The Church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs (French: Église Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs; literally, St Nicholas-in-the-Fields) is a Catholic church in Paris' Third arrondissement. Early parts of the church, including the west front, built 1420–1480, are in the Flamboyant Gothic style, while later portions, including the south portal, mostly built 1576–86, are examples of French Renaissance architecture. It is notable particularly for its Renaissance carved sculpture, decoration and large collection of French Renaissance paintings in the interior.
History
The first chapel was constructed at the end of the 11th century by the monks of the Priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, a Benedictine monastery, as a church for the servants of the abbey. The abbey at this time was one of the most important in France; it was called "The third daughter of Cluny", after Cluny Abbey in Burgundy, the founding monastery of the order. It is located next to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, a museum of industrial arts and crafts, which occupies the site of the original Priory of Saint Martin, and preserves a portion of the old monastery.
At the time the abbey and chapel were built, they were outside the city walls, but gradually the city surrounded them, and the chapel was also used by the residents of the new neighbourhood that grew up around the priory. The church was rebuilt and enlarged at the end of the 12th century. The early features of the church, including the west front, the lower bell tower, the seven first traverses of the nave, and the first collateral aisle on the south side. These were built between 1420 and 1480 in the Flamboyant late Gothic style.
As the population continued to grow, the church was enlarged again between 1576 and 1586. Additional traverses were added to the nave, as well as double aisles on the lower collateral portions on the north and south, and very decorative portal to the south transept. The tower, originally separate, was surrounded by church structure and raised in height. All these additions were in the French Renaissance style.
Another enlargement took place from 1613 to 1615. This added two additional traverses to the nave, as well as a double disambulatory with radiating chapels. The choir was enlarged and the apse chapel and dome were constructed at the east end.
The church was closed during the French Revolution, and converted briefly into a Temple devoted to "Hymen and Fidelity". Much of the art was destroyed or disappeared. In December 1792, a painter and entrepreneur named Croupart received an order from the Revolutionary government to cover with plaster all the murals in a dozen of the chapels, "in order to remove the symbols of feudalism and superstition". It became a church again in 1802, and was fully restored between 1823 and 1829. It was shut down for three months during the Paris Commune (March–May 1871) and used as a socialist meeting hall.
In 1995, the church became formally associated with Emmanuel Community, an evangelical Catholic movement.
Exterior
The bell tower is positioned slightly back from the west front. The lower portion dates to the 15th century, while the upper portion was rebuilt in the 17th century.
The west front, or facade dates to the 15th century, and is Flamboyant in style, with three pignons or pointed gables corresponding to the nave and the two lower aisles. The outer pignons have small circular windows, and are connected with the central pignon with flying arches. The central west front has the main portal, framed by a pointed arch and an accolade and two buttresses. Above the portal is large window with three vertical ribs. Above the window is a larger gable, at the top of which is a small rose window with three lobes. All the sculpture on the west front dates from 1843.
While the west front is Flamboyant, the south front features a Renaissance portal constructed at the end of the 16th century, with pilasters and columns representing the classical orders. Its decoration includes sculpted busts of women and angels sounding trumpets to the glory of God. On the west front, the underside of the porch is decorated with particularly elaborate carved oak sculpture from the 17th century. The consoles of the walls on the west front are decorated with sculpted figures of winged female figures sounding trumpets.