Saint Pierre de Montmartre
Encyclopedia
The Church of Saint Peter of Montmartre is the lesser known of the two main churches on Montmartre
in Paris
, the other being the 19th-century Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Historically, however, it has the greater claim to fame, since, according to the earliest biography of Saint Ignatius Loyola, the church is the location at which the vows were taken that led to the founding of the Society of Jesus
.
was shown remains in the priory garden that he associated with the templum Martis. The early church that was a stop in the ninth century for pilgrims en route for the Saint Denis Basilica
, belonged in 1096 to the comte de Melun
. Louis VI
purchased it in 1133, in order to establish in it a Benedictine Abbey, and the Merovingian church was rebuilt; it was reconsecrated by Pope Eugenius III in 1147, in a splendid royal ceremony where Bernard of Clairvaux
and Peter, Abbot of Cluny
acted as acolytes.
The 1670s and early 1680s marked a special moment in the history of the abbey. During the years when Renée de Lorraine, the sister of Marie, Duchess of Guise
, was abbess, and especially while Marguerite Louise d'Orléans
, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, was in confined residence there (starting in 1675), music came to play an important role in the abbey religious services. Marc-Antoine Charpentier
, Marie's composer, wrote devotional music to be performed there. The Benedictine community moved downhill to a new priory in the 1680s. Saint-Pierre de Montmartre was destroyed during the French Revolution
, and upon its apse was erected a tower for the purpose of the Chappe optical semaphore (illustration). The church was rebuilt in the 19th century, and today is visited by numerous tourists who tend to notice, among other things, the columns of Roman origin used in the nave
.
Montmartre
Montmartre is a hill which is 130 metres high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district...
in Paris
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...
, the other being the 19th-century Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Historically, however, it has the greater claim to fame, since, according to the earliest biography of Saint Ignatius Loyola, the church is the location at which the vows were taken that led to the founding of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
.
History
Though according to its traditional history, it was founded by Saint Denis in the third century, only scattered signs of Gallo-Roman occupation have been detected at the much-disturbed site, where Théodore Vacquier, the first municipal archaeologist of Paris, identified remains of walling as belonging to the Temple of Mars, from which Montmartre took its name. In 1657, the antiquary and local historian Henri SauvalHenri Sauval
Henri Sauval was a French historian.Son of an advocate in the Parlement, he was born in Paris, and baptized on the 5th of March 1623. He devoted most of his life to researches among the archives of his native city, and in 1656 even obtained a licence to print his Paris ancien et moderne; but on...
was shown remains in the priory garden that he associated with the templum Martis. The early church that was a stop in the ninth century for pilgrims en route for the Saint Denis Basilica
Saint Denis Basilica
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis is a large medieval abbey church in the commune of Saint-Denis, now a northern suburb of Paris. The abbey church was created a cathedral in 1966 and is the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Denis, Pascal Michel Ghislain Delannoy...
, belonged in 1096 to the comte de Melun
Melun
Melun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement...
. Louis VI
Louis VI of France
Louis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".-Reign:...
purchased it in 1133, in order to establish in it a Benedictine Abbey, and the Merovingian church was rebuilt; it was reconsecrated by Pope Eugenius III in 1147, in a splendid royal ceremony where Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
and Peter, Abbot of Cluny
Peter the Venerable
Peter the Venerable , also known as Peter of Montboissier, abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Cluny, born to Blessed Raingarde in Auvergne, France. He has been honored as a saint but has never been formally canonized.-Life:Peter was "Dedicated to God" at birth and given to the monastery at...
acted as acolytes.
The 1670s and early 1680s marked a special moment in the history of the abbey. During the years when Renée de Lorraine, the sister of Marie, Duchess of Guise
Marie, Duchess of Guise
Marie de Lorraine was the daughter of Charles de Lorraine, Duke of Guise and Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse and the last member of the House of Guise, a branch of the House of Lorraine.-Biography:...
, was abbess, and especially while Marguerite Louise d'Orléans
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans was Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. Deprived of her lover, Charles V of Lorraine, and yearning for France, Marguerite Louise despised her husband and his family, whom she often quarrelled with and falsely suspected of...
, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, was in confined residence there (starting in 1675), music came to play an important role in the abbey religious services. Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres...
, Marie's composer, wrote devotional music to be performed there. The Benedictine community moved downhill to a new priory in the 1680s. Saint-Pierre de Montmartre was destroyed during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, and upon its apse was erected a tower for the purpose of the Chappe optical semaphore (illustration). The church was rebuilt in the 19th century, and today is visited by numerous tourists who tend to notice, among other things, the columns of Roman origin used in 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...
.
Sources and external links
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