Church of Les Billettes, Paris, Lutheran church in Le Marais, Paris, France.
The Church of Les Billettes stands at 24 Rue des Archives in the 4th arrondissement, its show gable facing the street with a lantern-like roof turret above. The classical facade has Ionic columns and pilasters, a tall arched window with a clock, and a large red double door with round medallions. Inside, it is a gallery basilica with double galleries, and the round-arched upper windows continue into five windows of the rounded apse.
A chapel was first founded here in 1295, known as the Chapel of Miracles, and drew many pilgrims over the following centuries. It was completely rebuilt between 1754 and 1758 in the classicist style that still defines the building.
The church's pre-Revolution furnishings are lost; in the 19th century it received several 17th-century biblical paintings, now kept in the sacristy rather than the nave. The name Billettes comes from the small scapular badges worn by the hospital brothers installed here in 1299.
The church sits in a central part of Paris and is easy to reach on foot from many nearby points of interest. Sunday services are held regularly, so visitors entering at that time should move quietly and respectfully inside.
The cloister was built in 1427 and restored in 1968; its pointed arches have four-step mouldings facing the courtyard, and cross-ribbed vaults cover the walkway. The houses above the galleries date from the 17th and 19th centuries.
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