Look closely. This space was once home to the \u00c9glise Saint-C\u00f4me-Saint-Damien. Today no trace remains. This church played a vital role in Parisian history. It stood for centuries before being demolished. Its story involves surgeons saints and a changing Paris.
The \u00c9glise Saint-C\u00f4me-Saint-Damien was built in 1427. It replaced an earlier chapel from around 1212. This chapel was the result of a dispute settlement. It took land from the Saint-Sulpice parish. The land belonged to the Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s Abbey. The church stood at the corner of two streets. These are now Rue de l’\u00c9cole-de-M\u00e9decine and Boulevard Saint-Michel.
The Saint-C\u00f4me parish was quite small. It was enclosed by several landmarks. These included the Gibard Gate and various streets. The Cordeliers Convent was also within its boundaries. Around 1300 the parish had about 860 residents. King Saint Louis established a confraternity here. It honored Saint-C\u00f4me and Saint-Damien. They are the patron saints of surgeons. Relics of these saints were brought from the Holy Land.
The \u00c9glise Saint-C\u00f4me-Saint-Damien became a religious center. It was important for the founders of the Academy of Surgery. The church became a cradle for famous French surgeons. Jean Pitard had the idea to bring Parisian surgeons into a corporation. In 1268 Louis IX created the confraternity of Saint-C\u00f4me and Saint-Damien.
The church’s design was early Gothic. It was modest in size measuring 24 meters long and 15 meters wide. The entrance faced Rue des Cordeliers. The church ended with a square apse on Rue de la Harpe.
The \u00c9glise Saint-C\u00f4me-Saint-Damien saw significant moments. Antoine Simon and Marie-Jeanne Aladame married here. They became the jailers of young Louis XVII. They were assigned to the Temple dungeon in 1793.
The \u00c9glise Saint-C\u00f4me-Saint-Damien was deconsecrated in 1791. It was sold in 1797. The buyer had to provide land for a new street. They could not ask for compensation. Demolition did not occur until 1836. A woodworking shop occupied the space. The demolition allowed the extension of Rue Racine. It now reached Boulevard Saint-Michel.
Many distinguished people had tombs in this church. One was Fran\u00e7ois Gigot de Lapeyronie. He was King Louis XV’s surgeon. He co-founded the Royal Academy of Surgery in 1731. He died in 1747.
Today the \u00c9glise Saint-C\u00f4me-Saint-Damien is gone. It stood for centuries shaping medical history. Its legacy lives on in the streets of Paris. Its contribution to French surgery is undeniable.