Église Saint-Thomas

The Église Saint-Thomas stands at 11 Rue Martin Luther, on the south side of the Grande Île in Strasbourg, in the Alsace area of France's Grand Est region. It is the main Lutheran church of the city and has served Protestant worship since the Reformation, when Strasbourg embraced the new faith. The building dates from the 12th to 14th centuries and is a large five-aisled hall church, with a broad, unusually wide interior that differs from the narrow Gothic naves seen elsewhere. Its most famous feature is the mausoleum of Marshal Maurice de Saxe, a marshal of France under Louis XV, designed by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle in the 18th century, in which the marshal is shown stepping towards an open tomb amid allegorical figures. The church also contains a 1741 organ by Johann Andreas Silbermann, played by Mozart in 1778, and still used for concerts and services. Other points of interest include medieval stained glass, funerary monuments and a quiet cloister-like atmosphere. A visit typically takes 30-45 minutes. Entry is free, though a small fee may apply for the mausoleum, and opening hours vary by season and service times, so visitors should confirm at saint-thomas-strasbourg.fr. The church is calmest on weekday mornings and busier when organ concerts are given. It is near the Porte de l'Hôpital tram stop and a few minutes from the Petite France quarter and the Musée Alsacien. For photographs, the broad interior and the mausoleum are the main subjects, and flash should be avoided. Respectful dress and quiet behaviour are expected, since the church is a place of worship. Concert listings and service times are published on the church website.