Église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles de Paris, Gothic church in 1st arrondissement of Paris, France
The Église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles is a Gothic church in Paris's 1st arrondissement marked by two distinctive tall towers rising from its facade. Inside, a single nave is defined by ribbed vaults overhead and multiple stained glass windows that fill the space with colored light.
A chapel restored in 1118 stood on this site within the Saint-Magloire monastery; in 1235 a church was built outside the monastic enclosure for the growing parish near the Champeaux market. It was rebuilt in 1319 and remodelled in 1611, 1727 and 1780, when an underground chapel was added. During the Revolution it served as a food storehouse and was returned to the church in 1802.
The church is a chapter house of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, restored to that role on 16 October 1928 by Cardinal Dubois. In the first chapel of the lower left aisle, behind a cast-iron gate bearing Maltese crosses, stands a gilded reliquary shaped like a church that holds relics of Saint Helena. The chapel walls carry murals by Jean-Louis Bezard (1799-1881), his last works, depicting the Baptism of Christ and Original Sin.
The building sits on Rue Saint-Denis near the Chatelet area and is easily reached on foot from major transit points. Visitors can enter regularly, though it is important to note that services take priority and prayer times may limit access to certain areas.
Since 1819, the building has housed the relics of Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, making it significant for both Catholic and Orthodox communities. These relics have drawn pilgrims over the centuries and add a deeper layer of religious importance to the site.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,453 contributors worldwide.
