Saint-Gilles Church

In the heart of Saint-Gilles Old Town stands the church, erected in the 12th C. and restored on a smaller scale in the 17th C. The west front is exceptionally fine (the light at its best in the late afternoon) with its three doorways and wealth of decorative figures, which include the first detailed representation of the Passion in Western sculpture. The damage inflicted on the church during the French Revolution makes the importance of its architecture all the more significant.

The entrance to the crypt is on the right of the facade. The interior of the church, which has three aisles but no transepts, is characterized by Gothic forms which are surprisingly broad for this period.