Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

The Pantheon in Paris was originally planned to be a church which would house the relics of Paris’ patron saint, Saint Genevieve. The French revolution got in the way and it got repurposed as a mausoleum for the heroes of the revolution. So whatever happened to the relics? They weren’t really that far away from the Pantheon in the first place. Right next to the Pantheon in Paris is the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. This is where the relics are housed. The church isn’t massive unlike the other churches I have seen in this trip. It isn’t even as large as the nearby Pantheon but it does make up for it in beauty.

Detail on the Entrance to Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

The Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is a French Gothic and French Renaissance church which was completed in 1624. The design is unlike most of the churches that I have seen before and I think it is quite unique. Most of the churches I have seen this trip were either Gothic or Romanesque or a combination of the two. I believe this is the first one I have seen that is neither of the two. It does have that rose window which is typical of French churches though. The church design is quite attractive, making it a fitting place for the relics of Paris’ patron saint. If you pay close attention, you can see various details on the church like carvings of scenes from Christian history.

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