Church of Saint Roch, Paris: Raking view of facade by de Cotte on Rue Saint-Honoré

The first stone of the Church of Saint Roch (Église Saint-Roch) was laid by Louis XIV in 1653, accompanied by his mother Anne of Austria. Originally designed by Jacques Lemercier, construction was halted in 1660 and was resumed in 1701 under the direction of architect Jacques Hardouin-Mansart (brother of Jules). With his façade for St. Roch (designed ca. 1728; built 1736-1738), de Cotte completed one of the major basilicas in Paris. His emphasis on vigorous plasticity and vertical unity was managed by means of superimposed columns rising through broken entablatures to support a crowning pediment.