Faith and Hope in Paris:

La Chapelle Notre-Dame de Consolation

by William Pesson, appearing in Volume 48

Somewhat discreetly located on a quiet street in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, near the Champs-Élysées, stands a chapel overlooking Rue Jean Goujon—a small masterpiece. The site has a rich history: a renowned architect at the height of his talent worked there. And an exemplary construction project involving skilled artists and craftsmen is currently underway to protect it.

Before the church was built, the site was marked by a charity-related event with a tragic end and one of the most modern inventions of the time: cinema. On May 4, 1897, everything was almost ready to host a “charity bazaar,” an event to sell items to benefit charities, when a powerful fire suddenly broke out, caused by the ether in the cinematograph’s lighting lamp. Panic and the location’s confined configuration led to the deaths of more than 125 victims, despite the heroic intervention of the firefighters. These were mainly women and children, most of whom came from the privileged class and the aristocracy, such as the Duchess of Alençon, sister of the Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The fire, which left its mark on people’s minds, led to the improvement of safety standards, the professionalization of firefighters, and the development of forensic medicine. A national subscription was launched to supplement the significant donations from the families of the victims to create a commemorative building on the site itself, erected in memory of the victims and to support various charities. The project was entrusted to the architect Albert Guilbert, who was assisted by Ernest Thrille, both of whom were trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and were authors of numerous public projects.

The plan of the chapel, its elevation and its section, and the consistent quality of the materials used are a testament to the coherence of the design. The chapel is raised above street level by a double staircase, and the pediment highlights the public role of the building. The delicately curving side walls seem to evoke consoling arms. A dome decorated with the Arma Christi culminates at some eighty feet high and is surmounted by a monumental gilded statue of the Holy Virgin.

The interior includes two domes: one over the centralized nave with two superimposed cupolas, and a half dome over the sanctuary. The decoration, unusual in its polychromy, boasts a profusion of details, urns, and bas-reliefs. The vault is decorated with paintings that invite the gaze towards its highest point, which houses a central oculus opening to a shallow dome above. A cloister-like Stations of the Cross is located behind the chapel. Each of the fourteen stations is placed above a monument commemorating the families of the most illustrious donors. Noteworthy is the presence of a high-quality recumbent Christ donated by Mrs. James Jackson and her niece, the Countess of Azevedo de Silva, both members of Franco-American philanthropic organizations.

The site also includes a recently enlarged crypt and a small convent built around a courtyard. The chapel, with its active parish community, is now entrusted to the FSSPX (Society of Saint Pius X).

Though less visible than the building’s shape and decoration, the chapel’s structure is also interesting, with its concrete foundations, innovative for the time, and a metal frame hidden in the dome to support the weight of the statue at the top. Despite its high quality of design and workmanship, the chapel has suffered the ravages of time, and a major restoration campaign is underway. The initial objective is to restore the damaged lead roofing elements.

The chapel is currently covered by extensive scaffolding, which provides access to parts usually hidden from view from the street. The chapel’s highly elaborate sculpted details and exquisite ornaments, some functional, such as the gutters and downspouts, will soon be restored to their former glory with the application of gold leaf. Natural light will also be restored through the cleaning and repair of the stained-glass windows. The building, which received the Medal of Honor at the 1900 Salon, is protected as a Monument Historique, the equivalent of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The architect and all the craftsmen involved are thus highly skilled and specialized. Some craftsmen also worked on the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris.

From a place with a tragic history, the genius of the arts succeeded in offering, for the consolation of families and Parisians, a vibrant place where faith is a guarantee of hope and consolation. Engraved on the pediment of the chapel is a verse from Saint Paul’s First Epistle to the Thessalonians: “Do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”

More than a century after its construction, the monument has deteriorated and urgently requires restoration. For those who wish to help preserve its living heritage, information on the work and its fundraising campaign from the Fondation du patrimoine is available at https://restaurons-ndconsolation.fr.