150 Churches in Paris and elsewhere

Fabulous confessional, makes you want to get some good sins in. And there is one of those pulpits-in-the-wall which I really like. This is a Baroque seventeenth-century church with multi-coloured marble, dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola, also known as Francis the Fire Handler, a vegetarian who founded a monastic order of hermits in the colder days of the fifteenth century. I am not making any of this up. In this saint’s view,  heroic self-mortification was the key habit to get into. He was with King Louis XI of France when the king died, and probably had a few words to say to him. The interior decoration was partly done by Tommaso Calone, including the holy water container at the entrance so people can cross themselves. And there is a well-known painting of the Passing of Saint Joseph. Now, Saint Joseph’s death is not mentioned in the Gospels, but some have assumed that he was taken body and soul into heaven, being such a saintly geezer.

You probably thought Germanus of Auxerre was the saint this church was dedicated to, the 4th century bishop in Gaul, who personally confronted the barbarian King Goar. Germanus also went on an important trip to Britain, to preach against Pelagianism (a non-mainstream theology giving more free will to humans than most, and which was pushed out as the Church was streamlining theology at this time). After he had died, in the 5th century, in Ravenna, and in accordance with what he had said he wanted, his body was brought back to Auxerre. Five young women were chosen to accompany his remains. Worn out by their journey, three of them died on the way, giving their names to the villages of Sainte-Magnance, Sainte-Pallaye and Escolives-Sainte-Camille.  But in fact, no, it isn’t him. This church is named after another saint, Germain of Paris, 6th century bishop of the city. The church is neoclassical on the outside, and inside you can find a series of painted Stations of the Cross, a wonderf...