Basilica of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc (Paris)
Encyclopedia
The Basilica of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc is located on the Rue de Torcy and the Rue de la Chapelle in the quartier de la Chapelle of Paris
' 18th arrondissement. Its design was the subject of a contentious design competetition. The winning, partially completed design was eventually scrapped in favor of a more modest modernist design.
for the safety of Paris during the opening stages of World War I
, which was attributed to the intervention of Joan of Arc
. The new church was to be built next to the only Parisian church known to have been visited by Joan, the Église Saint-Denys de la Chapelle
, where Joan prayed one night in 1429.
In 1926 a contest was announced by the archdiocese of Paris for the design of a large church. Several designs were proposed. A design by Auguste Perret
created a sensation with a 200 meter bell tower of reinforced concrete and stained glass. The Perret design was rejected in favor of a design by Georges Closson
. Perret eventually used the scaled-down design for the emblematic Église Saint-Joseph in Le Havre
.
Closson proposed an eclectic design dominated by towers that flanked the entry and rose until they joined in a massive Gothic arch. The nave
consisted of three bays, each capped by a cupola and flanked on either side by gabled projections with round windows. A narrower apse completed the composition.
Work began in 1930 on Closson's design, but worked progressed slowly and built only the lower façade. The proposed tower-arch was not completed and the first cupola was incorporated into a narthex
. After a long pause the main church, extending into the Place de Torcy was completed in an entirely different design in reinforced concrete
in 1964 under the direction of architect Pierre Isnard. Isnard's design followed Closson's footprint, but substituted a simple box covered by a folded-plate concrete roof. The church's stained glass was executed by Leon Zack, while a statue of Joan of Arc was carried out by Maxime Real del Sarte.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
' 18th arrondissement. Its design was the subject of a contentious design competetition. The winning, partially completed design was eventually scrapped in favor of a more modest modernist design.
History
The church was first proposed in 1914 as a votive offeringVotive offering
A votive deposit or votive offering is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for broadly religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally made in order to gain favor with supernatural...
for the safety of Paris during the opening stages of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, which was attributed to the intervention of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
. The new church was to be built next to the only Parisian church known to have been visited by Joan, the Église Saint-Denys de la Chapelle
Église Saint-Denys de la Chapelle (Paris)
The Church of Saint-Denys de la Chapelle is a church of the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It is located in the Quartier de la Chapelle along one of the oldest roads in Paris...
, where Joan prayed one night in 1429.
In 1926 a contest was announced by the archdiocese of Paris for the design of a large church. Several designs were proposed. A design by Auguste Perret
Auguste Perret
Auguste Perret was a French architect and a world leader and specialist in reinforced concrete construction. In 2005 his post-WWII reconstruction of Le Havre was declared by UNESCO one of the World Heritage Sites....
created a sensation with a 200 meter bell tower of reinforced concrete and stained glass. The Perret design was rejected in favor of a design by Georges Closson
Georges Closson
Georges Alexandre Closson was a French architect.-Biography:Closson's father, François Closson was a contract metal worker, while his mother, Marie-Emilie Denis was an architect. Closson married Marie-Geneviève Dissard in Paris...
. Perret eventually used the scaled-down design for the emblematic Église Saint-Joseph in Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
.
Closson proposed an eclectic design dominated by towers that flanked the entry and rose until they joined in a massive Gothic arch. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
consisted of three bays, each capped by a cupola and flanked on either side by gabled projections with round windows. A narrower apse completed the composition.
Work began in 1930 on Closson's design, but worked progressed slowly and built only the lower façade. The proposed tower-arch was not completed and the first cupola was incorporated into a narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
. After a long pause the main church, extending into the Place de Torcy was completed in an entirely different design in reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
in 1964 under the direction of architect Pierre Isnard. Isnard's design followed Closson's footprint, but substituted a simple box covered by a folded-plate concrete roof. The church's stained glass was executed by Leon Zack, while a statue of Joan of Arc was carried out by Maxime Real del Sarte.