Versailles, Cathédrale
Saint Louis 1 - 2
4 place Saint Louis, 78000 Versailles
1761 - François-Henri Clicquot
1829 - Louis-Paul Dallery
1840 - John Abbey
1863 - Aristide Cavaillé-Coll
1961 - Beuchet-Debierre
1987 - Théo Haerpfer
2018-21 - Lacorre & Muhleisen
Saint Louis de Versailles was built between 1743 and
1754. The architect was Jacques Hardouin-Mansart
de Sagonne (1711-1778), a grandson of the famous
architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart. In 1764 Louis-
François Trouard added the Chapelle de la
Providence (now the Chapelle des Catéchismes) to
the northern transept. In a graceful baroque style, it
also preserves a lovely collection of period paintings.
It served at first simply as the Saint Louis district
parish. It became a cathedral in 1848.
Organiste titulaire
Jean-Pierre Millioud, Christian Ott
Concerts
Occasionnaly
Masses with organ
Sunday 11.00 a.m.
Video
Christian Ott
The organ was built by François-Henri Clicquot in 1759-
1761 (45 stops and 4 manuals and a pedal with a 'grand
ravalement').
1829: Maintenance by Louis-Paul Dallery (addition of a
Bombarde at the GO).
1840: Maintenance by John Abbey (new wind supply).
1863: Renovation by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll: deletion of the
fourth manual, addition of a Swell with 8 stops,
replacement of several mutations and mixtures by
'symphonic' stops on the other manuals (a Gambe and
an Unda Maris on the Positif, a Gambe and a Salicional
on GO), a Barker machine for the GO, several 'pédales de
combinaisons', extention of winchests from 50 to 54
notes for each manual and renovation of the wind supply
applying various pressures.
In the first half of the XXth century, works were carried
out by Mutin, Bossier and Costa-Duval.
In 1961, a restoration was performed by Beuchet-
Debierre: extension of manuals to 56 notes, installation
of a new 30-note pedalboard, repositioning of the swell
pedal, using a toespoon, from the extreme right to the
middle of the console. On the Grand-Orgue, a poor
Quinte, not from Clicquot nor from Cavaillé-Coll, was
replaced by a new one, and a 4' Flûte replaced the
second 4' Prestant (which was relocated on the Swell). On
the Positif. Gambe and Unda Maris stops were replaced
by a 4' Flûte douce and a 1 3/5' Tierce, and a 1 1/3'
Larigot was added. An additional winchest was built for
the Swell to house the following stops: 8' Principal, 4'
Prestant, 2' Doublette, and Plein-Jeu.
In 1987 a thorough restauration was carried out by Théo
Haerpfer (Manufacture Lorraine de Grandes Orgues),
restoring the creation of Cavaillé-Coll in 1863.
A new restoration by Lacorre & Muhleisen will be ready in
2021, delayed due to works on the facade of the church,
which are scheduled for 2020.