Our Lady of Peace, Paris

Notre-Dame de la Paix is a Marian statue whose long pilgrimage history now centers in the chapel at Picpus. Her title names a peace that lets life continue, families hold together, and souls rest. At Picpus, where perpetual prayer answers the Terror's violence, she embodies reconciliation: Lady of Peace names the work that continues beneath her gaze.

The thin quality of this Madonna emerges from her specific role: bringer of peace. Not passive peace, not merely the end of fighting, but active peace—the healing of wounds, the reconciliation of enemies, the restoration of what violence destroys.

The statue has witnessed much that needed her intercession. The Thirty Years' War, during which devotion to her grew. The illnesses and dangers of royal courts. The Revolution that threatened her destruction. And now, for over two centuries, the mass graves of Picpus.

What pilgrims report before her is not ecstasy but calm. A settling of turmoil. A capacity to hold what seemed unholdable. This is the peace she offers: not escape from difficulty but the ability to meet it without being destroyed.

Her placement at Picpus gives this ancient devotion contemporary meaning. The prayers she receives now include prayers for both those who suffered the Terror and those who inflicted it. The peace she brings must be large enough to encompass victims and executioners alike. This is the work that continues in her presence.

The statue was given to Capuchin monks as a devotional object at the end of the sixteenth century. Devotion to her as Our Lady of Peace grew during the Thirty Years' War.

From Capuchin convent to royal favor after Louis XIV's healing, to hiding during the Revolution, to her current home at Picpus—the statue's journey mirrors France's own passage through conflict toward hoped-for peace.

Find her in the chapel at Picpus, in the transept to one side. The space is intimate; you need not crane to see her or navigate crowds. She is close, available, still.

The statue itself is fifteenth-century work—not the grandest nor the most beautiful, but possessed of the particular presence that centuries of devotion confer. She has been prayed before by kings and commoners, hidden to survive destruction, installed here to watch over the work of reconciliation.

Sit before her. The chapel will likely be quiet; the sisters may be at their prayers. Notice what arises. The peace she offers is not numbness or denial but the capacity to be present to what is, without being overwhelmed. If you carry conflict—within yourself, with others, in your world—bring it here. This is what she does.

The statue is located in the side transept of the Chapelle de Picpus. The chapel is accessible during visiting hours.

At the end of the sixteenth century, a widower from Languedoc who had decided to end his days among the Capuchin monks in Paris brought the statue as a gift to the convent. Devotion grew during the Thirty Years' War, when Parisians sought peace from the Madonna.

In 1658, Louis XIV—still a young man—fell dangerously ill. His mother Anne of Austria prayed before this statue. The king recovered. The healing was attributed to Notre-Dame de la Paix; her reputation spread throughout France.

The Revolution dissolved the Capuchin convent. A friar hid the statue, saving it from destruction. Eventually it passed through several hands before being given to the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, who installed it at Picpus on May 6, 1806. Here it has remained, presiding over the chapel that serves both as parish and memorial.

The statue is now cared for by the Sisters of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who have maintained the Picpus site since 1802. They regard Our Lady of Peace as the protector of their congregation.

During the centuries before the Revolution, Notre-Dame de la Paix received processions and pilgrimage, particularly during times of war, plague, and royal illness. The healing of Louis XIV established a pattern of seeking her help for the sick.

Today's pilgrims come seeking the peace the Madonna has always offered. The context of Picpus—where prayers rise for both victims and executioners—deepens the meaning of peace to include reconciliation and forgiveness.

Approach with whatever need for peace you carry. Sit before the statue and let the silence work. Offer your intention. Consider extending your prayer, as the sisters do, to include not only those who suffer but also those who cause suffering.

Our Lady of Peace can be understood within Catholic Marian devotion, within the history of French religious art, or simply as a figure who has offered peace to seekers for centuries.

Continue through the atlas by country, tradition, physical form, or a focused search that combines this place’s strongest context.

Sacred places within a half-day’s reach. Pilgrims often visit them together: walk one, stay for the other.

Chapelle de Picpus in Paris

Paris, Paris, France

0.0 km away

Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Paris, Paris, France

5.6 km away

La Madeleine (Church of Saint Mary Magdalene)

Paris, Paris, France

6.4 km away

Relic of Mary Magdalene at La Madeleine

Paris, Paris, France

6.4 km away

Sources consulted when researching this page. Independent verification by readers is welcome.

1. 01Notre-Dame de la paix, la Madone de Picpus — Aleteia
2. 02Chapelle de Picpus in Paris - Liturgical Arts Journal — Liturgical Arts Journal