Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville

The twin square towers of the Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville rise above the surrounding buildings, identifiable by the intricate geometric stone carvings that cover their facades. Architect Jean-Baptiste Lassus designed this structure in the middle of the nineteenth century using Gothic revival principles. Workers completed the church in eighteen fifty-nine, replacing a much smaller parish building. During the Paris Commune of eighteen seventy-one, rebels seized the bell tower to watch the movements of government troops, turning the house of worship into a lookout post.