Pursuit. Da Vinci Code

Author: (Eng) Peter Kean / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Where did the money come from? However, there is a rather ominous explanation for the sudden large-scale construction of churches in the capital. As mentioned earlier, the Holy Office, a mysterious society rumored to be supported by the Cistercian Order of Mount Carmel, was their center of activity. These centers were built between 1627 and 1629, before the reconstruction of the church began. Individuals associated with this organization include: Gaston d'Orléans, the brother of the king; Charles Fleury, the brother of Louis XIV's finance minister; the Bishop of Arras (by the way, Arras is a small town near the Chateau de Rennes); and Jean-Jacques Olier, the founder of the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice. Over 143 years, six architects worked on this new church. Although it was never completed, it now stands as a testament to that bold and reckless era of architecture. The new architecture was both grand and peculiar, sparking a revolution in Parisian architecture and marking the shift toward classicism. The project progressed slowly, often hindered by riots, wars, and financial crises. Over the 143-year construction of the church, six architects participated! The reconstruction of the church began at the eastern end (where the nave and altar were located) and gradually moved westward. For decades, problems persisted. To find an architect capable of completing the church and its facade, a competition was held in 1732. In the end, an Italian architect named Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni won the contract. Servandoni primarily worked on theater and stage design and had received classical architectural training in Florence. His plan was adopted, but the project remained unfinished until his death in 1766. Servandoni died in his own house, which he had designed next to the church, at number 6 Place Saint-Sulpice, which can still be seen today. From the far end of the square, the proportions of the church facade, the square, and the fountain are perfectly harmonious. The church facade is grand and magnificent, and it now appears even more majestic due to the missing pediment between the two towers. The pediment was originally the crowning glory of the building, making the original two towers slightly shorter than they are now. P142