Église réformée du Saint-Esprit, Protestant church in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France
The Église réformée du Saint-Esprit, also called Roquépine, is a neoclassical Protestant temple at 5 rue Roquépine, on the corner of rue d'Astorg. Its stone facade has a square bell tower topped by a cross, three doors framed by Doric pilasters and Ionic columns, and a pediment with a bas-relief of an open Bible surrounded by palms and twelve stars. Inside, the elongated octagonal nave seats 700 under a large stained-glass window.
The chapel of rue Saint-Lazare was demolished for the building of the Sainte-Trinité church, and a replacement temple was planned; the city bought the land in 1862 and architects Théodore Ballu and Paul-Louis Renaud built it, inaugurated on 3 December 1865. On 6 June 1872 it hosted the first officially authorised general synod of the Reformed Churches of France since 1659, chaired by François Guizot, which revealed the split between liberals and evangelicals. A synod marking the reunification of the Reformed Church of France was also held here in 1938.
The name Roquépine comes from the former owner of the land, a lieutenant general under Louis XV. The parish choir Per Cantum was founded in 1960. Two of its pastors later presided over the Fédération protestante de France: Jean-Arnold de Clermont (1999–2007) and François Clavairoly (2013–2022).
The temple stands at 5 rue Roquépine, at its corner with rue d'Astorg, in the 8th arrondissement; Métro Saint-Augustin (line 9) and Miromesnil (lines 9 and 13) are the nearest stations. The entrance is through the three doors framed by Doric pilasters and Ionic columns on the corner facade. The nave seats 700, so services and concerts fill the space; check the parish's own schedule before travelling.
The 1905 non-figurative stained-glass window by architect Charles Letrosne replaced the original white glazing, which followed the model of Baltard's Halles. It later inspired the glazing of the Foyer de l'Âme temple in 1907. Look up inside the nave to see it.
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