Progress on Restoration of Paris's Oldest Church Revealed

    WASHINGTON, DC, November 17, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Saint Germain des Prés is Paris's oldest church, standing for more than fifteen centuries as an iconic example of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and home to centuries-old priceless works of art. However, in recent times Saint Germain and its treasures had been looking every bit their age, in great need of restoration and repair.

American Friends for the Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés is the American arm of the fundraising campaign to restore the celebrated monument. The group is revealing the breathtaking progress made on restoring the art, architecture, and structure of this hugely significant historic preservation site, and is once again renewing the call for charitable contributions.

The group is also providing the opportunity to sponsor some of the church's most precious art installations, including life-sized iconography of the 12 Apostles, the immense yet intimate medallions depicting the Four Evangelists and the Lamb of God, and the church's signature Flandrin murals. There is also the ongoing opportunity to adopt a star among those embedded upon the celestial ceiling of Saint Germain. All of this continues and extends American Friends' multi-year effort to bring the art and architecture of this precious and iconic Parisian monument back to its former glory.

Several Years of Restoration Revealed, and a Renewed Call for Contributions

The group is proud to announce they have totally redesigned their website at PreserveSaintGermain.org, providing the public with an overview of the last several years of restoration work. The site provides an insider's look into the art and science of historic preservation.

Especially moving are the dramatic photos and videos showing restoration efforts removing decades of damage, accumulated dirt, and darkness, giving back to Saint Germain des Prés its original bright colors, beauty, and artistic illumination. Videos of delicate scrubbing, painstaking brushwork, and dramatic before and after shots provide donors and preservationists alike the satisfaction of knowing the project has been — and will continue to be — in the right hands. Still, challenges remain.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought restoration work to a halt and caused a pause in fundraising overall. Consequently, though the original project is 80-85% complete, financing of the project has lagged somewhat. There are now completed works at the church which still await final funding. Due to this, the group is once again renewing their call for active contributions.

Sponsoring Apostles, Evangelists, and the Imposing Flandrin Murals

Some of the recently completed but still yet unfunded restoration work has been done on the extraordinary iconography painted throughout the church. Unique artworks depicting the 12 Apostles, the Four Evangelists of the New Testament, and the Lamb of God have been brought back to their original glory and are available for viewing at PreserveSaintGermain.org. All are available for sponsorship.

The group is currently offering their "543 AD Founders Society" sponsorship to secure funding for the iconography of the 12 Apostles, and "The Saint Germain Society" for sponsorship of the medallions of the Four Evangelists and the Lamb of God. Another sponsorship opportunity is the "Hippolyte Flandrin Society," which allows you to adopt one of the Church's 20 glorious Flandrin panels (within 10 enormous diptychs), depicting everything from The Burning Bush to The Ascension, as well as two especially beautiful encaustic hot wax paintings of Christ's entrance to Jerusalem and agonizing march to Calvary.

An especially popular way to support the restoration work has been The Adopt A Star Campaign, which has provided the possibility to adopt and name one of the breathtakingly beautiful gold stars painted on Saint Germain des Prés's famed celestial blue ceiling in the Monks' Choir. As of November 2021, the current constellation of stars is almost entirely spoken for. However, the group is now working diligently to prepare another section of the church's ancient ceiling so that many more stars may soon be made available for adoption by generous friends of this unique Historic Preservation project.

About: American Friends for the Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to fund the restoration of Paris's oldest church. The foundation works with its French counterparts at The Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés Foundation to garner donations in the pursuit of preserving history.

For more information, visit the online press kit at PreserveSaintGermain.OnlinePressKit247.com and public site PreserveSaintGermain.org.

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