Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church

Address: Place Sainte-Geneviève, 75005 Paris, France

Website: http://www.stetiennedumont.org/

Hours: Open to visitors most days; Mass and service schedules vary (check local listings)

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is a Roman Catholic church in Paris’ 5th arrondissement, noted for its distinctive interior furnishings and its role in the Latin Quarter. The building combines late Gothic and early Baroque elements and retains important ecclesiastical furnishings.

A principal highlight is the ornate stone rood screen and the richly detailed choir area, plus chapels and stained glass that draw attention to the church’s sculptural work. The shrine and relics associated with Saint Geneviève are important devotional features and attract visitors interested in Parisian religious history.

The present church replaced earlier medieval structures and was built across late medieval and early modern periods, reflecting changes in liturgical layout and interior decoration. It has long served as a parish church for the neighborhood and a local pilgrimage site for devotees of Saint Geneviève.

The church stands in the Latin Quarter, immediately behind the Panthéon and within easy walking distance of major university and cultural sites in central Paris.

• Location near the Panthéon: sits directly behind the Panthéon in Paris’ Latin Quarter, so the church is commonly visited together with the Panthéon and nearby museums.

What to See#

• Rood screen and choir: houses a well-preserved 16th and 17th century carved stone rood screen and choir that are unusually prominent for a Paris parish church, visible from the nave entrance.
• Shrine of Saint Geneviève: contains the shrine and relics associated with Saint Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, located in a chapel within the church complex.

Located in the Latin Quarter, near the Panthéon. Closest metro: Cardinal Lemoine (Line 10) or Luxembourg (RER B); a short walk from these stops.

• Climb the narrow spiral stair to the upper gallery for one of the best views of the church interior and the Panthéon across the street.
• Note the tomb of Sainte Geneviève and the 17th-century choir stalls - details often missed by hurried visitors.
• Attend a choral evensong if possible; the church's acoustics suit vocal music beautifully.