Saint-François de Sales Church and its magnificent Cavaillé-Coll Organ

Move to:

Welcome to the Church of Saint Francis de Sales! Built from 1803, this church is dedicated to Saint Francis de Sales, whose house was located nearby. On the current site of the church was once the chapel of Saint Madeleine, which connected the House of the Recluses on the left and the convent of the penitent girls on the right. During the French Revolution, these buildings became the prison of the Recluses, housing more than 1,200 “suspects”, of whom more than 900 were executed.

The construction of the church took place in several stages. The left side nave was completed between 1803 and 1807, followed by the right side nave, the façade, the choir and the dome between 1828 and 1831. The last phase of work, from 1842 to 1847, was directed by the architect Claude-Anthelme Benoit.

This church has a neoclassical style, with Greco-Roman elements such as columns and a pediment. Inside, you can admire a neo-baroque decoration made by the painter Dominique Denuelle.

Among the treasures of this church, you will find a Cavaillé-Coll organ installed in 1890, classified as a historical monument in 1977. Also admire the magnificent monument to the dead of the First World War decorated with mosaics created by Georges Décote.

Don't miss the baptismal font, designed by the architect Louis Jean Sainte-Marie-Perrin in 1900, as well as the starry vaults, the frescoes by Louis Janmot and the chapels dedicated to Saint Joseph and the Virgin, decorated with magnificent works of religious art.

Before you leave, take a look at the Maison Saint-François, recognizable by its bell tower, which is located near the church. This street, which has been named after the son of François I since 1838, is also full of history and curiosities to discover.

The church is included in the inter-parish Catholic grouping Lyon Presqu'Ile Sud, also including the Sainte Croix church, the Basilica of Saint Martin d'Ainay and the Saint François de Sales church.

Plan from 1760.

Source

Saint-François House.

Source

Exterior of the Saint-François-de-Sales Church in Lyon.

Source

Right side nave & Tribune from the Grand Altar.

Source

Starry vault.

Source

The organ was classified as a historic monument in 1977.

Source

Baptismal font.

Source

Christ on Clouds by Louis Janmot.

Source

Chapel of the Virgin.

Source

Monument to the dead of 1914/1918.

Source

Saint Francis de Sales.

Source

Bell towers of the Maison Saint-François.

Source

Church plan.

Source

Find on this page a list of organs in Rhône-Alpes protected as historic monuments 

Share this article:

Other visits

en_GB

Pierre Bossan

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.