Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs, Paris

The first chapel was constructed at the end of the 11th century by the monks of the Priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, a Benedictine monastery, as a church for the servants of the abbey. The abbey at this time was one of the most important in France; it was called "the third daughter of Cluny", after Cluny Abbey in Burgundy, the monastery responsible for the order's Cluniac reforms. It is located next to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, a museum of industrial arts and crafts, which occupies the site of the original Priory of Saint Martin, and preserves a portion of the old monastery. File:Plan de Paris vers 1550 abbaye-St-Martin-des-champs.jpg|The church in 1550 below the Priory of Saint Martin File:Commune de Paris club de Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs.jpg|Church transformed into a socialist meeting hall during Paris Commune (April 1871) File:Eglise Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs - Façade ouest - Paris 03 - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - APMH00004571.jpg|The western facade before 1892 File:Eglise Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs - Façade sud, Restes de l'ancien monastère - Paris 03 - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - APMH00004574.jpg|Vestige of the old abbey next to the church (1892 - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine) == Exterior ==

The bell tower is positioned slightly back from the west front. The lower portion dates to the 15th century, while the upper portion was rebuilt in the 17th century. The west front, or facade dates to the 15th century, and is Flamboyant in style, with three pignons or pointed gables corresponding to the nave and the two lower aisles. The outer pignons have small circular windows, and are connected with the central pignon with flying arches. The central west front has the main portal, framed by a pointed arch and an accolade and two buttresses. Above the portal is large window with three vertical ribs. Above the window is a larger gable, at the top of which is a small rose window with three lobes. All the sculpture on the west front dates from 1843. File:Paris, France - panoramio (41).jpg|The west front File:P1340770 Paris III eglise St-Nicolas-des-champs rwk.jpg|The west portal, in Flamboyant Gothic style (15th c.) File:P1340774 Paris III eglise St-Nicolas-des-champs detail statue porche rwk.jpg|Sculpture of the west portal (19th c.) File:Paris Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs125.JPG|Sculpture of angel with trumpet, south portal File:F1895 Paris III eglise St-Nicolas-des-Champs detail portail sud rwk.jpg|Detail of the south portal, in Renaissance style (17th c.) File:P1340836 Paris III eglise St-Nicolas-des-champs facade sud rwk.jpg|South front and transept, with pinnacles on the concealed arches File:P1340827 Paris III eglise St-Nocolas-des-champs detail tour rwk.jpg|Detail of the tower, with gargoyles to eject rain water == Interior ==

File:Saint-nicolas-des-champs, interno 01.JPG|The nave from the west, facing the choir File:P1340816 Paris III eglise St-Nicolas-des-champs travée rwk.jpg|The choir and transept, with classical columns File:Columns @ Eglise Saint-Nicolas des Champs @ Paris (34104983571).jpg|Flamboyant vaults of the choir The most striking sight of the interior is the forest of one hundred columns. The Flamboyant interior was largely modified in the 17th and 18th century to meet the demands of the more classical style of French Renaissance architecture style. The Gothic pillars that supported the arcades and vaults in the choir were replaced by classical Doric order columns, topped by pilasters in the Ionic style. In addition, most of the stained glass in the upper widows was removed and replaced with white glass, to bring more light into the interior, and to make it easier to read texts. Interior of the west porch (17th c.) File:Eglise Saint-Nicolas des Champs @ Paris (33425085013).jpg|Carved interior decoration of the west porch File:Plafond de menuiserie, porche ouest.jpg|Carved ceiling of the west porch (17th c.) File:Eglise Saint-Nicolas des Champs @ Paris (34078562802).jpg|Detail of the carved and gilded interior, west porch File:Eglise Saint-Nicolas des Champs @ Paris (33851663610).jpg|Detail of the west porch carvings The west porch is the vestibule of the church, and was frequently used for ceremonies, including baptisms, blessings of wedded couples, and the presentation of alms to the poor. The wood carving and sculpture was made in 1647–1649 by Adrien Lepautre and Philippe de Buyster. The ceiling is supported by two large consoles, in the forms of the torsos of women with wings. They also made an ornate carved bench in the interior of the church for the church wardens who were responsible for the elderly parishioners. This bench disappeared during the Revolution. It was replaced in 1806 with a new bench, now on the north side of the nave, made by the master wood carver Jacob-Desmalter, who made furnishings for the residences of Napoleon. It formerly had eight carved columns, but these were removed in 1856. == Art and decoration ==

The retable or altarpiece (17th c.) File:Eglise Saint-Nicolas des Champs @ Paris (33851453770).jpg|Retable of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs (1629) File:Sarrazin, Jacques, Anges du maître-autel.jpg|The Assumption of the Virgin" (top painting), by Simon Vouet File:Vouet, détail.jpg|Detail of "The Assumption of the Virgin" lower painting in Retable by Simon Vouet File:Trasaltar St. Nicolas des Champs.jpg|The Retable (1629) The most dramatic feature of the interior is the retable, or altarpiece. It was finished in 1629, and is one of the rare examples a major altarpiece from the 17th century in Paris. The altar was made by the sculptor Jacques Sarazin (1592–1660. It occupies the entire choir, and takes the architectural form of the Jesuit churches of Rome. It was designed primarily to display two paintings by Simon Vouet (1590–1649): "The Apostles at the Tomb of the Virgin" (Bottom) and "The Assumption of the Virgin", top. depicting the glory of heaven. A group of angels at the top the lower painting serves as a link between the two subjects. One important early work is "The Madonna of the Vic Family", by the celebrated Flemish portrait painter, Frans Pourbus the Younger (1617). It portrays Louis IX with his sword, sceptre, and golden spurs, adoring the Virgin and the Christ Child. It takes its name from the donors, Méry and Dominique Vic, who also appear in the painting. It is found in chapel 23, the Chapel of Saint Anne,on the disambulatory around the apse. The more modern Spanish realist painter Leon Bonnat (1833-1922) is represented by the painting "Saint Vincent de Paul repurchases the galley slaves", found in the Chapel of the Holy Family in the left collateral aisle. His works are also found in the Panthéon and the Hotel de Ville, Paris. The disambulatory is also decorated with a modern work by the contemporary artist Jean-Paul Froidevaux. an updated version of the Stations of the Cross. in vivid and warm colors. Stained glass File:Paris Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs45.JPG|Stained glass of the choir File:Paris Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs121.JPG|Stained glass of the choir File:Paris-Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs4.JPG|Stained glass depicting of marriage of Mary and Joseph File:Paris-Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs2.JPG|Detail of stained glass File:Paris-Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs98.JPG|Detail of border of stained glass The stained glass windows, like most such windows during the Baroque and classical period, were made with largely white glass, designed to admit a maximum of light, to make reading text easier and to make the art inside more visible. The figures and details on most of the stained glass in this period was painted on the glass with various mineral compounds such as silver stain, then baked onto the glass, to give three dimensions and shading and other effects similar to paintings. ==Organs==

File:Organ @ Eglise Saint-Nicolas des Champs @ Paris (33424857223).jpg|View of the grand organ over the west end File:P1340810 Paris III eglise St-Nicolas-des-champs orgue rwk.jpg|Case of the grand organ File:St Nicolas des Champs-orgue de choeur.jpg|The choir organ (1845) File:Ejemplo de partitura en el sistema braille.jpeg|Musician notation for blind musicians developed by Louis Braille, church organist (1834–39) The present organ is a 17th-century instrument rebuilt in 1777 by François-Henri Clicquot and further modified in 1930, when an Expression pedal was added. Among the organists who worked at the church were Nicolas Gigault (1652–1707), Etienne Richard (1651–1669), Louis Braille (1834–1839), François-Xavier Joseph Wackenthaler (1854–1855), Jean-Chrisostome Hess (1855–c.1889), and Michel Chapuis (1954–1972). From 1834 to 1839, the organist of the church was Louis Braille, the author of the famous reading and writing system for the blind, and pioneer of a method to allow the blind or visually-impaired to read music. He was blind in both eyes. During his time at the church he revised his 1829 book, "Method of Writing Words, Music, and Plain Songs by Means of Dots, for Use by the Blind and Arranged for Them.' It was republished in 1837. A smaller organ in the choir, housed in finely-sculpted wooden case, was installed in 1845, To hear the main organ being played at a 1935 concert with its full range of effects (four minutes), click link below: == Notes and citations ==

• Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; Églises de Paris (2010), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, • Hillairet, Jacques; Connaissance du Vieux Paris; (2017); Éditions Payot-Rivages, Paris; (in French). == (in English) ==