Saint-Sulpice Church

Saint-Sulpice Church

Saint-Sulpice Church is a Catholic church located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, situated on the eastern side of Saint-Sulpice Square. The church was first built in the 13th century and reconstruction began in 1646. Empress Anne of Austria was the initiator of the reconstruction project, which lasted over 130 years. Many renowned architects, including Gittard, Louis Le Vau, and others, successively contributed to the rebuilding.

Today, Saint-Sulpice Church measures 113 meters in length, 58 meters in width, and 34 meters in height, making it the largest church in Paris after Notre-Dame Cathedral. The church’s organ, designed by architect François-Henri Clicquot, was built between 1776 and 1781 and renovated in 1862. It is one of the most famous musical instruments in France and even all of Europe. To this day, visitors can still enjoy its melodious sounds every Sunday. The church houses numerous artworks, notably the Pulpit by Pigalle and Delacroix’s murals (including The Battle of Jacob and the Angel). On the church’s northern side stands an obelisk-shaped sundial, installed by scholars from the Paris Observatory in the 18th century.

Saint-Sulpice Church is one of the settings in the best-selling novel *The Da Vinci Code*. In the novel, it is fictionally stated that the Paris Meridian runs through the church, which has greatly increased its number of visitors.

Saint-Sulpice, Paris

Reason to visit: One of the main settings in the novel *The Da Vinci Code*

Continent: Europe

Country/Region: France

Province/State: Île-de-France Region

City: Paris