Saint-Augustin, Paris, Catholic church in 8th arrondissement, Paris, France
Saint-Augustin is a Catholic church on Boulevard Malesherbes, built 1860–1871 by Victor Baltard with a visible cast-iron frame and stone walls. It is about 100 metres long, with a trapezoid plan: the narrow facade faces the boulevard, while the rear and choir are wider. The dome, 25 metres in diameter and rising 61 metres to its lantern, is flanked by four towers acting as buttresses.
A wooden chapel dedicated to Saint Augustine stood on rue de Laborde from 1831. The church was built from 1860 to 1871 by Victor Baltard, assisted by Émile Vaudremer, on a trapezoid lot at the junction of four streets. Napoleon III planned to place the tombs of imperial princes in its crypt, but he died in exile and was buried at Farnborough. In 1886 Charles de Foucauld was converted here by Abbé Huvelin.
The interior features gilded cast-iron columns with painted ceramic angels, while colored glass windows show scenes from early Christianity. Each chapel has its own decorations and artistic details that make the space feel rich and varied.
The building is easily accessible from the outside and sits on a busy boulevard in central Paris, where bus stops and metro stations are nearby. If you want to visit the interior, ask locally about opening times since these may vary due to religious services and ceremonies held there.
This building was among the first to use cast-iron as the main construction material for walls and columns, rather than relying on massive stone. This metal framework allowed for taller interior spaces and larger windows that let daylight inside in ways that traditional church designs could not achieve.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,528 contributors worldwide.
