saint-Augustin De Paris}}
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches in the 8th arrondissement of Paris|Augustin]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches completed in 1868]]
[[Category:Church buildings with domes]]
[[Category:19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France]]