# Saint-Sulpice, Paris > Saint-Sulpice is the second-largest church in Paris after Notre-Dame, on its own square in the 6th arrondissement, five minutes from the Luxembourg Gardens. It took over a century to build from 1646, and its façade with two mismatched towers was never finished. Inside are a brass meridian line with a marble obelisk, murals by Eugène Delacroix, holy-water fonts made from giant seashells and one of the world's finest organs. Entry is free, and on Sunday mornings you can hear the organ. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/paris/saint-sulpice - City: [Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris), France - YesGo score: 51/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Hours: Daily by day - Organ: Sunday recital before Mass - Begun: 1646 - Duration: ≈ 30 minutes - Location: 6th arrondissement, metro Saint-Sulpice - Coordinates: 48.85100, 2.33492 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1646** — construction began (source: English Wikipedia) - **11 m** — height of the gnomon obelisk (source: English Wikipedia) - **102** — stops on the Cavaillé-Coll organ (source: English Wikipedia) - **1861** — Delacroix finished his murals (source: English Wikipedia) ## About Saint-Sulpice Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic church on the east side of Place Saint-Sulpice in the 6th arrondissement, the second largest in Paris. It is dedicated to Saint Sulpitius the Pious. The present building stands on the site of a 13th-century Romanesque church; Queen Anne of Austria laid the first stone in **1646**, and construction went on, with pauses, for over a century. Several architects worked on it: Daniel Gittard built the choir and transept, Gilles-Marie Oppenord and Giovanni Servandoni the nave. Servandoni won the competition for the **west façade** in 1732, inspired by St Paul's Cathedral in London. Jean-François Chalgrin later rebuilt the north tower, but the south tower was never finished, which is why the towers look so different. ## What to see - **The gnomon** — a brass floor line and marble obelisk. - **The Chapel of the Holy Angels** — murals by Eugène Delacroix. - **Shell fonts** — giant clam shells by the entrance. - **The Lady Chapel** — Pigalle's statue and a painted dome. - **The great organ** — Aristide Cavaillé-Coll's masterpiece. - **Façade and square** — two towers and the Fountain of the Four Bishops. ## The Saint-Sulpice gnomon The church's most unusual feature is its **gnomon**, an 18th-century astronomical instrument. In 1727 the parish priest had it built to pin down the equinoxes and calculate the date of Easter. A **brass meridian line** runs across the transept floor and climbs a white marble **obelisk** nearly 11 metres high. A sunbeam through a lens in a window falls on the line at noon, marking the season. The gnomon was made famous by The Da Vinci Code, but the church itself warns visitors that it is a scientific instrument, not a 'Rose Line' or a trace of a pagan temple, and it doesn't coincide with the Paris Observatory meridian. A sign by the obelisk explains how it works. > **Hearing the organ** On Sundays before Mass the church holds organ recitals: you can come in, sit down and listen to one of the world's finest organs. Check the parish website for the schedule and concerts. During services visitors are asked not to walk around. Delacroix's murals need daylight, so come on a bright day. ## Delacroix and the treasures inside The first chapel on the right is the **Chapel of the Holy Angels**, with murals by **Eugène Delacroix** painted in 1855–1861. The best known are Jacob Wrestling with the Angel and Heliodorus Driven from the Temple, powerful, dynamic scenes by the great Romantic. By the entrance stand the two halves of a huge **giant clam shell** given to King Francis I by the Republic of Venice; today they serve as holy-water fonts on rock-like bases by the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle. Pigalle also made the white marble Virgin in the **Lady Chapel** at the far end, beneath a dome painted by François Lemoyne in 1734. ## The great organ Above the west entrance stands the **great organ**, rebuilt in 1862 by the master builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. With **102 stops**, five manuals and pedals, it's considered his masterpiece and perhaps the most impressive organ of the French Romantic era. Chalgrin designed its carved case. The organ has had a remarkable line of organists. For over a century, from 1870 to 1971, Saint-Sulpice had only two, the composers **Charles-Marie Widor** and **Marcel Dupré**, and thanks to them the instrument survives almost exactly as built. ## Place Saint-Sulpice Before the church lies spacious **Place Saint-Sulpice**, with chestnut trees and the large Fountain of the Four Bishops at its centre. In summer it hosts fairs of antiques, books and ceramics, and cafés with terraces line its edges. Around the square are fashion boutiques, design shops and stores of church goods. It's five minutes to the [Luxembourg Gardens](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/jardin-du-luxembourg) and the same to the cafés of [Saint-Germain-des-Prés](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/saint-germain-des-pres). Victor Hugo married in this church, and Charles Baudelaire was baptised here. ## How to get there 1. Metro line 4 to **Saint-Sulpice**, a 3-minute walk. 2. Metro line 10 to **Mabillon**, 5 minutes. 3. From the Luxembourg Gardens, a 5-minute walk along Rue Férou. 4. Buses 58, 63, 70, 84, 86, 87 and 96 stop by the square. ## Tips for your visit Combine Saint-Sulpice with the Luxembourg Gardens and Saint-Germain-des-Prés for a pleasant half-day on the Left Bank. Half an hour is enough for the church unless you wait for the organ. Find the brass line in the transept floor and follow it to the obelisk, then look into the Delacroix chapel to the right of the entrance. Photos without flash are allowed inside. Dress modestly, as in any working church. Afterwards, sit by the fountain on the square or have a coffee at a café opposite. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Find the gnomon's brass line - [ ] See Delacroix's murals - [ ] Look at the shell fonts - [ ] Check the organ recital time - [ ] Sit by the fountain on the square ## Places in Paris: compare and choose Places in Paris rated by YesGo. - [Notre-Dame de Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/notre-dame-de-paris) — YesGo score 74/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free; optional timed booking - [Sacré-Cœur Basilica](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/sacre-coeur) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Basilica free - [Sainte-Chapelle](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/sainte-chapelle) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Timed ticket, online - [La Madeleine](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/la-madeleine) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Saint-Sulpice](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/saint-sulpice) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Saint-Germain-des-Prés](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/saint-germain-des-pres) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Quarter and church free ## Don't mix it up Saint-Sulpice is the huge church near the Luxembourg Gardens; Saint-Germain-des-Prés is the former abbey church with a Romanesque tower five minutes away. ## Tips - Free entry. - Organ on Sundays. - Delacroix on the right. - Gnomon in the transept. ## Questions ### What is Saint-Sulpice famous for? Its gnomon and obelisk, Delacroix's murals and the great Cavaillé-Coll organ. ### Is there an entry fee? Entry is usually free. ### Can I hear the organ? Yes, organ recitals are held on Sundays before Mass. ### Is the Da Vinci Code 'Rose Line' really here? No, it's an 18th-century scientific gnomon, not a 'Rose Line'. ### How do I get to Saint-Sulpice? By metro line 4 to Saint-Sulpice station. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Opening hours and organ recital times weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Saint-Sulpice, Paris - Parish website, paroissesaintsulpice.paris --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.