Quartier Saint-Médard’s church
Saint-Médard Church at the bottom of Rue Mouffetard, in the old Saint-Médard district.
Rue Mouffetard, renowned for its charm and liveliness, replaced the old Roman road that once linked Lutetia (ancient Paris) to Lugdunum (Lyon).
The first church was built in the 7th century, at the spot where the old road crossed the Bièvre river.
The Normans razed this church during their raids in the 9th century, and the building remained in ruins until it was rebuilt in the 12th century.
Saint-Médard Church was then under the jurisdiction of the influential Sainte-Geneviève Abbey, located on the Sainte-Geneviève Hill, near the current church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont and the Pantheon.
The legend of Saint-Médard
The church was dedicated to St. Medardus, who was bishop of Noyon in Vermandois in the 5th and 6th centuries.
Saint Médard occupies a special place in French culture, as he is one of the most invoked patron saints.
He inspired the popular saying:“Quand il pleut à la St Medard, il pleut 40 jours plus tard! – When it rains on Saint Medard’s Day, it will rain forty days later!”
Legend has it that, as a young boy, Medardus was protected from the rain by the wings of an eagle that constantly hovered above him. Given this story, it is not surprising that Saint Medard is associated with rain and, by extension, sterility.
He is also the patron saint of winemakers, brewers, farmers, captives, prisoners, and people suffering from mental disorders. According to a tradition reminiscent of St Swithun,’s Day in England, farmers carefully observe the weather on June 8, St. Medard’s Day. They believe that if it rains that day, the rain will persist for the next forty days, unless the weather changes on St. Barnabas’ Day, June 11.
Saint-Médard Church through the centuries
Saint-Médard Church underwent several expansions in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, and the chapel of the Virgin and the chancel were built in the 18th century.
The church boasts a magnificent Gothic Flamboyant nave, adorned with five finely sculpted ribbed vaults, and a wooden-vaulted chancel, a rare architectural gem in Paris.
Amazingly, Saint-Médard Church was not destroyed during the French Revolution, but transformed into a Temple of Labour.
In the 19th century, the larger of the two cemeteries, located south of the church, was replaced with the public garden Square Saint-Médard.
The Catechism Chapel was erected in 1901 on the site of the former, smaller cemetery to the north.
Further renovations took place in the 20th century, including the installation of a modern stone altar in the chancel. This altar was consecrated by the Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Vingt-Trois, on September 11, 2011.
A wealth of architectural and decorative features
Although located at the bottom of the touristy Rue Mouffetard, the Saint-Médard Church remains relatively unknown, which is a shame considering its rich architectural and artistic treasures!
It indeed boasts a wealth of murals, wood, sculptures and canvases created by renowned artists, including Champaigne and Watteau. The church also houses a Gobelins tapestry, magnificent 16th-century stained-glass windows, and contemporary works dating from 1941.
The organ case and its instrumental parts were both listed as historical monuments in 1980. This 17th-century case was rebuilt in the 18th century by the renowned organ builder Clicquot. The church also houses a choir organ dating from 1964, located in one of the side chapels.
Why not visit Saint-Médard Church after a leisurely lunch in one of the many restaurants and cafés in the area, or after strolling through the lively market on Rue Mouffetard?
The Mouffetard street market is open every morning from Tuesday to Sunday, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, it extends to the nearby Place Monge, passing through Rue Ortolan!
Saint-Médard Church is one of the 25 Paris churches I have selected for you, lesser-known, yet equally remarkable.
Directions: 5th District – No141 rue Mouffetard
Metro: Censier Daubeton or Place Monge on Line 7
Coordinates: Lat 48.839727 – Long 2.349983
