Saint-Ouen Abbey

After the devastating fire at Notre-Dame de Paris in April 2019, Saint-Ouen Abbey's medieval oak timber roof structure became known as "the last great forest of France." This perfectly preserved 14th-century framework is one of the final surviving examples of the traditional Parisian-style "forest" roof construction, making it an invaluable architectural treasure.

The church houses an extraordinary 1,523 square meters of stained glass spanning 80 windows, representing the largest collection of 14th-century stained glass in all of France. Due to the exceptional height of the building (33 meters), the windows display only standing figures - patriarchs, prophets, saints, and apostles - rather than complex narrative scenes.

The famous Cavaille-Coll organ installed in 1890 was the last great instrument built by the legendary organ maker Aristide Cavaille-Coll. Composer Charles-Marie Widor was so inspired by this organ that he dedicated his Symphony No. 9 in C minor "Gothique" to it. Today, it remains one of the most recorded organs in France, along with the organ at Saint-Sulpice in Paris.

Despite taking over 200 years to build (from the early 14th century to the 16th century), Saint-Ouen Abbey displays remarkable architectural unity. Successive generations of builders remained so faithful to the original 14th-century Gothic Rayonnant design that the evolution from Rayonnant to Flamboyant Gothic style is visible only in subtle stone tracery details.