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The Temple Ste Marie is the former church of the
convent of the Visitation Sainte-Marie, built in
1632 according to a design of François Mansart
in the Baroque style. It was converted to a
Protestant church in 1802.
D2
There is no record of the organs present before the
Revolution. The first organ of the temple was installed
in 1809 and came from the chapelle de Sceaux. The
transfer was done by Somer.
The instrument was replaced by the current organ at
the end of the 19th century (the exact date is
unknown), thanks to a gift from Mrs. Theodore Modod.
It is a very characteristic instrument for the small
instruments produced by Merklin during this period,
exploiting extensively the principle of borrowed stops.
In 1972, a team of amateur organ builders evolved the
stoplist in the neo-classical direction.
In 1978, a restoration was entrusted to the Haerpfer
House, but the stoplist of 1972 was kept.
More information
The Temple Sainte-Marie is located in the former
church of the Convent of the Visitation of Sainte-
Marie, which served as the mother house of the
Visitation order. The convent was founded in
1621 at the initiative of François de Sales and
Jeanne de Chantal, in the Hôtel du Petit-Bourbon
at the corner of Rue du Petit-Musc and Rue de la
Cerisaie. It was expanded in 1628 with the
acquisition of the Hôtel de Cossé at 17 Rue Saint-
Antoine and a neighboring house.
The former monastery was built between 1632
and 1634 by the master mason Michel Villedo,
based on designs by François Mansart, under the
name “Sainte-Marie-des-Anges.” During the
Revolution, the church was used as a book depot
and was assigned to Reformed worship on 3
December 1802.
Organs of Paris
ORGANS OF PARIS © 2026 Vincent Hildebrandt
D2
There is no record of the organs present before the
Revolution. The first organ of the temple was installed in
1809 and came from the chapelle de Sceaux. The transfer
was done by Somer.
The instrument was replaced by the current organ at the
end of the 19th century (the exact date is unknown), thanks
to a gift from Mrs. Theodore Modod.
It is a very characteristic instrument for the small
instruments produced by Merklin during this period,
exploiting extensively the principle of borrowed stops.
In 1972, a team of amateur organ builders evolved the
stoplist in the neo-classical direction.
In 1978, a restoration was entrusted to the Haerpfer House,
but the stoplist of 1972 was kept.
More information
