Église Saint-Georges de la Villette, Catholic church in 19th arrondissement of Paris, France.
Église Saint-Georges de la Villette is a neo-Romanesque church at 112-114 avenue Simon-Bolivar, built from 1873 to 1880. Its pale grey ashlar facade has a central square tower with a steep pyramidal roof, two louvred round-arched openings and a clock with Roman numerals. The nave holds stained-glass windows by Charles Lorin, and a bronze statue of Saint George slaying the dragon by Georges Lavergne stands left of the choir.
Construction began in 1873 under architect Louis-Pierre Chauvet and was completed in 1880 with Alfred Coulomb overseeing the final phase. The building emerged as part of the neighborhood's urban development during the late 1800s.
The parish is named for Saint George in memory of Georges Darboy, Archbishop of Paris, shot as a hostage on 24 May 1871 during the Semaine sanglante. Inside, to the left of the choir, a large bronze by Georges Lavergne shows Saint George felling the dragon. The first parish priest was Alfred Caillebotte, half-brother of the painter Gustave Caillebotte.
The building sits at 112-114 Avenue Simon Bolivar in the neighborhood, making it straightforward to locate. Plan your visit during opening hours to view the interior and its architectural details comfortably.
The grand organ's 1900 case by John Abbey still stands in the tribune, but its pipes were removed after the instrument stopped working in 1983. Some were reused by Bernard Dargassies to enlarge the choir organ, which he moved here in 1995 from Saint-Pierre-de-Chaillot.
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