Saint Séverin Paris: A guide to one of the gothic wonders of Paris

Saint Séverin Paris is barely 200 metres from Notre Dame, one of the most wonderful late Gothic churches in the French capital, and yet it’s still something of a hidden gem.

It’s located in the Latin Quarter, within barely a minute’s walk of the Seine,  and it somehow gets bypassed by the constant crowds. So it’s time to let yourself on a little secret.

My guide to Saint Séverin church Paris shows you what you’ll see if you venture there, with its exceptional late Gothic interior and gaggle of gargoyles outside. I’ll also run through all the practicalities of getting there and other things to see nearby.

Saint Séverin is one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Paris. Although it’s close to many popular Paris attractions it’s much quieter than more famous churches in Paris like Sainte-Chapelle, and you can appreciate it far less hurriedly, in relative peace.

It’s one of the most significant historic churches in Paris, having been the parish church of the University of Paris for centuries.

Much of Saint Severin Paris has survived from the late Middle Ages, and the modern additions, particularly the 20^th century stained glass, blend in wonderfully with the centuries-old architecture.

Uniquely for Parisian churches, Saint Severin has a cloister which is partly comprised of a former charnel house, with a beautiful garden in the middle.

Saint Séverin, the patron of the church, was a 6^th century hermit who lived on the site of the church. It is believed that he died in 540 AD.

A chapel was built on the site some time after his death, and this was destroyed in the 9^th century.  A Romanesque church replaced it some time in the 11^th century, and this became the parish church of the University of Paris.

With this growth in prominence, it was decided to rebuild Saint Severin Paris in the Gothic style. It was begun around 1230, roughly the same time as Notre Dame and a decade or so before Sainte-Chapelle.

This first Gothic church sustained severe damage in a fire in 1448, and it was rebuilt in the contemporary Flamboyant Gothic style. This was the last iteration of the Gothic style in France, retaining the traditional pointed arches but with more elaborate stonework, window tracery and decoration.

The new (fourth) Saint-Severin church was completed around 1520, and the fabric of the building today remains much as it did when it was finished just over 500 years ago.

Like most Parisian churches, Saint-Severin ceased to be used as a place of worship at the time of the French Revolution, when it  was used as a store for gunpowder and, some years later, church bells.  

Before entering the church, take a walk along the front of the church to the south side. Here you’ll see an impressive collection of gargoyles protruding from the south aisle of the church.

These were a later addition – from the 19^th century – but their fairly low height and proximity to the street make them easy to see up close – and, of course, to photograph.

There is also a small garden on the south side of Saint Severin Paris, which is part of a cloister that was once a charnel house.

Much of the interior is in the Flamboyant Gothic style, but the first three bays (arches) of the nave survived from the first Gothic church built on the site.

The interior of Saint Severin Paris is atmospheric, partly because of the rich collection of stained glass in the church. The windows in the upper level of the first three bays of the nave contain some of the oldest stained glass in the church, from the late 14^th century.

There is more medieval stained glass in the choir, and much of the stained glass in St Severin church is from the 19^th century.

You’ll also find a series of 20^th century stained glass windows by Jean Rene Bazaine. They are a series of abstract representations of the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, located in the chapels in the apse behind the choir and high altar.

The more time I spent in the church, the more I came to admire them – I found the effect of the modern work in a medieval setting very strong, similar to that of the remarkable Prisoners of Conscience window in the Lady Chapel in Salisbury Cathedral in England.  

While exploring the ambulatory and apse, you’ll also encounter one of the most impressive features of the church, the twisting pillar which supports the vault behind the high altar.

See Also: Basilica of St Denis – the first Gothic church in the world

St Séverin Church Paris is in the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank of the River Seine.  This area of the city is part of the 5^th arrondissement, or administrative district.

It is little more than 100 metres from the Petit Pont, one of the most famous Paris bridges, and the river Seine.

Saint Severin Paris is very easy to reach.

There are two Metro stations within a 5-minute walk. St Michel Notre Dame is on line 4 and RER line B, while Cluny La Sorbonne is on line 10.

Alternatively, two buses – numbers 47 and 87 – also pass very close to Saint Severin church.

St Séverin Church is very close to many of the best things to see in Paris, including some of the most famous Parisian churches. It’s in the heart of the Latin Quarter, one of the best areas to visit in Paris, and a two-minute walk from the busy Boulevard Saint-Michel, one of the most famous streets in Paris.

Saint Severin Paris is also only a minute’s walk from humble St Julien le Pauvre, one of the smallest but most beautiful churches in Paris. It differs inside from most other Parisian churches in that the main feature is an iconostasis, a screen common in Orthodox churches. It has been the place of worship for the Greek Melkite Catholics of Paris since 1889.

This tiny church is next to Square Rene Viviani, one of the loveliest parks in Paris. Many come to sit and enjoy the view across the river of Notre Dame Cathedral, a magnificent sight. Others come to rest after spending a long time queuing to get into the popular Shakespeare and Company bookshop around the Corner on Rue de la Bucherie.

The two most obvious options if you’re visiting Saint-Severin Paris are to head further into the Latin Quarter and Left Bank or cross the river to the Île de la Cité.

If you’re planning to see more of the Latin Quarter, the nearest attraction is the Musée de Cluny – Musée du Moyen Age. It’s a brilliant Parisian museum, dedicated to the arts and culture of the Middle Ages, including the celebrated Lady and the Unicorn tapestry. It’s one of many Paris attractions you can visit on the excellent Paris Museum Pass.

You can also use the Pass to enter the Pantheon Paris, the national mausoleum of France. It’s a grand former church built to house the relics of Paris’ patron saint, Genevieve, but which has served as a secular necropolis of France’s great and good for much of the last 200 years. The dome also offers one of the best Eiffel Tower views in the city.

You could also head along Boulevard Saint-Germain to the church of Saint Germain des Prés, the oldest in Paris and the focal point of the famous intellectual quarter of Paris.

This is only a few minutes’ walk away from another of the most famous churches in Paris, the vast Saint-Sulpice Church.

If you cross the river to the Île de la Cité, you’ll see the twin towers of Notre Dame de Paris, the only part of the great Cathedral to remain unscathed after the appalling fire of April 2019.

Hidden away behind the walls of the Palais de Justice is another Gothic masterpiece, La Sainte Chapelle, a stunning Gothic chapel built by King Louis IX in the 13^th century.

You could also walk along the river bank where you’ll eventually reach one of the most romantic places in Paris, the Square du Vert Galant.

It’s a delightful little park at the western tip of the island, a wonderful place for a picnic in the warmer months, and also the starting point for one of the best Seine river cruises in Paris.