Saint-Pierre de Montrouge
Saint-Pierre de Montrouge is a Roman Catholic parish church located at 82 avenue du General Leclerc in the Petit-Montrouge quarter of the 14th arrondissement of Paris It occupies a triangular lot at the intersection of two major streets, the Avenue du Maine and the Avenue General-Leclerc. It was built in 1863 in the Neo-classical style. It was inscribed as an historic monument of Paris in 1982.
History
The church was built beginning in 1863, as part of the grand reconstruction of central Paris ordered by Napoleon III and carried out by his prefect of the city, Baron Haussmann. and by Emile Vaudremer and Saint-Antoine-des-Quinze-Vingts, finished in 1903.The name of the church was inspired by the reddish color of the iron-oxide that was common in the area. rArchitecture
Vaudremer built the church on a triangular site, with the portal at the point of the triangle. The portal, in the Neo-Classical style, has a rounded arch, and is surmounted by the bell tower. The church follows a standard basilica model, with a nave, separated from the two side aisles by arcades of columns with Corinthian capitals.The eastern portion of the church is more elaborate, with a large transept flanked by small chapels, and another chapel, flanked by two smaller chapels, which extends the longitudinal axis.
he crossing of the transept is preceded by a large triumphal arch, and is topped by a lantern-tower. Within the church transept is a large Ciborium, or altar canopy, supported by columns, and on top is a lantern tower.
Interior
The church has an abundance of paintings, frescos, sculpture and stained glass made by Paris artists of the period, particularly since the church was sponsored by the Emperor Louis-Napoleon.The entrance is flanked on the west by baptismal fonts, and by a statue of
Saint Peter. The insides of the cupolas are decorated with paintings; Christ is shown on the chapel axis, together with Saint Joseph and Saint John.
The four corners of the transept display statues of saints.:
-On the east are two saints connected with the history of France; Saint Louis and Saint Joan of Arc.
-On the west are two saints connected with the history of the Christian church in Paris; Saint Denis, the first Bishop of Lutece and a martyr, and Saint Genevieve, who rallied the Parisians to fight the Huns led by Attila.
The pose and the tympanum are decorated with frescos by Euuene Capelle, and stained glass windows made by Gaspoard Gsell and Emmile Lauirent.