Église Sainte-Anne-la-Royale, Catholic church in 7th arrondissement, France
Église Sainte-Anne-la-Royale is a Catholic church located on rue de Lille that blends classical architectural elements with curved structural forms. The building was designed to occupy a site between Quai Voltaire and rue de Lille, making it a focal point in this section of the 7th arrondissement.
Construction began in 1644 under architect Guarino Guarini but was interrupted by a fire in 1662 and never completed. This unfinished fate marked an important moment in 17th-century Parisian church architecture.
The church was linked to the royal court through Anne of Austria's patronage, reflecting how closely faith and power were intertwined in that era. Its name itself commemorates this royal association and the importance of religious architecture as a display of authority.
The building is not accessible today as construction remained incomplete and the site has been altered or built over through the centuries. For those interested in learning about the project, historical plans and cadastral documents provide the most direct way to understand its original design and intended position.
Guarini designed an innovative nave using mathematical precision, where curved forms challenged the traditional French church architecture of the 17th century. This advanced approach was particularly remarkable for its time and stood apart from the stricter geometric patterns found elsewhere in Paris.
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