HITTORFF, Jacques-Ignace
(b. 1792, Köln, d. 1867, Paris)

Interior view

1833-44
Photo
Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris

For the parish church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Hittorff took over the commission from his father-in-law, Jean-Baptiste Lepčre (1761-1844). Hittorff earned a reputation both for his study of polychromy in the buildings of Antiquity and for his achievements in urban development. Thus the church soars dramatically at the end of a street above a large flight of steps, dominating the immediate urban environment.

The interior is laid out as a basilica with double aisles, galleries and an open truss roof, a scheme the architect would have seen in Italy during a tour of Early Christian temples in 1822-24. the same applies to the splendid furnishings, where Hittorff wanted to recreate his impressions of the cathedral in Monreale.