Forgotten by many, \u00c9glise Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy once stood proudly on this very spot. It was located at the angle of Rue Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy and Rue de la Pelleterie. Today that would be along Boulevard du Palais near the Tribunal de Commerce.
Let’s journey back to the 5th century. A chapel dedicated to the Apostle Bartholomew existed here. Around 965, Hugues Capet ordered its expansion. This church leaned against the northern part of the first Gallo-Roman wall. It served as the palace chapel and later as the monastery of Saint-Magloire.
Imagine the year 963. Salvator, a Breton bishop, and Junanus, an abbot, sought refuge. They brought relics of Saint Malo to Paris. These relics found a temporary home within the walls of \u00c9glise Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy. Later, the relics were moved to the Saint-Victor abbey. A portion even journeyed to the Saint-Saulve abbey in Montreuil.
\u00c9glise Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy later became a royal parish. Its territory encompassed both sides of Rue de la Barillerie. It included the western part of Rue de la Pelleterie. Around 1300, about 2300 people lived within its parish.
Time marched on. In the 18th century, \u00c9glise Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy underwent renovations between 1730 and 1736. Then in 1772, Louis XVI ordered a complete reconstruction. The French Revolution halted these plans. However a classic portal designed by Mathurin Cherpitel was completed.
In 1790, \u00c9glise Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy remained one of Paris’s 52 urban parishes. Abb\u00e9 Jacques-Henri Durville its cur\u00e9 since 1778 swore the constitutional oath. He did this alongside ten fellow priests from the parish.
However fate took a turn. A series of decrees from the Assembl\u00e9e Constituante changed everything. \u00c9glise Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy lost its parish status. This benefited Notre-Dame de Paris.
The church was sold in 1791. Its demolition soon followed.
After its destruction, the Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de la Cit\u00e9-Vari\u00e9t\u00e9s was built on this site. Two covered passages Passage de Flore and Passage du Prado also appeared. But these too were destroyed in 1858. This paved the way for the construction of the Tribunal de Commerce we see today.
Let’s remember Jean-Denis Lempereur. He was baptized here in 1701. His father Jean-Denis was a goldsmith. The younger Jean-Denis became a renowned jeweler and art collector.
Also Jean-Denis Lempereur the father was buried in \u00c9glise Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy in 1735. He was 66 and a half years old. He had been a jeweler. He was a former guard of his community. He had also been a warden and commissioner for the poor.
Though the physical structure of \u00c9glise Saint-Barth\u00e9lemy is gone its story remains. It echoes through the stones of this island. It reminds us of the layers of history beneath our feet.