There are hundreds of churches in Paris, many even sharing names, but my favorite of the moment is Saint-Jean de Montmartre, which must be among the most unusual in the city. Its history is not that of centuries and kings and great events, like Notre Dame and the familiar others; rather its history is of a landmark in design and construction, and of a philosophy of building.
We met the church entirely by accident (although some of my friends tell me I go to church more often than even believers) while walking home from dinner. Perhaps only because I was looking for a street sign, I looked up and was startled to see such an unusual church. We knew we’d have to come back for more.
Built at the turn of the 20th century, it was intended to be what it still is: Not a huge monument, but a parish church for a community. And yet, the Abbot who spurred its construction and the architect who brought the Abbot’s vision to reality, have made a lasting mark, producing not only the first Art Nouveau church in France, but the first to use reinforced concrete as the primary building material.
In the 1890s, when the congregation of nearby Saint-Pierre had outgrown its space, a new parish was created, and its priest, AbbÉ Sobaux, declared he wanted a church that would be “nearer to man,” and would use materials of the Industrial Revolution.
The architect chosen to fulfill that aim was Anatole de Baudot, a pupil of Violet-le-Duc, architect of the renovation of Notre Dame and many other 19th century works. Baudot was a strong critic of 19th-century architecture that hid its true structure behind columns and decoration.
In 1897 construction started, and by 1900 the exterior of the building was basically finished, except for the bell tower. At that point, the red tape started and almost resulted in a demolition order for the church. Partly that may have been a result of traditionalist upset, but there were also questions of whether such spindly columns could support the weight.
After tests involving huge sacks of sand putting 1500kg per square meter on the structure, the order was lifted, but the bell towre had to be redesigned—the original would have intruded on the legal building line. By 1904, construction was finished.
The church’s style is not really truly Art Nouveau; there are hints of Gothic and hints of Byzantine to be found, but they don’t dominate. Some critics have felt it’s too austere or plain-looking (even ugly); I wouldn’t agree. It’s true, though, that it is less richly-decorated than originally planned; financial troubles and World War I scaled back plans to cover all the interior walls with decoration. The altar was designed by Baudot himself.
A memorial to Baudot, who died in 1915, was placed by his friends and students just outside the church.
The stained glass windows, and in fact most of the decor in the church, reflect scenes from the Gospel of St. John, or of the Apocalypse. This one, by Tournel, depicts the crucifixion.
