Saint-Etienne-du-Mont

Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont
Overview of the building
Basic information
Location	Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, 5th arrondissement of Paris, Paris
Geographic coordinates	48°50′47″N 2°20′53″E / 48.8465°N 2.3480°E / 48.8465; 2.3480Coordinates: 48°50′47″N 2°20′53″E / 48.8465°N 2.3480°E / 48.8465; 2.3480
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
Province	Archdiocese of Paris
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	French Gothic, French Renaissance
Groundbreaking	1494 (1494)
Completed	1624 (1624)

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is a church in Paris, France, located on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the 5th arrondissement, near the Panthéon. It contains the shrine of St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The church also contains the tombs of Blaise Pascal and Jean Racine. Jean-Paul Marat is buried in the church's cemetery.

The sculpted tympanum, the The Stoning of Saint Stephen, is the work of French sculptor Gabriel-Jules Thomas.

Renowned organist, composer, and improviser Maurice Duruflé held the post of Titular Organist at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont from 1929 until his death in 1986.

The church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont originated in the abbey of Sainte-Genevieve, where the eponymous saint had been buried in the 6th century. Devoted to the Virgin Mary, then to St. John the Apostle, the place was too small to accommodate all the faithful. In 1222, Pope Honorius III authorized the establishment of an autonomous church, which was devoted this time to St Etienne, then the patron saint of the old cathedral of Paris.

Soon, the new building was overwhelmed by an increasingly dense population: the Sorbonne and many colleges were located on the territory of the parish. It was enlarged in 1328, but a complete reconstruction became necessary from the 15th century. In 1492, the Génovéfain monks donated a portion of their land for the construction of the new church.