Tower Saint-Jacques: detailed description. Book excursions Online Tower Saint Jacques in Paris

It is impossible not to notice the tall, lonely tower of Saint-Jacques. It is not as famous as , but nevertheless no less important things are associated with it. historical events and names, as well as fascinating legends.

Why is it interesting?

An ancient tower in the Gothic style, Saint-Jacques towers menacingly over the city. There are no castles or other buildings nearby, which adds even more darkness to it. But it was not always so. The tower was once part of the huge church of Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie, which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day. The church was built in the 12th century with donations from the city's richest butchers' guild. This explains unusual name: The word “boucherie” means “butcher shop” in French.

The 52-meter-high bell tower interested the famous physicist and mathematician Blaise Pascal: he used the tower to conduct various experiments and confirm his discoveries, for example, measuring atmospheric pressure.

The name of the legendary alchemist Nicolas Flamel is associated with the Church of Saint-Jacques. According to legends, he knew the secret of the philosopher's stone, thanks to which the scientist was able not only to turn metal into gold, but also had immortality. Flamel allocated funds for the construction of the side portal of the bell tower, where he and his wife are now depicted. When the scientist died, he was buried right there in the church, although according to some evidence, the death was just staged, and Flamel himself, who held the secrets eternal life, were seen repeatedly in different parts of the world centuries later.

At one time, the famous composer François Couperin played the organ here, and it was in this bell tower that Charles Yard, also known as Quasimodo, worked as a bell-ringer.

The bell tower became a mute witness to the French Revolution in the 18th century: the church was destroyed and dismantled into stones, and the sculptures of an eagle, lion, calf and angel that decorated the tower were thrown down. Nevertheless, the bell tower itself was preserved for some reason.

Tower Saint-Jacques today

The tower was reconstructed only in the middle of the 19th century: the architect Theodore Ball had to try hard to return the destroyed architectural monument to its authentic appearance, including restoring damaged or even destroyed sculptures. A public garden appeared next to the tower, and a weather station was installed inside the building, which is still in operation today.

For a long time, the tower could only be seen from the outside, and only a decade ago the former bell tower was opened to tourists. Today you can go to the top of the Saint-Jacques Tower, from which you can see a stunning panoramic view of the city, see the statue of Saint James, the monument in memory of Blaise Pascal, the tomb of Nicolas Flamel and others.

However, it is important to remember that the stairs leading up are quite narrow, so for the convenience of visitors, a group of no more than 17 people are allowed in per hour. The tower is 16 floors high, so climbing is not recommended for those who suffer from heart problems, dizziness, and claustrophobia. But even if you can't see the bell tower from the inside, you can admire its elegant Gothic style from the outside.

To get better acquainted with this and - monuments and squares, you can order.

How to get there?

The tower is located very close to Place Chatelet, at 39 Rue de Rivoli. Nearest: Hôtel de Ville and Châtelet, you can also get there (number 21, 47, 58, 67, 72, 74, 81, 85).

Working hours

The tower is open to the public from 10:00 to 17:00, three times a week (Friday to Sunday) from June 1 to November 4, and from

It is impossible to count all the sights of Paris, but among them there are several that were undeservedly consigned to oblivion and only today they are regaining their place in history and on the map of attractions.

A similar fate befell the Saint-Jacques Tower, which is located very close to the glorious Place du Châtelet.

A little history

This Gothic beauty, 52 meters high, today, after a recent restoration, looks somewhat artificial; it seems that along with the washed away soot, part of the mystery has gone away.

The tower makes a somewhat strange impression, a lonely Gothic tower, there is no church, no castle nearby, not even the ruins of the fortress walls. In fact, its history is so mysterious and deep that it seems that providence itself preserved this ancient witness to the bygone days of Paris; neither transformations nor revolutions destroyed it, time spared it. So it has stood in the very heart of Paris since the beginning of the 16th century.

The top of the lonely tower is crowned by a statue of St. James (Saint-Jacques, Santiago, St. James), the work of the sculptor Chagnon. But the tower was not always alone; in the old days it was the bell tower of a huge church, which occupied the area of ​​the entire current square surrounding the tower.

Saint-Jacques - assistant to alchemists and scientists:

It was Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie - an ancient Parisian church, located at the intersection of the main roads, including the road to the south, the pilgrim path to Santiago de Compostela, a shrine located in Spain. Prosperous butchers, rich bourgeois and clerks, whose tiny huts huddled nearby, donated to the church. Among them was Nicola Flamel. There is a legend that supposedly a mysterious manuscript fell into Flamel’s hands, and from that time on he began searching for the philosopher’s stone and the formula for turning metal into gold. They say he found it and revealed all the secrets, but...

Nikola Flamel died and took all the secrets with him, they buried him in the church, and miraculously the tombstone with the inscription was preserved.

The name of the great 17th-century mathematician Blaise Pascal, who repeatedly climbed to the top of the tower and there tested his discoveries about gravity and emptiness, is associated with the famous church. It is said that it was here that he invented his hydraulic press.

François Couperin, an outstanding composer, played in this church at the beginning of the 18th century, and at the end of the 18th century there was a revolution in Paris...

The church was looted and sold for scrap, but even the revolutionary authorities did not dare to destroy the Saint-Jacques tower. In 1836 Paris bought it. Reconstruction and restoration began in 1854, the tower was a pitiful sight, the lion, eagle, calf and angel - symbols of the evangelists - were thrown down to the ground, and the figure of Saint-Jacques was also thrown down. Fortunately, we managed to restore everything bit by bit. Looking at the “flaming gothic” tower, you involuntarily think about what secrets this guardian of eternity hides.

How to get there

Address: Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques, Paris 75004
Telephone: +33 1 83 96 15 05
Metro: Châtelet
Bus: Chatelet
Working hours: 10:00-17:00

Ticket price

• Adult: 10 €
• Reduced: 8 €

Updated: 05/10/2019

You will see high tower Saint-Jacques - unique architectural structure, built in the late Gothic style. The beautiful Saint-Jacques Tower is the former bell tower of the Church of Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie, which, alas, has not survived to this day.

You can explore the Saint-Jacques Tower while walking along the street. Rivoli or by crossing the Pont des Changers from the Conciergerie Palace.

You can climb the tower and explore the beauty of Paris from a height of 52 meters during an excursion. Due to the fact that the stairs are very narrow, the number of excursionists is limited and the excursion must be booked in advance. In addition, you need to calculate your strength, since, going up, you have to overcome 300 steps.

The Saint-Jacques Tower is located in the square of the same name. Here, after a walk and excursions, you can relax and explore this mysterious landmark of Paris. You will notice that it is a little strange to see this tall, lonely structure, near which there is no church or fortress walls. This is explained by its history.

Parisians consider the Saint-Jacques Tower to be the epitome of French history.

Back in the 13th century, at the expense of the guild of butchers and other citizens of the wealthy class, in honor of the Apostle James Zebedee, the Church of Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie was erected (James in French is Saint Jacques, and “Boucherie” is translated as “butcher’s shop”) . The temple was huge, it occupied the entire modern square. It was near him that pilgrims gathered when they went to spanish city Santiago de Compostela, where the relics of the Apostle rest in the crypt of the Cathedral of St. James.

Later, in 1509 - 1521, a bell tower was built, on top of which a sculpture of St. James was installed.

The names of many scientists are associated with the name of the Saint-Jacques Tower, the most famous of whom is Blaise Pascal. He repeated the Italian scientist’s experiments with Torricelli’s tube and confirmed that this tube could be used to measure atmospheric pressure, acting as a simple barometer. It is also believed that while on the tower the scientist came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a hydraulic press. In the lower tier of the tower there is a statue of Pascal.

Unfortunately, during the revolution, the church and the Saint-Jacques Tower were looted. The temple was dismantled, and the resulting material was used for construction. The revolutionary authorities did not encroach on the bell tower, although all its sculptures were thrown to the ground. Soon the building was leased to a manufacturer who produced hunting shot.

The high tower of Saint-Jacques was ideally suited for the tower method of producing fractions. Molten lead fell down from a height of 50 meters through a special grate. Below, droplets of lead fell into a barrel of water and, cooling, turned into shot.

In the middle of the 19th century, the historical building was restored.

After restoration in 2008, the building was cleaned of dust and soot.

The Saint-Jacques Tower creates an atmosphere of mystery and magic on the Rue de Rivoli, one of the most crowded streets in Paris, which is lined with shops and fashion boutiques.

The church was built in the 13th century in honor of James Zebedee at the expense of the butchers' guild, as reflected in its name (Jacques is the French version of the name Jacob, and "boucherie" translates as "meat trade"). For a long period, the landmark was a gathering place for pilgrims following the path of St. James to the tomb of the Apostle James in the city of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

The following were buried in the church cemetery of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie famous personalities like Louise de Marillac, Jean Fernel and Nicolas Flamel. The latter, according to legend, faked his death because he was able to discover the secret of obtaining the philosopher's stone. Locals they say that after the demolition of the church, one greengrocer used Flamel’s tombstone as a trading point - he cut and sold his fresh goods on the stone.

The construction of the Saint-Jacques Tower (initially it was assigned the role of a bell tower) took place from 1509 to 1522. In the 17th century, the famous mathematician Blaise Pascal used the tower as tall building to conduct barometric experiments in the field of hydrostatics and confirm Torricelli's hypothesis about the existence of atmospheric pressure. Composer François Couperin may have played the organ here.

clue: If you want to find an inexpensive hotel in Paris, we recommend checking out this special offers section. Typically discounts are 25-35%, but sometimes reach 40-50%.

During the French Revolution, the Church of Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie was sold into private hands. The new owner simply dismantled the building into stones and sold them as building material, making good money on such an immoral “business.” This happened at the end of the 18th century. However, the Saint-Jacques Tower itself, out of respect for scientific achievements Pascal was not touched. For some time, the bell tower was rented by a hunting shot caster. The process of producing shot at the beginning of the 19th century was quite interesting - lead was melted at the very top of the structure, and the resulting liquid was passed through a special sieve, from which the metal “dripped” from a height of 50 meters down into barrels of cold water. This method of casting shot was called “tower”.

In the middle of the 19th century, the capital authorities bought the Saint-Jacques Tower and after some time, the famous architect Theodore Ballu began a large-scale reconstruction. Years of desolation and looting did not have the best impact on architectural monument- all religious sculptures and symbols of the evangelists (images of an eagle, lion, bull and angel) were destroyed or severely damaged. The exterior practically had to be restored from scratch. The sculptor Chenillon made a new statue of Jacob, which was installed on the top. In 1856, a public garden appeared next to the tower, and at the end of the 19th century, a meteorological station was opened inside the building.

In 1998, the Saint-Jacques Tower was included in the UNESCO heritage list, by the way, precisely because it is cultural monument on the way to the tomb of St. James. The attraction is open to tourists, but admission is limited at one hour. no more than 17 people, because the stairs leading up are too narrow. In addition to the statue of St. James, at the base of the tower there is a monument in memory of Blaise Pascal.

- group excursion(no more than 15 people) for the first acquaintance with the city and main attractions - 2 hours, 20 euros

- discover the historical past of the bohemian quarter, where famous sculptors and artists worked and suffered - 3 hours, 40 euros

- acquaintance with historical center Paris from the birth of the city to the present day - 3 hours, 40 euros

Very close to Ile de la Cité There is a very strange and famous building in Paris. This tower Saint-Jacques.

It is clearly visible from the bridge on the Ile de la Cité or from the Rue Saint-Jacques. She looks somewhat rude and even intimidating. At its foot there is a small public garden, sitting in which and looking at the tower, you can’t help but think about what secrets this ancient structure keeps.

This tower is real story Paris. The story of past piety, errors and passions. The history of French art, science and music, the barbarism of the revolutionary crowd and poetry... Now this history has turned into a legend and a stone monument to bygone times.

This late Gothic tower from the early 16th century stands alone and seemingly out of place in the middle of Paris. But she was not always in such strange loneliness. It was once the bell tower of an ancient Parisian church Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie(St. James Church), which occupied almost the entire current square. This place is located at the intersection of the main roads - from south to north and from west to east, on the banks of the Seine. In the Middle Ages, there was a chapel of St. Anne, and at the beginning of the 16th century, under the king Francis I The Saint-Jacques Church was built in the settlement of butchers, tanners, and leather tanners, who generously donated for its construction. That is why the name of the church includes the word “boucherie”, from the French. boucherie- meat trade, butcher shop. But why was the church dedicated to St. James?

Church of St. James in the 18th century. Document: Commission du Vieux Paris

Everything is quite simple - this is where the road to the south passed, leading at the end long journey to the famous Spanish shrine of Santiago de Compostela, in French - Saint-Jacques de Compostela.

In the hope of atonement for their sins and finding peace after death, not only butchers and bourgeois, but also scribes who lived nearby, donated their money to the construction of the church. During the day, they huddled in tiny booths near the walls of the temple and carried out orders - drafting papers, writing letters, teaching them to read and write. Their booths were located on the side streets of Rivoli, which was then called Scribes Street - rue des Ecrivains.

Of all these clerks, one person is very interesting, whose fate is more like a legend. This Nicolas (Nicholas) Flamel, who was poor and, like the others, lived in a tiny booth. One day he had a very unusual dream - an angel came to him and showed him a huge gilded manuscript, decorated with mysterious drawings and signs, the meaning of which was incomprehensible to the scribe. And after some time, some stranger brought into Flamel’s shop exactly such a huge manuscript, which he immediately recognized and bought. The title of the paper read: “The book of Abraham, Jew, prince, priest, Levite, astrologer and philosopher, addressed to the people of the Jews, scattered among the Gauls by the wrath of God.” It was a collection of alchemical recipes. Since then, Flamel began to look for the philosopher's stone and a formula that would allow him to turn any metal into gold, as well as extend his life as long as he wanted. For the sake of meeting enlightened Jews in the hope that they would help him translate and understand the meaning of the mysterious hieroglyphs from the Book of Abraham, he even decided to go on a solo pilgrimage to Spain. In the end, they say that he managed to uncover all the secrets and find the philosopher's stone. Soon he achieved everything he wanted. In 1382, Flamel became the owner of about 30 houses and plots of land within a few months. In his old age, he became a philanthropist, established several foundations, invested money in the development of art, and financed the construction of chapels and hospitals. Flamel supposedly died in 1418, having previously purchased a burial place for himself in the church of Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie. He was buried in the local church, and the inscription on his tombstone is intact to this day. Since he had no children, he bequeathed almost all his property to the Church of St. James. After the death of Nicholas and his wife, a legend arose that Flamel supposedly carefully prepared for his “death” and that in fact the funeral was staged, and Flamel and his wife disappeared. There are many legends about Nicolas Flamel and his mysterious fate. They say that 200 years after his death, he and his wife were seen at the Paris Opera, then in Flamel’s special secret laboratory, then in India and Switzerland, etc.

Tower after the revolution. Engraving. Document: Commission du Vieux Paris

Nicholas himself left behind a work - “The Book of Hieroglyphic Drawings of Paris”, but from this work it is impossible to understand how to get gold from any metal, which people always lack. In the 18th century, Flamel's will, written by his follower, appeared. The will is addressed to Flamel's nephew and allegedly reveals the stages of preparing the elixir of life and the philosopher's stone. Nicholas himself said that he would take the recipe for making the stone to his grave and asked his nephew to do the same. Whether all this is true or not, we don’t know. Anyway beautiful legend has become a fairy tale that is very pleasant to believe in...

In the middle of the 17th century, the famous mathematician visited the church several times Blaise Pascal. They say that he climbed to the very top of the tower to test his discoveries about emptiness and gravity. At that time, the scientist was working on creating a hydraulic press and taking measurements of atmospheric pressure on the tower.

At the beginning of the 18th century, one of the most brilliant representatives of the Couperin musical dynasty, the composer, played in the Saint-Jacques church Francois Couperin.

Square and restoration plan at the Saint-Jacques Tower. Fragment from the dossier of J.F. Lagneau, chief architect historical monuments Paris

And at the end of the century, France, as we know, suffered a revolution. The church was plundered and in 1797 dismantled for a profitable commodity - stones. Flamel’s tombstone was bought by a greengrocer to cut vegetables on it; later the tombstone was confiscated from him and returned to its rightful place. Despite the fact that the church was dismantled, the revolutionary authorities still did not dare to destroy the tower. It was sold to a hunting shot manufacturer. The production of shot was quite interesting: molten lead, falling from a 50-meter height through a special grate, solidified into small balls in placed barrels of water. Later in 1836, the city of Paris bought the tower, and for some time lead shot was produced there.

In 1854, restoration work began in the city. In those days, the tower was a sad sight: both the sculpture of Jacob and the symbols of the four evangelists - an eagle, a lion, a calf and a man - were thrown to the ground. But gradually the empty niches were filled with copies of previous sculptures. The originals were installed here, in the park. At the bottom of the tower was a marble figure of Pascal.

Fragment of the tower relief after restoration

Already in the 20th century, a large-scale restoration of the tower was carried out. Now she looks bright and as if reborn.

So, the ancient witness of bygone times and historical events of Paris was returned to its well-deserved place on the map of attractions of the French capital.

Boris Nosik in his book “Walks in Paris” writes about this:

“It seems that the circle has ended - butchers and tanners, robbed Jews, alchemists, Francis I, Nicolas Flamel, pilgrims on the way to Saint-Jacques de Compostelle, Pascal, Couperin, the Revolution, the Restoration, de Nerval, the surrealists... You never know what else can the “flaming Gothic” of this mysterious tower remind us of..."

Address of the square of the Saint-Jacques Tower: Paris, st. Rivoli, 39

More information about the Tower Saint-Jacques can be found at Official website Paris City Hall – article La Tour Saint Jacques (in French)

Literature: B. Nosik. Walking around Paris

Did you like the article? to always be up to date with events.