Since my page has turned into my personal love fest for Notre Dame de Paris, let’s dive a little deeper into the south chapels of the nave.
Like the north side, they have changed each chapel’s layout, names, and contents. We walked the “Path of Promise” on the north side as we entered the church. The south side is dedicated to the Path of the Pentecost, although the chapels are dedicated to the saints close to the heart of Paris.
Starting from the transept, the first chapel and confessional are dedicated to Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary and patron saint of fathers, to whom Louis XIV gave a very special feast day in 1661.
The next chapel, Saint Thomas d’Aquin, whose spirit of intelligence was renowned, attended the University of Paris and Notre Dame in the 13th century. The chapel is decorated with a painting of the saint at the Fountain of Wisdom by Antoine Nicolas in 1648. Look closely to spot a young Louis XIV in the background.
One special thing about this chapel is the stained glass depicting the Tree of Jesse by Edouard Didron in 1864. The window, read from the bottom to the top, shows Jesse, father of King David, as the family tree of Christ, ending with the Virgin Mary at the top.
The next chapel is dedicated to former queen Sainte Clotilde. Daughter of Burgundian king Chiperic II, who would send her around France at eleven years old as his ambassador. Clovis, king of the Franks, heard about her and asked for her hand. As a very devout Catholic, she tried endlessly to convert Clovis, but he resisted until the Battle of Tolbiac. Praying to the “God of Clotilde,” he promised that if they were victorious, he would become Catholic. He was baptized on Christmas day in Notre Dame de Reims among 500 of his soldiers. Clotilde was very close to Geneviève, and she and Clovis had an abbey built at the top of Mons Luctitus. After the death of Clovis in 511, Clotilde spent her remaining years writing about the life of Geneviève, and it is due to Clotilde that we know the story of the Patron Saint of Paris we will meet in a few chapels.
St Vincent de Paul is known for his great charity and spirit of service. As the Chaplin of Queen Marguerite, the first wife of Henri IV, he had to be privy to many things that would make him blush. As the priest of Anne of Austria, Louis XIII, and Louis XIV, he earned his sainthood. On May 14, 1643, he held Louis XII in his arms as he took his last breath.
The next two are dedicated to my favorites and patron saints of Paris. Genevieve and Denys.
At just seven years old, the Patron Saint of Paris devoted her life to God and was blessed by Saint Germain of Auxerre. When Atilla the Hun was headed to destroy Paris, she gathered everyone at the banks of the Seine to pray. Atila and his men changed course and headed to Orleans. In 464, she saved hungry Parisians by navigating the blockades on the Seine to gather grain in Brie et Troyes to feed the citizens. Upon her death on January 3, 512, she was buried alongside King Clovis in the abbey Sainte Geneviève built for her.
The next chapel for the other Patron Saint of Paris, Saint Denis holds a figure of the saint rarely seen. Denis was the first bishop of Paris in the 3rd century. Originally from Italy, Denis was sent to Paris to convert people to catholicism. Rather successful, he upset other members who had him arrested and sentenced to death. With his two companions, Rustique and Éleuthère, the three were beheaded on the hill of Montmartre. Denis picked up his severed head and walked 6 kilometers to Catulliacus before he finally dropped to his feet and died. Today that is the site of the Basilique Saint Denis.
Saint Denis and Sainte Genevieve, in the form of their relics, are also found inside the rooster at the very top of the spire. They watch over the Cathedral and all of Paris.
The last chapel is dedicated to a saint few may know. Saint Paul Chen was a Chinese martyr who lived from 1838 to 1861. He entered the church against his family’s wishes. In 1861, during the Persecution of Catholics, he was arrested and beheaded in prison at 23 years old. Beatified in 1908, his remains were moved from China to Notre Dame and placed in the Chapel of the Holy Childhood of the north chapel. He was canonized by Pope Jean Paul II in 2000.
Each chapel is also given a sense of spirit, including Intelligence, counsel, service, strength, mission, and unity.
Six of the seven stained glass windows were created under Viollet le Duc by master glassman Alfred Gérente. Like the north side, they are primarily grayscale, but each is stunning. These are also the windows that will be removed in the future. Against popular opinion, and rightfully so, the windows have caused outrage among many. In 1964, the Venice Charter established that items part of a historic monument could not be removed unless they were damaged or for preservation. These windows are not damaged or in need of saving.
Bishop Ulrich, Macron, and the Ministry of Culture have narrowed down to one artist, Claire Tabnurel, who has designed six new windows that will reflect the chapels’ themes and give a nod to the last five years. The latest idea is lovely, but it is one more part of the 19th-century VLD restoration that will disappear.
While the Cathedral has to balance being a place of worship, a museum, and a tourist attraction, removing the unique details does not help its mission. Relics, crucifixes, and other items tied to each chapel have been hidden away. The chapels have been stripped of their character, but that being said I still love every inch of the historic Cathedral and the many hands over the last 860 years that have been a part of it.
To see and hear more check out this week's podcast and watch my up close YouTube video of each of the south chapels now.