The quantity and quality of religious architecture in Paris is very probably more important than anywhere else in the world, and while we have already visited quite a few churches for the blog (like Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile and of course Sainte-Eustache), there are still loads of superb places to show you!

One great example is the church of Notre-Dame-du-Travail de Paris not far from our hotels, a listed monument that looks decidedly ordinary from the outside. It’s not very well-known, but the interior is beautiful and surprising…

Not to be confused with the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris right in the centre of town (and even closer to our hotels!), l’Église Notre-Dame-du-Travail de Paris is nestled just behind the Gare Montparnasse train station (here), only a 20-minute walk from the Hotel & Spa la Belle Juliette, for example.

From the outside, you’d think it was just another fairly small church, and it’s only when you get closer that a plaque can be seen stating that it’s a protected historic monument (parts of the building were listed in 1976 before the entirety was, farirly recently in 2016).

Designed by architect Jules-Godefroy Astruc and built in 1902, the church is unique because of its metallic structure, evident as soon as you enter. Astruc studied under Victor Laloux, the architect behind the Orsay station that was later transformed into the Musée d’Orsay, and the metal interior does have a station-like quality to it (as well as being reminiscent of the Grand Palais).

It’s said that the iron bars were chosen for their lower cost, and the metal was recycled from the Palais de l’Industrie which was built for the Exposition Universelle of 1855 and finally demolished in 1897.

Few churches have this look to them – a certain cold quality tempered by the abundant use of wood and the colourful murals to be found in numerous alcoves…

Many Art Nouveau influences are evident in the rounded forms of some decorative elements, and in the wall paintings, but you’ll also find some contemporary art (possibly from the 1950s?)

Large, more traditional paintings are present in most of the alcoves, each illustrating a profession (hence the name of the church).

And if you look closely, you may even be able to see a couple of cherubs directly ‘borrowed’ from Raphael‘s famous Sistine Madonna painting.

The church has an impressively-large organ, but it does not date from the original construction – it was installed in 1991 and can be found in the traditional place above the main entrance doors.

And the chancel of the church mixes wood, large-format murals and a modern centrepiece.

The church is really out-of-the-ordinary, and the corresponding Wikipedia page (in French only, unfortunately) has other interesting facts: the church bell was brought back from Sebastopol after the town was captured during the Crimean War in 1855.

Also, the stations of the cross unusually are not numbered. However, each scene contains one less person, and the series finishes with Jesus alone.

So, lots of good reasons to visit the Église Notre-Dame-du-Travail de Paris (there are even a few stained-glass windows you might like…)

For a free, different, architecturally-rich and Instagram-friendly visit, check out this wonderful church! It deserves to be better-known.

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The Église Notre-Dame-du-Travail de Paris (here) is open weekdays from 7.30am – 7.45pm, and weekends from 8.45am – 7.30pm

There’s an interesting 350° view of the interior online here

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