Eglise Saint-Pierre de Montmartre (Church of St. Peter at Montmartre), Paris

Saint-Pierre de Montmartre is the second oldest surviving church in Paris, tracing its origins back to the 3rd century AD with foundations attributed to Saint Denis. The site, historically believed to have been a Temple of Mars, became a pilgrimage destination by the 9th century.

Officially established in 1133, the church formed the nucleus of the prestigious Montmartre Abbey, a site deeply intertwined with Parisian and religious history. After being reconsecrated in 1147, the church thrived under the patronage of French nobility up until the end of the 17th century. However, the French Revolution marked a period of decline, with the abbey's destruction and the church's desecration, temporarily transforming into a "Temple of Reason."

Post-Revolution, the church saw various uses, including a stint as a visual telegraph station and as barracks for Russian soldiers in 1814. Avoiding demolition, Saint-Pierre de Montmartre was eventually restored between 1899 and 1905 and formally returned to the religious service in 1908.

The church's hidden entry opens to a tree-filled courtyard, leading to a façade renovated in 1775 and adorned with modern bronze doorways added in 1980. These doors depict scenes from the lives of the Virgin Mary, Saint Peter, and Saint Denis of Paris. The interior showcases a Romanesque design with Gothic influences, featuring a nave with vaulted ceilings supported by intricately decorated pillars, a choir and apse with ancient elements, and unique Merovingian carvings.

Key artifacts within include the venerated statue of Our Lady of Montmartre, a Renaissance-style oval baptismal font from 1537, and a replica of the Vatican’s Saint Peter statue. The church also houses a historic organ, originally from Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, rebuilt in the 19th century.