WHERE THE LIGHT ENTERS...

Editorial Staff

The foundations of the wonderful church of Saint Antoine de Padoue du Chesnay Rocquencourt in Versailles are the symbol of the friendship with Padua! In fact at the end of 19th century don Antonio Locatelli (who founded the Universal Association of St. Anthony and the magazine “The Saint of miracles”) succeeded in convincing the Bishop of Versailles to build a church in honour of St. Anthony and in order to support this project at the beginning he offered a large sum of money.

After only four years (in 1897 laying of the first stone, in 1900 blessing) the construction of the church designed by the architect Leyendecker was completed in neo-Gothic style: it is 15 meters high and 57 meters long. The sixty meter high bell tower dominates the Valley of Versailles. When we enter the church we are fascinated by the coloured light that filters through the magnificent stained glass windows positioned on the walls and the apsis created by the Charles Lorin de Chartres workshop.

The largest part of these shows images of St Anthony’s life and some others illustrate episodes of the New Testament and the life of St Anthony the Abbot. We especially admire the baptism of little Ferdinando, the choice to take the Franciscan habit, the great miracles (like the sermon to the fish, the miracle of the Eucharist, the miser’s heart, the reattached foot), the profound devotion to the Virgin Mary, the death and “St Anthony apotheosis”.

On the tympanum of the main door we admire a low relief created in 1900 that represents St. Anthony blessing and some angels and archangels defeating demons.