The Tour Saint-Jacques is all that remains of the church of Saint-Jacques La Boucherie, or Saint James of the Butchery. There were many churches dedicated to Saint James, and the Butchery name distinguished this one, which was funded in part by the butchers.

The flamboyant Gothic church was built in the 16th century. Sadly, the church—except for the tower—was destroyed in 1797, during the French Revolution. For centuries the tower remained, mostly neglected; the bells were melted for their lead. Bought by the City of Paris in 1836, Napoléon III did some renovations. The tower was closed by the city in the year 2000 for cleaning and restoration.

The Tour Saint-Jacques is now open on a limited schedule, mostly on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from June to October. You must visit with a guide, and groups are limited to 12-16 people, because of the narrow staircase and the limited space.

Your visit starts at the exterior first level, where you're greeted by a statue of Blaise Pascal, the 17th century mathematician, scientist, inventor, theolgian, and writer. Pascal is believed to have conducted some scientific studies in the tower.

Be warned that this is not a visit for the claustrophobic! The spiral staircase is narrow and has limited lighting. But it's well worth the climb. There are 300 steps, divided into three sections.

The first stage, 55 steps, takes you to the first floor, a small room that houses various sculptures from the tower. They date from the 11th to the 18th century; some were taken down during the restoration in 2000.

From there you will climb another 70 steps to the third floor, where you are treated to glimpses of some of the original stained glass. Nicholas Flamel, the purported alchemist, lived in the neighborhood and was a supporter of the church; you can see his initials on some of the stained glass. Some of the lower panels include the initials of the workmen.

Nicholas Flamel's initials, in the stained glass of the Tour Saint-Jacques.

If the name Nicholas Flamel seems familiar, it may be from the Harry Potter books, particularly Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Flamel was a real person, though his reputation as immortel is perhaps exaggerated.

Back to the visit...The last stage is the longest, 175 steps. At the end you will emerge onto the roof of the tower, face to face with gargoyles and with the chance to enjoy panoramic views of Paris.

Lovely view of the Conciergerie, from the top of the Tour Saint-Jacques. Also visible are the fleche (spire) of the Sainte-Chapelle, the dark Tour Montparnasse, and the unmatched towers of the Église Saint-Sulpice.

The Tour Saint-Jacques is managed by the organization Des Mots et des Arts. You can make a reservation for a tour on their web site, and they also sell some tickets right at the tower. If you make a reservation, it's best to get there early; on the day I visited, they could not find a record of my online reservation, but since I was there when they opened up and I had my confirmation, they were able to include me. Another visitor who had also reserved arrived too late and was rescheduled for a later tour. As noted, group size is limited because of the small space.

Note that most tours are in French; as of this writing English language tours are available at 10 and 11 on Fridays, but you should check with Des Mots et des Arts, as this may change.

Tour guides provide background information throughout the tour, at the Blaise Pascal statue and at each stopping point. They are available for questions when you are on top of the tower as well.

Des Mots et des Arts (for Saint-Jacques visits)
englishcontact@desmotsetdesarts.com
+33(0)1 83 96 15 05

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