Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois

Facing the Louvre, Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois was the parish of the kings of France. Its fabric records several periods, and you can tell them apart from the porch to the east end, behind the choir: the nave and porch are Flamboyant Gothic; the choir and portal are Rayonnant Gothic, the earlier phase known for its large windows; the bell tower and the east end are Romanesque, older than Gothic; the glass is Renaissance. The churchwardens’ pew was designed by Charles Le Brun for Louis XIV. The photograph looks into a side chapel lit by medallion windows; below them is a triptych, a work in three panels, and under the altar a sculpted reclining figure.