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Church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs

A parish church on Rue Saint-Martin, in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra. It was built between 1420 and 1620, so it mixes Flamboyant Gothic with classical 17th-century elements. It is large for central Paris: about 90 metres long by 36 wide, with five aisles and no transept, and some 99 columns that have earned it the nickname of the church of the hundred columns. Outside, the square tower, without a spire, and the south portal of 1581, inspired by Philibert Delorme, stand out. Inside, the high altar has a monumental 11-metre altarpiece (1620-1629) with an Assumption painted by Simon Vouet in 1629 and stucco angels by Jacques Sarrazin. More than thirty side chapels hold works by artists of the 17th to 19th centuries, such as Georges Lallemant, François Pourbus or Léon Cogniet. It has been classed as a historic monument since 1887.

Things to do at Church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs: 3 missions

• Walk the five aisles and count the columnsWalk along the five aisles, with no transept, and notice the forest of columns that gives the church of the hundred columns its name.
• Admire Simon Vouet's AssumptionAt the high altar, look at the 11-metre altarpiece with Vouet's Assumption (1629) and Sarrazin's stucco angels.
• Observe the south portal of 1581Walk around the outside to the south portal, built in 1581 and inspired by Philibert Delorme's designs, and notice how it contrasts with the Gothic of the rest.

Near Church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs

Source: Web oficial - Paroisse Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs