Perhaps unsurprisingly the Temple du Marais has a captivating story. It intertwines faith architecture and revolution. We are standing before a building that has witnessed centuries of Parisian life.
The Temple du Marais began its life as a Catholic convent. The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary founded it in 1619. These sisters were also known as the Visitandines. By 1632 they commissioned François Mansart to design their church. Mansart delivered an original Baroque design. Master mason contractor Michel Villedo oversaw the building’s construction.
Noël Brûlart de Sillery was a benefactor. He admired the Pantheon in Rome. So he desired a centralized plan for the church. The Temple du Marais features eight interconnected spaces. These surround a central dome. The dome measures 13 meters in diameter. This includes the sanctuary a vestibule and chapels.
Saint Vincent de Paul served as the convent’s spiritual director for 28 years. The church crypt became the family mausoleum of Nicolas Fouquet. He was Superintendent of Finances for Louis XIV. Henri Marquis de Sévigné is also entombed here. He was the husband of writer Marie de Rabutin-Chantal.
The French Revolution dramatically altered the Temple du Marais’s fate. In 1790 the convent was seized. Its furniture was sold. The building became storage for books seized from immigrants. The sisters were expelled in 1792. In 1796 the buildings were sold. All structures were later demolished. This excluded the chapel during the creation of Rue Castex in 1805.
After the Concordat of 1801 Napoleon Bonaparte gave the church to Reformed believers. Protestants had been worshipping in secret since 1685. The Temple du Marais became a place of freedom and security. Pastor Paul-Henri Marron noted this. It sat between the Bastille and the home of the Jesuits. These were symbols of oppression.
Georges-Eugène Haussmann and Victor Baltard attended the Temple du Marais. This was during their student days at Collège Henri IV. In 1830 the church held the state funeral for Benjamin Constant.
Fighting during the Paris Commune damaged the building in 1871. Restoration work occurred in 1874. Marcellin Varcollier led the work. Ernest-Eugène Hiolle carved statues of charity and religion. Joseph Merklin built the church’s organ in 1895.
Élisée Lacheret became pastor in 1902. He played a key role in the separation of church and state in 1905. During the World Wars the crypt sheltered people from bombardment. During World War II the organ hid Jews.
Today the Temple du Marais thrives as part of the United Protestant Church of France. It has grown significantly. In 2004 it had few congregants. Now it has 300 weekly attenders. Most are under 40. The Temple du Marais holds French African Japanese and Arabic services. It is open to tourists on Saturday afternoons. Volunteers provide tours. So come and experience this unique and beautiful place.