Saint-Séverin Church Paris: opening hours, Bazaine stained glass and how to get there

Saint-Séverin church, in the Latin Quarter (5th arrondissement), is open Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 7:30pm and on Sunday from 9am to 8pm, with no ticket or booking needed. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. The oldest parts of this Gothic church date from the 13th century and the rest from the 15th century. It is best known for its ambulatory with palm-tree pillars and for the contemporary stained glass by Jean Bazaine. It is also an active place of worship.

Highlights

The bell tower and Gothic exterior

The bell tower and the first three bays of the nave date from the 13th century; most of the building was rebuilt in the 15th century, after the fire of 1448. Gargoyles and flying buttresses give the exterior its medieval profile.

The nave

The Gothic vaults and the height of the nave give the church great elegance despite its modest size. The main organ, built by Alfred Kern and inaugurated in 1963, sits in a listed case dating from 1745.

The ambulatory and its stained glass

Behind the choir, the pillars fan out like palm trees over ten double bays; one of them is decorated with a twisted column. The eight non-figurative windows by Jean Bazaine, installed in 1970, are inspired by the sacraments.

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