Here at the Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation, we find ourselves amidst history. The Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation is more than just a building. It is a testament to faith and art. Today, we will delve into its story.
The genesis of the Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation dates back to the 17th century. Passy was then a small village. Parisians loved to escape to its meadows and vineyards. The residents depended on the parish of Auteuil. The parish church was far away. It became difficult to reach during Seine floods.
In 1666, a delegation secured permission to build a local church. Claude Chahu, a generous lord of Passy, decided to fund it. The simple church was dedicated to Notre Dame de Grâce in 1667. Its feast day fell on March 25, the day of the Annunciation. This is how the Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation got its name.
By 1840, the village population had grown. The Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation needed expansion. Architect Eugène Debressenne doubled its length from 1846 to 1849. He added two bays and the current choir. The expanded Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation could accommodate six hundred people. Debressenne also raised the bell tower. Its single bell, Anne, came from Ourscamp Abbey.
Between 1856 and 1859, Passy became part of Paris. Debressenne added two chapels. These were outside the main structure. He also enlarged the sacristy in 1872.
The facade of the Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation reflects neoclassical style. Two Ionic columns mark the porch. Charles Gumery sculpted the tympanum in bas-relief in 1859. It depicts Archangel Gabriel’s words to the Virgin Mary. Above, a niche holds a Virgin and Child statue since 1860.
Inside the Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation, the choir draws the eye. Gabriel Bouret painted five canvases between 1847 and 1850. They illustrate Bible passages foretelling the Savior’s coming. The Annunciation is at the center.
To the left is Isaiah’s prophecy. It shows Adam and Eve expelled from Paradise. To the right, Daniel’s vision and Abraham’s sacrifice appear. Above, a stained-glass window depicts the Holy Spirit as a dove. It is surrounded by five litanies of the Virgin.
In the arc before the choir, the four evangelists are shown. They are as Ezekiel described them. Near the choir stands a statue of Notre Dame de Grâce. She presents her son Jesus. She highlights His merciful heart.
The axial chapel was once dedicated to the Virgin. Today, it honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Alexandre Grellet painted Christ seated on a marble throne. He blesses people adoring His luminous heart.
On the right wall, Pierre Cousin created four canvases. Cardinal Richard consecrates the parish to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus in 1897. Below are scenes of Christ’s apparition to Marguerite-Marie Alacoque. A detail from the Last Supper shows John leaning on Jesus’ heart.
A door leads to the new Chapel of the Virgin. It holds Nicolas Delobel’s Annunciation and Luca Giordano’s Crowning with Thorns. Three old copies accompany them. A statue of the Virgin in pink granite stands to the altar’s right.
Leaving the chapel, note the last statue in the ambulatory. It is a 17th-century Saint Vincent de Paul. At the back, a geometric stained-glass window illuminates the tribune. Joseph Merklin installed a thirty-stop organ in 1905.
To the right is the baptistery. It features an octagonal font and a bronze lid. A portrait of Saint Charbel, a Lebanese monk, was added in the 1980s.
In 1950, Passy’s population reached 45,000. The old Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation needed replacement. Paul Hulot and François Alépée designed a new church. They built it perpendicular to the old one.
The new church has three arched doorways opening onto a narthex. The interior features a vast nave. Arches define seven bays. A scattering of LEDs evokes a starry sky.
The choir is elevated. A geometric stained-glass window illuminates it. Auguste Labouret created this. Twelve white statues of the apostles stand towards the light.
Jacques Joos painted a large Last Judgment scene in 1992. It covers part of the wall at the back. The luminous new Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation gathers the faithful. The old Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation remains open for quiet prayer.
The Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation embodies grace and annunciation. It is inspired by Luke’s Gospel. The angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive Jesus. The Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation stands as a testament. It reflects art, faith, and history intertwined.