Église Saint-Jacques de Douai, Catholic church in Douai, France.
Église Saint-Jacques de Douai is a classical church in the city center featuring columns arranged in regular proportions across its facade. The building contains a spacious interior with multiple chapels and continues to serve as an active worship space.
The first Saint-Jacques church stood on today's Place Carnot, built in Gothic style for a parish created in 1225. Rebuilt in the 17th century, it was deconsecrated during the Revolution, sold and demolished in 1797. The present church, an old monastic chapel between rue des Récollets-Anglais and rue du Pont-des-Pierres, was enlarged in 1852–1854 by diocesan architect Alexandre Grigny and classified as a monument historique in 1995.
The name refers to a local burgher, Jacques Painmouillé, rather than to the apostle alone. The parish was created in 1225 from the collegiate parish of Saint-Pierre. Since 2011 the church has been closed because of the risk of collapse of its central dome, so the interior is not open to visitors.
The monument sits in central Douai and is easily accessible on foot for visitors. It is worth arriving when services are not in progress to explore the interior without disruption.
The Grand-Orgue was donated by a parish family in 1880 and built by Pierre Schyven with three keyboards, a pedalboard, 44 stops and about 2,700 pipes, installed behind a temporary pine case. Around 1900 Cavaillé-Coll restored it and added new systems; it has not been restored since.
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