It took more than a century and six architects before the monumental St. Sulpice church was completed at the end of the eighteenth century. The church, located in the heart of Paris’s popular 6th arrondissement, dominates a pleasant square.
Construction started in 1646 at the site of a thirteenth century church. Twenty years later, a lack of funds halted construction work. It would last until the early eighteenth century before construction resumed, and finally in 1780 the church was mostly completed.The building is impressive, and with a length of 119 meters and a width of 57 meters (390 x 187 ft.) it is the second-largest church in Paris after the Notre-Dame.The imposing front facade was built after a 1732 Baroque design by Giovanni Servandoni. It is defined by two large colonnades with Doric and Ionic columns. The colonnades are flanked by two asymmetrical towers, possibly a result of the long construction period. The south tower, which was never completed, is five meters shorter than the north tower and has a slightly different design.