Does the name Saint-M\u00e9dard ring a bell? Saint-M\u00e9dard Church stands at the southern end of Rue Mouffetard. It is in what was once called Quartier Saint-M\u00e9dard. This is within the 5th district of Paris. Saint-M\u00e9dard Church is a treasure. Yet it remains unknown to many tourists.
Rue Mouffetard is known for its charm. It replaced an ancient Roman road. This road once linked Lutetia to Lyon. Legend says the first church was built in the 7th century. It was where the old road met the Bi\u00e8vre River. Norman invaders destroyed it in the 9th century. It lay in ruins for centuries. Then it was rebuilt in the 12th century.
Saint-M\u00e9dard Church was under the Abbaye de Sainte-Genevi\u00e8ve. This abbey was on Montagne Ste-Genevi\u00e8ve. It was near the Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont and Pantheon.
The church is named after St. Medardus. He was the bishop of Noyon in Vermandois. He lived in the 5th and 6th centuries. St. M\u00e9dard is important in French culture. He is a patron saint for weather matters.
There is a saying about him. It says if it rains on St. Medardus’ Day it will rain for forty more days. Legend says that as a boy Medardus was sheltered from rain by an eagle. The eagle hovered over him. This is why St. Medard is linked to weather especially rain. He is also linked to infertility. He is the patron saint of winemakers brewers farmers captives prisoners and the mentally ill.
Farmers watch the weather on June 8th. This is St. Medard’s feast day. If it rains they think it will rain for forty days. Unless the weather changes on St. Barnabas’ Day on June 11th.
Saint-M\u00e9dard Church expanded in the 15th 16th and 17th centuries. The Chapelle de la Vierge and the presbytery were added in the 18th century.
The church has a Gothic Flamboyant nave. It has five sculpted key vaults. The wooden vaulted chancel is rare in Paris. Saint-M\u00e9dard Church was not destroyed during the French Revolution. It was used as a Temple of Work.
In the 19th century the larger cemetery became the Square Saint-M\u00e9dard public garden. The Chapel of the Catechism was built in 1901. It was on the site of the smaller cemetery. In the 20th century a modern stone altar was installed. Cardinal Vingt-Trois consecrated it in 2011.
Inside Saint-M\u00e9dard Church are murals wood and canvas paintings by famous artists. These include works by Champaigne and Watteau. The church also has a Gobelins tapestry. There are also 16th-century stained glass windows. Some pieces date back to 1941.
The organ’s buffet and instrumental parts are Historical Monuments since 1980. The buffet is from the 17th century. It was rebuilt in the 18th century by Clicquot. The instrumental part is from the late 19th century. Saint-M\u00e9dard Church also has a choir organ from 1964. It is in a side chapel near the chancel.
Consider visiting Saint-M\u00e9dard Church after lunch or exploring the Rue Mouffetard market. The March\u00e9 de la Rue Mouffetard is open every morning from Tuesday to Sunday. On Wednesday Friday and Sunday it extends to Place Monge.
Saint-M\u00e9dard stands as a testament to Paris’s enduring spirit. Its walls echo with centuries of prayers protests and artistic creation. It’s a place where the mundane meets the divine. It offers solace history and beauty in equal measure.