Saint-Louis-du-Louvre

Saint Louis of the Louvre
L’église collégiale et paroissiale Saint-Louis-du-Louvre
An architectural design of the church
Etienne Bouhot, The Entrance to the Musee de Louvre and St. Louis Church (1822)
The former location of Saint-Louis-du-Louvre on the map of Paris
The former location of Saint-Louis-du-Louvre on the map of Paris
Saint Louis of the Louvre
The location of Saint-Louis-du-Louvre prior to its demolition
48°51′37.6″N 2°20′6.0″E / 48.860444°N 2.335000°E / 48.860444; 2.335000
LocationParis
CountryFrance
DenominationReformed Church of France (1791-1811)
Previous denominationCatholic (1187-1790)
History
Former name(s)L’église collégiale et paroissiale Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre
Authorising papal bull1199
StatusCollegiate church
Founded1187
Founder(s)Robert I, Count of Dreux
Dedicated1744 (rededication)
Cult(s) presentSaint Thomas à Becket (1187-1744), Saint Louis (1744-1790)
Architecture
Functional statusdemolished
Architect(s)Thomas Germain
Years built1739-1744 (rebuilt)
Construction cost50,000 Crowns
Demolished1811
Administration
ArchdioceseParis

Saint-Louis-du-Louvre, formerly Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre, was a medieval church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris located just west of the original Louvre Palace. It was founded as Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre in 1187 by Robert of Dreux as a Collegiate church. It had fallen into ruin by 1739 and was rebuilt as Saint-Louis-du-Louvre in 1744. The church was suppressed in 1790 during the French Revolution and turned over the next year for use as the first building dedicated to Protestant worship in the history of Paris, a role in which it continued until its demolition in 1811 to make way for Napoleon's expansion of the Louvre. The Reformed congregation was given l'Oratoire du Louvre as a replacement and saved the choir stalls from Saint-Louis-du-Louvre which are still in place at l'Oratoire.