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In Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, a church in Paris near the Pantheon, you’ll find a beautiful shrine dedicated to Sainte-Geneviève, the patroness of Paris.
The remarkable golden reliquary you see here was used to hold the remains of Sainte-Geneviève, along with many important relics. The citizens of Paris would parade the relics from the church to Notre-Dame and back, believing that this procession would ward off catastrophes. However in 1793, the relics were destroyed by revolutionaries and the body of Sainte-Geneviève was burned. The tomb of Sainte-Geneviève was the only thing to survive.
Thomas Dowson - I learn something new every day! Can not believe that I have missed this, I feel like rushing off to Paris now. And, as always, a stunning photograph.September 22, 2014 – 11:46 am
Rhonda Krause - Thanks, Thomas! We had a local guide/photographer that took us here, otherwise we would have missed it too.September 22, 2014 – 12:09 pm