Interior view

In the first half of the seventeenth century, like most cities, Paris endowed itself with new parish churches, all based on a deliberately traditional - therefore medieval - framework: a central nave with aisles, transept, and ambulatory. Yet, by adapting certain modern forms, each one acquired its own character.

Gittard’s plans for the huge new church of Saint-Sulpice were preferred to those of Louis Le Vau: Gittard supplied the general design and built the sanctuary, ambulatory, apsidal chapels, transept and north portal (1670–78), after which work was suspended for lack of funds.

View the ground plan of Saint-Sulpice.