Visit Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité: Golden Dome of Paris

Visit Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité: Golden Dome of Paris

If you’ve ever found yourself taking a stroll along the Seine River in Paris, you’ve probably noticed the massive golden dome located between the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée du quad Branly. Have you ever asked yourself, what is that thing?!

Well, I did too, until I did a little bit of exploring, and I found out that it is a church called the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité!

Like most things in Paris, this cathedral has a story to tell. Keep reading for a bit of history and a bit of architecture, all wrapped up in a visit to the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité, the golden dome of Paris!

Practical Information

Entry fee: Free

Opening hours: Every day 2pm-7pm

Address: 1 Quai Branly, 75007 Paris

Metro:  Alma – Marceau

Website

Background on the Russian Orthodox Church in Paris

Paris – Cathédrale de la Sainte-Trinité by Fred Romero – Flickr

The Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité is actually just one part of a complex made up of 4 buildings, and it’s full name (in English) is: Holy Trinity Cathedral and The Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center. The cathedral was commissioned and constructed by the Russian Orthodox Church, and those of that faith can go there to worship.

The relationship between France and Russia has had it’s ups and downs along the years. The first time in history that France saw a large number of Russian immigrants was in the 1920s, after the Russian Revolution. Many fled to Paris to escape the Bolsheviks, and the city became known as a haven.

Many of these immigrants were very educated and included many theologians. Although they were happy to have left the violence and destruction of the revolution behind them, they were unsure of how to continue to practice their religion in the French capital. Would they continue to have relations with the church that remained in the Soviet Union?

The answer isn’t that simple. The bishops and other religious that remained in the Soviet Union after the revolution were forced to pretend like everything was going fine, in order to avoid backlash. They even criticized bishops that had relocated and that were working with Christians across Europe to hold prayer services for what they were calling “persecuted Soviet Christians.”

There was one group of exiled Russian Orthodox that realized that the bishops that had remained in Russian were lying in order to survive and stay alive in the Russia that they had left behind. It was initially just a group of 6 people, and they founded a church in the basement of a discreet building in Paris where they could worship in peace!

Since the 1920s and 1930s, the Russian Orthodox Church in Paris has expanded to an enormous group of Christians. The presence of the Church in Paris has been met with controversy, due to the nature of the relationship between France and Russia.

The construction of the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité was originally proposed in 2007 by the late Patriarch Aleksii II (the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church at the time). He was working towards regaining control over many foreign Russian Orthodox cathedrals and churches across Europe that had cropped up when so many Russians fled the country after the Revolution. What a better way to assert your control that to build a multi-million euro complex in the center of Paris?

I don’t want to get too political on you, but after a lot of back and forth, changing of French presidents and Parisian mayors, the cathedral was finally approved to be built in 2013! The complex was completed in 2016.

The Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité complex

The 4 different buildings in the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité complex as seen from above by Drow male – WikiCommons

The complex is made up of 4 different buildings that house a variety of different things: a cathedral, a parish center, apartments and offices, a bilingual French-Russian primary school, a cultural center, a bookstore and even a café!

The complex is hard to miss with it’s five “onion” domes! It makes for a great photo-op with the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River in the background.

The complex was designed by the French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who is known for his restoration work on the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre.

What you’ll see inside the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité

The interior of the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité as seen during a Russian Orthodix marriage by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra – Flickr

Although the cathedral itself is fairly small, there are some beautiful things to see inside!

You’ll see the iconostasis, which is a wall that separates the “nave” from the “sacristy.” A nave is the central part of a church or cathedral, where worshippers congregate. The sacristy is the room where the priest prepares for the services, and where the sacred clothing and other articles of worship are kept. Now you know!

The iconostasis in the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité may be small, but it doesn’t make it any less impressive. It is covered with frescos that depict biblical figures specific to the Russian Orthodox Church.

There are also the beautiful Manoualias that are scattered throughout the cathedral. These are ornate candle holders that feature floral patterns and words written in Cyrillic calligraphy.

Don’t miss the Horos, which is a large golden chandelier that is suspended under one of the small onion domes. The Horos features several colored images of saints.

Last but not least, you’re going to want to admire the many Orthodox icons that are depicted in large golden frames. The icons themselves are also painted using gold. Included are Saint Alexander Nevskii and Our Lady of Iveron.

Overall, get ready to see many religious icons, iconostasis’ and gold, gold, gold inside the cathedral. The designers spared no expense when it came to the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité, and it shows! The effect is a light and airy cathedral, much different from the somber Gothic churches throughout Paris! It is very impressive and worth a visit, no matter what your faith.

Conclusion

Well, now you know all about the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité, ladies and gents! I hope that I’ve inspired you to take a peek, in between visits to the Musée d’Orsay and the Eiffel Tower.

There are so many different churches and cathedrals to visit in Paris, and I definitely recommend that you add this one to your lists!

If you’re looking for even more to do and see in Paris, why not join one of our walking tours? Our local guides are sure to awe, amaze, and teach you a little (read, a lot!) something about Paris. Click here to discover all of the different options and to make your booking.