Église du Val-de-Grâce, Baroque church in 5th arrondissement, France
The Église du Val-de-Grâce is a Baroque church on place Alphonse-Laveran in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. Its two-story facade has paired Corinthian columns, a triangular pediment with the monograms AL and the royal coat of arms, and the inscription "IESU NASCENTI VIRGINIQUE MATRI". The Latin-cross plan is crowned by a ribbed dome with a lantern; the interior holds Pierre Mignard's cupola fresco and a baldachin inspired by Saint Peter's in Rome.
Anne of Austria commissioned the church's construction in 1645 as a votive offering following the birth of her son Louis XIV after many years without children. The building became an expression of royal gratitude and a major religious monument of its time.
The dome's interior displays frescoes by Pierre Mignard illustrating The Glory of the Blessed, while the baldachin draws design inspiration from Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. These artistic elements remain central to how visitors experience the sacred space today.
The church stands on place Alphonse-Laveran behind ornate iron grills that end in stone pavilions, with a semicircular forecourt. It belongs to the diocese of the French military and is open to visitors at specified hours, so check them before coming. The nave's north windows and those of the Sainte-Anne chapel were damaged by the rue Saint-Jacques explosion of 21 June 2023.
The organ seen before the Revolution was dismantled and scattered, and only the name of its case-maker, Germain Pilon, survives; he also made the case of Saint-Louis des Invalides. The baldachin's Nativity figures by Michel Anguier were given in 1805 to Saint-Roch, which refused to return them, so a copy was carved by Clément Denis, Justin-Marie Lequien and Louis Desprez.
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