Paris - St Eustache - 1er

Plate XXII - St Eustache Church ...

Even outside the cathedral you can hear heaven ring. Or buzz .... or pound … all thanks to the decision of the organ re-builders to include (as their donation to Paris) an additional third independent reed stop on the church’s pipe organ. Many classical music recordings having been made inside St. Eustache. I heard why this is so.

The unique church pipe organ, the largest in France, with some 8,000 pipes is today considered one of Paris’, if not the world’s, best (it certainly remains unique). Disastrous repair work done in 1978 resulted in its complete reconstruction by the Dutch brothers van den Heuvel between 1986 and 1989 earning them the Médaille de Vermeïl from the Societé Académique d'Arts et Lettres.  Public recitals and concerts are held frequently and for the classical music lover these are not to be missed (so I did not). Mozart chose the church for the funeral of his mother, and here in 1855 Hector Berlioz conducted the première of his ‘Te Deum’. 

In spite of the demolition of the market of Les Halles,

Saint-Eustache, with its renaissance styled interior is still known by Parisians as ‘the market cathedral’. Works alluding to its origins are found inside, including one stained glass panel depicting a pig. In one of the side chapels there is a 20^th century sculpture (not without some humour) depicting the 1969 departure of the market. Looted and desecrated during the Revolution, the now restored (though surprisingly still incomplete) Cathedral still holds other important works by notable artists including Peter Paul Rubens. The Gothic architectured building (the knave of which is also visible in the previous image - to give you its bearings) was built between 1532 and 1637. It is (after Notre Dame) considered by many to be the second most beautiful church in Paris. The site, established as a place of worship in the early thirteenth century, was originally that of a chapel named for Saint Agnes. Given church status in 1303 it was re-dedicated to the Roman general and Christian martyr Saint Eustace, the crypt remaining dedicated to Agnes.