Beneath its classic facade Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin whispers tales of revolution faith and art. This church stands in the 7th arrondissement between Rue du Bac and Boulevard Saint-Germain. Before 1790 Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin was part of the Convent of the Jacobins. It took its current name in 1802 when it became a parish church.
Let’s step back to 1632. A chapel was built for the Order of Preachers at the corner of Rue du Bac. Françoise de Saliné founded the Monastery of Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin. She was the daughter of the Lord of Argombat.
Construction of the current Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin began in 1682. Pierre Bullet was the architect. The church was consecrated in 1683 as Église Saint-Dominique. Bishop François Harlay de Champvallon performed the ceremony. In 1722 the monks’ choir was built. It is now the Saint-Louis Chapel. From 1735 to 1739 the Dominicans’ novitiate was constructed. The French Dominicans were called Jacobins. Their first monastery was the Jacobins monastery on Rue Saint-Jacques.
The convent church became a parish in 1791. It was placed under the patronage of Thomas Aquinas. But in 1793 religious people were expelled. In 1797 the Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin became a Temple of Reason. It was dedicated to peace. Theophilanthropists then the Jacobin Club used it. In 1802 after the Concordat the church was returned to the Catholic faith.
Pope Pius VII celebrated Mass in Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin.
The facade wasn’t erected until 1765. Claude Navan a Dominican friar designed it. It presents a Doric order below and an Ionic order above. François-Charles Butteux created the tympanum of the pediment in 1769. It is called La Religion. Supported by Truth it faces the tables of the Law. Théodore-Charles Gruyère created the bas-relief. It depicts the Virgin giving the Rosary to Saint Dominic in 1867.
Inside Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin paintings and sculptures enhance the space. Blondel’s mural paintings from 1841 adorn the dome. François Lemoyne decorated the ceiling of the Saint-Louis Chapel. Luc-Olivier Merson added a portrait of Saint Louis in 1887. Guerchin Salvator Rosa Jean Restout Louis Lagrenée Abel de Pujol and Louis-Vincent-Léon Pallière created paintings. Gilles Guérin sculpted the statue of the Virgin and Child.
Louis Lagrenée’s Saint Germain d’Auxerre Giving a Medal to Saint Genevieve dates to 1771. Guerchin’s The Virgin Appearing to Saint Jerome dates to 1650. François Lemoyne painted the ceiling of the Saint-Louis Chapel. Gilles Guérin created a statue for the Chapel of the Virgin. Louis-Vincent-Léon Pallière’s Saint Peter Healing a Lame Man dates to 1819. Abel de Pujol’s Saint Stephen Preaching the Gospel dates to 1817.
Édouard Didron and Langlade created stained glass windows in 1902.
Originally François-Henri Clicquot built the large organs in 1771.
Many notable figures have served as organists here. Louis Chollet played in 1850. Pierre-Edmond Hocmelle and Joseph Franck played in 1851. Alexis Chauvet played the choir organ then the grand organ. Abbé Anatole Levergeois was master of the chapel and organist for 55 years. Currently Jean-Marc Leblanc and Vincent Genvrin serve.
Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin has hosted significant events. Gaspard Monge’s funeral took place here in 1818. Guillaume Apollinaire’s funeral was held here in 1918. Jean Rochefort’s funeral was also held here in 2017.
Interestingly the church’s interior served as a meeting place in an episode of the TV series Castle. Ryno de Marigny and Hermangarde de Polastron were married here in Barbey d’Aurevilly’s novel Une vieille maîtresse.
Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin is not oriented. It once stood in line with a row of lime trees. It faced the Hôtel de Luynes. The church was stripped of its possessions. It was entrusted to the Jacobin club in 1793. It became the Temple of Peace. The church was returned to worship in 1803. It became the parish of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
The apse wall collapsed in 1722. The Dominicans decided to create their own choir. They commissioned François Lemoyne to paint the Transfiguration on the ceiling of their chapel. Gilles Guérin created the statue in the Chapel of the Virgin. He also created the horses of the Apollo basin in Versailles.
Today Église Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin stands as a testament to faith art and history. Its walls echo with stories of revolution resilience and artistic grandeur. Take a moment to appreciate the blend of classic style and rich history.