Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc

18, rue de la Chapelle , 75018 Paris

The construction of the basilica goes back to a vow made on 6 September 1914 by Abbé Margand: if Paris were spared by the German army, a church dedicated to Joan of Arc would be built. On that very day, the German advance was halted, marking the beginning of the Battle of the Marne. A competition was launched in 1926, and the foundation stone was laid in 1929. Work began in 1930 but was soon complicated by underground cavities. The basilica was opened for worship in 1935, after which construction stopped until 1955. The original plan proved too costly, so it was simplified and entrusted to the architect Pierre Isnard. Construction was completed in 1964, the fiftieth anniversary of the vow, and the basilica was consecrated that same year.

E6 The organ comes from the nearby Saint‑Denys‑de‑la‑Chapelle. It was built in 1838 by John Abbey, with 10 stops and a Renaissance‑style case. In 1901, Abbey increased its size to 14 stops. In 1910, the poor condition of the tribune forced the instrument to be moved to a side gallery. In 1928, the deteriorating state of the building led to its dismantling. The organ was then stored in a warehouse in the city of Paris. It was reassembled in the new Church of Saint‑Joan of Arc in 1946, replacing another instrument about which little is known. Beuchet probably oversaw the reassembly work; he took the opportunity to remove the Renaissance case and added two more stops. In 1962, the instrument was moved to the tribune and two stops were changed. Nearly half of the pipes still date back to Abbey.