Temple de Charenton-le-Pont, Protestant church in Charenton-le-Pont, France.
The Temple de Charenton-le-Pont is a Protestant church building located in this southeastern suburb of Paris. It features a rectangular floor plan with three sets of double windows running along its north elevation and an octagonal bell tower that rises from the structure.
Charenton was the first place near Paris where Protestant worship was authorised, under the Edict of Nantes. The first temple, built in 1607 by Jacques II Androuet du Cerceau on what is now Saint-Maurice, burned down in 1621. Salomon de Brosse and Jean Thiriot built a second temple in 1623, where the 1631 national synod allowed Calvinists and Lutherans to share the Lord's Supper; it was razed in 1685 after the Edict's revocation. The present temple dates from 1889.
The parish belongs to the United Protestant Church of France. The name Charenton recalls the national synod held there in 1631, which allowed Calvinists and Lutherans to take part together in ceremonies including the Lord's Supper. The Star of David relief on the facade and the brick strips between the pointed-arch windows are details to look for.
The current building is located on Rue Guérin and belongs to the United Protestant Church of France, meaning visiting hours and access are managed by the active congregation. As this remains a functioning place of worship, visitors should be mindful of ongoing religious activities within the building.
The Star of David carved on the facade recalls that this is a Reformed Protestant temple, not a synagogue. The present building dates from 1889 and stands on a different site from the two earlier temples, the first of which was built in 1607 and burned in 1621.
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