Saint-Gervais square, history and medieval streets of the 16th and 17th centuries

An elm tree greens up Place Saint-Gervais. Replanted in 1912, it recalls the tradition of judges who administered justice under an elm tree. Traces of this tradition can be found in the surrounding area: the balconies of houses numbered 2 to 14 on Rue François-Miron, dating from 1732, are decorated with wrought iron elm trees, particularly at No. 14. Built on the site of a 6th-century sanctuary dedicated to the martyred brothers Saint Gervais and Saint Protais, whose relics were found in Milan, the current church dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. In July 1616, Louis XIII laid the first stone of the façade, where the three ancient orders are superimposed: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian on the top floor. Marie de Rabutin-Chantal married the Marquis de Sévigné there in 1644. Many famous figures, such as Scarron and Philippe de Champaigne, were buried there. The organs, rebuilt in the traditional style in 1974, were those of the Couperins, an eminent dynasty of musicians in the 17th century. During the Revolution, these tombs were desecrated, the statues destroyed, and the church transformed into a temple of youth. In the 19th century, the City of Paris had the chapels redecorated, commissioned statues, and restored the stained glass windows. In 1918, a German shell killed more than 100 people when it caused part of the vault to collapse. Since 1975, the church has been served by the monks and nuns of the Monastic Fraternity of Jerusalem, whose services are held every day at 7 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 6 p.m., and every Sunday at 11 a.m.