Eglise Sainte Jeanne d'Arc (Church of Saint Joan of Arc), Versailles

Church of Saint Joan of Arc is an early 20th-century Catholic church notable both for its devotional importance and its architectural style, which contrasts with the royal classicism found elsewhere in Versailles. The church’s origins date back to 1914, when Bishop Gibier made a vow to build a parish church in honor of the newly beatified Joan of Arc-if the town of Versailles were spared the horrors of war.

In 1919, a provisional wooden chapel was erected, designed by architect Albert Guilbert, who would also design the permanent church. After Joan of Arc’s canonization in 1920, the parish was officially established and work moved forward. The foundation stone was laid in 1923, followed by the inauguration of its crypt and, in 1926, the consecration of the completed church building.

Architecturally, the church is in a Neo-Byzantine style. It rises to a height of 41 meters and features a dome and expressive stained-glass windows which were installed later by the glass-maker Maurice Rocher. The decorative programme inside includes large paintings in the apse by Henriette Lebon-Delore, depicting four episodes in the life of Joan of Arc: her calling in Domrémy, the coronation of Charles VII, her martyrdom, and her reception into heaven. The organ is another feature of interest-there is an older organ by Cavaillé-Coll, originally donated for the wooden chapel, and a more recent acquisition in the 2000s.