Church St. Paul St. Francis

L. Drouyn. Eglise St-Paul. 1893
Fi IX-H-19 rec 259
© Archives municipales de Bordeaux.

The Church of St. Paul St. Francis Xavier is one of the largest churches built by the Jesuits in France. It is an example of the development of Baroque architecture during the 17th century in Bordeaux.
The first stone was laid in 1663. Brother Mathurin Biziou was the architect and designer (1667-1673). The new church was dedicated to St. Francis-Xavier, a missionary apostle to the Indies and Japan, who died in China in 1552. During the French Revolution, the church became a parish church, under the patronage of St. Paul.

G. II Coustou
Apothéose de saint François-Xavier (détail)
© Mairie de Bordeaux. F. Deval

Inside, the choir is home to a high altar, an altarpiece and a white marble group representing the Exaltation of St. Francis-Xavier, work of Guillaume II Costou (1716-1777). A monumental chandelier, created by Jean-François Buisson, has been installed at the beginning of the 21st century. The Church of St. Paul-St. Francis-Xavier was included in the route created after the UNESCO classification of the City of Bordeaux.