Église Saint-Médard, Gothic church in the 5th arrondissement, Paris, France.
Église Saint-Médard is a church building on Rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement that combines multiple architectural periods in its structure. The exterior displays Gothic features including pointed arches and buttresses, while the interior holds paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries plus stained glass windows from the 16th century.
Construction of the church started in the 15th century and extended through the 18th century, with interruptions caused by religious conflicts of that era. The extended building period allowed the structure to incorporate different architectural styles that reflect the progression from late medieval to early modern times.
The parish takes its name from Saint Medard, bishop of Noyon (456–545), patron saint of French farmers. In 1727 followers of the Jansenist deacon François de Pâris gathered at his grave in the small cemetery behind the chevet, seeking cures and trances; the king closed the cemetery in 1732, and a notice was posted: "De par le Roi, défense à Dieu de faire miracle en ce lieu."
The church stands at 141 Rue Mouffetard, its west front facing the street; rows of trees along the sides hide the building except in winter. The lower facade, rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries, carries the inscription "COGNOSCETIS VERITATEM ET VERITAS LIBERABIT VOS" above the arched doorway dated 1921 and 1932. Enter from Rue Mouffetard; the square Saint-Médard, the former south cemetery, now offers an open space beside the church.
The cemetery where deacon François de Pâris was buried in 1727 became the gathering point of the Convulsionnaires, who sought healings and trances at his grave. In 1732 the king had the cemetery closed; a notice on the fence read: "De par le Roi, défense à Dieu de faire miracle en ce lieu." The site of that cemetery is now occupied by the Chapelle des Catéchismes, built in 1901.
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