Exterior view

The parish church of Saint-Sulpice was a basilica in the medieval tradition with side aisles, transept and ambulatory, housed in a classical structure. It was built by Daniel Gittard (1625-1686) from plans by Charles Gamard from 1646 on. Gittard completed the sanctuary, ambulatory, apsidal chapels, transept, and north portal (1670-78), after which construction was halted for lack of funds.

In 1732 Servandoni entered and won the competition for the west front of the church of Saint-Sulpice. Surprising, given his sensational approach to stage-craft, was the restrained classicism exhibited by the fa�ade. Starting from the designs left by his predecessor, Gilles-Marie Oppenord, Servandoni’s project went through several changes, and the towers were modified after 1749 by Oudot de Maclaurin (active c. 1745–1750) and Jean-Fran�ois-Th�rese Chalgrin. However, the main block of the fa�ade was executed under his supervision between 1733 and 1745, with continuous superimposed Doric and Ionic porticos and no pediment, and must therefore reflect his intentions. The fa�ade of St Sulpice was considered by such contemporary critics as Jacques-Fran�ois Blondel to have finally restored the noble traditions of Greek architecture, an early example of the Neo-classical assault on Rococo taste. With no exact precedents, the fa�ade indeed has more to do with antique Roman architecture than with its closest counterpart, Wren’s west fa�ade of St Paul’s Cathedral (completed 1709), London, and it is to his Roman experiences that Servandoni’s inspiration for Saint-Sulpice should be traced.

View Servandini’s plan of the west fa�ade.

Furthermore, view the the partially executed design (1751) by Servandoni for the principal (west) fa�ade of Saint-Sulpice, with a balustrade replacing the pediment. (The towers were erected later under the supervision of Oudot de Maclaurin.)

The engravings are from Jacques-Fran�ois Blondel, Architecture fran�oise (1752).

The photo shows the current west fa�ade of the church.