Église de la Sainte-Trinité
Encyclopedia
The Église de la Sainte-Trinité is a Roman Catholic church located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France
. The church is a building of the Second Empire
period, built between 1861 and 1867 at a cost of almost 5 million francs.
La Trinité, as it is known, was designed by Théodore Ballu
as part of the beautification and reorganization of Paris under Baron Haussmann
. Exterior figures of Faith, Hope, and Charity on the church were sculpted by Eugène-Louis Lequesne
. The church has a bell tower 63 metres high topped by a dome. The choir is ten steps higher than the nave and surrounded by an ambulatory. Also named after it are the rue de La Trinité and the square de La Trinité.
The church is accessible by the Métro
(the nearby station, Trinité
, is named after it) and is known internationally for its former organist and famous composer, Olivier Messiaen
. It was the site of Hector Berlioz
's funeral, 11 March 1869.
The church's facade served as the inspiration for the design of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Quebec City
.
grand organ located in the balcony. The latter instrument has been extensively renovated and expanded over the decades:
It currently contains three manuals and pedals.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The church is a building of the Second Empire
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
period, built between 1861 and 1867 at a cost of almost 5 million francs.
La Trinité, as it is known, was designed by Théodore Ballu
Théodore Ballu
Théodore Ballu was a French architect.He entered the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1835 and was the pupil of Louis-Hippolyte Lebas....
as part of the beautification and reorganization of Paris under Baron Haussmann
Baron Haussmann
Georges-Eugène Haussmann, commonly known as Baron Haussmann , was a French civic planner whose name is associated with the rebuilding of Paris...
. Exterior figures of Faith, Hope, and Charity on the church were sculpted by Eugène-Louis Lequesne
Eugène-Louis Lequesne
Eugène-Louis Lequesne was a French sculptor.In 1841, he entered the École nationale des beaux-arts, in James Pradier's workshop. In 1843, he won the second Prix de Rome, and in 1844 the first prize, with a plaster bas-relief entitled Pyrrhus tuant Priam...
. The church has a bell tower 63 metres high topped by a dome. The choir is ten steps higher than the nave and surrounded by an ambulatory. Also named after it are the rue de La Trinité and the square de La Trinité.
The church is accessible by the Métro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
(the nearby station, Trinité
Trinité - d'Estienne d'Orves (Paris Metro)
Trinité - d'Estienne d'Orves is a station on Line 12 of the Paris Métro in the commercial centre of Paris and the 9th arrondissement.The station opened on 5 November 1910 as part of the original section of the Nord-Sud Company's line A between Porte de Versailles and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. On 27...
, is named after it) and is known internationally for its former organist and famous composer, Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
. It was the site of Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
's funeral, 11 March 1869.
The church's facade served as the inspiration for the design of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
.
Organs
La Trinité features two organs, a Cavaillé-Coll chancel organ and a Cavaillé-CollAristide Cavaillé-Coll
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was a French organ builder. He is considered by many to be the greatest organ builder of the 19th century because he combined both science and art to make his instruments...
grand organ located in the balcony. The latter instrument has been extensively renovated and expanded over the decades:
- 1869 Original construction by the Cavaillé-Coll firm
- 1871 Reconstruction and repairs by the Cavaillé-Coll firm after damages incurred during the Paris CommuneParis CommuneThe Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
of 1870 - 1901 Rebuilding by Merklin
- 1934 Rebuilding by the Pleyel-Cavaillé-Coll firm
- 1962-1965 Rebuilding by the Beuchet-Debierre firm
It currently contains three manuals and pedals.
Organists
The titular organists at La Trinité include- Alexis Chauvet (1869-1871)
- Alexandre GuilmantAlexandre GuilmantFélix-Alexandre Guilmant was a French organist and composer.- Short biography :Guilmant was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer...
(1871–1901) - Charles QuefCharles QuefCharles Paul Florimond Quef was a French organist and composer.He studied at the conservatory in Lille and after absolving it, he attended Paris Conservatory, where he studied together with Charles-Marie Widor, Louis Vierne and Alexandre Guilmant...
(1901–1931) - Olivier MessiaenOlivier MessiaenOlivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
(1931–1992) - Naji HakimNaji HakimNaji Subhy Paul Irénée Hakim is a Lebanese-French organist, composer, and improviser. He studied under Jean Langlais, and succeeded Messiaen as organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris.-Biography:...
(1993–2008) - Maxime Patel (since 1999)
- Loïc Mallié (since 2011)