Church of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, Paris

Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois served as the parish church for France's royal court from the 12th century onward, standing directly opposite the Louvre. The current building combines elements from five centuries of construction, with a 12th-century Romanesque bell tower, 13th-century Gothic nave and choir, and a 15th-century Flamboyant Gothic porch considered one of the finest in Paris. Inside, visitors find a carved Flemish altarpiece from around 1515 depicting the Passion of Christ, 17th-century church wardens' pews designed by Charles Le Brun, and an exceptional organ built by François-Henri Clicquot in 1771, originally made for the Sainte-Chapelle.