The Église Saint-Polycarpe (Church of St. Polycarp) is a church located in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon

1st arrondissement of Lyon

The 1st arrondissement of Lyon, France is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon. It is located below the hill of Croix-Rousse and on the north part of the Presqu'île formed by the Saône and the Rhône, the two rivers in Lyon...

, on the slopes of La Croix-Rousse

La Croix-Rousse

This zone is served by the metro line La Croix-Rousse is a hill in the town of Lyon, France, as well as the name of a quarter located on this hill . It is 254m at its peak...

, between rue René Leynaud, rue Burdeau

Rue Burdeau

The Rue Burdeau is a street located in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon, at the bottom of the slopes of La Croix-Rousse, just above the Église Saint-Polycarpe, between the Saône and the Rhône. It leads at one side to the Montée Saint-Sébastien and at the other to the Jardin des Plantes and crosses...

 and passages Mermet and Thiaffait

Passage Thiaffait

The Passage Thiaffait is an urban area located on the slopes of La Croix-Rousse, in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon. It has an entry by a portico and is a curved traboule which ends with a staircase leading to the hill...

. It is the oldest church of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri

Oratory of Saint Philip Neri

The Oratory of Saint Philip Neri is a congregation of Catholic priests and lay-brothers who live together in a community bound together by no formal vows but only with the bond of charity. They are commonly referred to as Oratorians...

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History

The church, built by the Oratorians installed on the slopes, was completed in 1670, with the exception of the façade that was built in 1756 by architect Toussaint Loyer who also lengthened 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...

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On 19 June 1791, the Oratory Church became a parish church and took the name of St. Polycarp, as a tribute to Polycarp

Polycarp

Saint Polycarp was a 2nd century Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to touch him...

 of Smyrna

Smyrna

Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...

, master of Saint Pothinus

Saint Pothinus

Saint Pothinus is a figure of uncertain historicity, who is first mentioned in a letter attributed to Irenaeus of Lyon. The letter was sent from the Christian communities of Lyon and Vienne to the Roman province of Asia....

 and Irenaeus

Irenaeus

Saint Irenaeus , was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire . He was an early church father and apologist, and his writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology...

, who were the first two bishops of Lyon.

The heart of Pauline-Marie Jaricot

Pauline-Marie Jaricot

Pauline-Marie Jaricot was a French laywoman, the foundress of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith and the Association of the Living Rosary.-Life:...

, founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith

Society for the Propagation of the Faith

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is an international association for the assistance by prayers and alms of Catholic missionary priests, brothers, and nuns engaged in preaching the Gospel in non-Catholic countries...

, currently remains in a chapel of the church.

The church has a famous organ, built by Augustine Zeiger in 1841.

In 1982, the church was classified as monument historique

Monument historique

A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...

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Architecture

The church has a facade decorated with four Corinthian

Corinthian order

The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...

 pilasters topped by a triangular pediment

Pediment

A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...

. Louis Janmot

Louis Janmot

Anne-François-Louis Janmot was a French painter and poet.-Early years:Janmot was born in Lyon of Catholic parents who were deeply religious. He was extremely moved by the death of his brother in 1823 and his sister's in 1829...

 made the painting depicting the Last Supper

Last Supper

The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...

 which is placed in the apse

Apse

In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...

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