The greek temple just north of the Place
the Concorde is known as 'La Madeleine' or 'L'église de St-Marie-Madeleine'.
The large building is actually a church, dedicated
to St. Mary Magdalene. In French, Magdalene is known as Madeleine, hence
the name of the building.
Original Designs
When construction of the church started in 1764, the plans
made by architect Pierre Constant d'Ivry called for a design similar to that
of the Invalides church. When d'Ivry died in 1777
his designs, which can be seen in the Musée Carnavalet, were dismissed
by his successor, Guillome-Martin Couture.
He decided to raze the unfinished
building and start with a new design, this time based on the Panthéon.
Scale model of a
design by d'Ivry
design by d'Ivry
A Temple becomes a Church
Construction halted during the French Revolution
until 1806 when Napoleon decided to build a temple in honor of his army.
He appointed Pierre-Alexandre Vignon
who razed the structure yet again and started with the construction of
a temple
based on the 'Maison Carrée', an ancient Roman temple in the French
city of Nîmes.
With the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, which honored the French Army, the new temple was looking for a new function.
Some of the suggestions included using the temple as a parliament, a bank or
even a train station. Finally in 1842 the building was consecrated as a church, a function it still holds today.
With the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, which honored the French Army, the new temple was looking for a new function.
Front façade
Design
No less than 52 Corinthian columns surround the temple, each
of them twenty meter high (66 ft). At the front, the columns are topped with a sculpted
frieze. The bas reliefs on the bronze doors are by Henri de Triqueti and represent
the Ten Commandments.
The temple's facade acts as a great architectural counterbalance to the colonnaded
facade of the Palais Bourbon across the river.
View of the apse
Interior
Inside, behind the altar is a large statue depicting the ascension
of Mary Magdalene. It was built in 1837 by Charles Marochetti. The church also
boasts a pipe organ, built by Cavaillé-Coll in 1846. The organ
is still used for concerts nowadays.
Location
The Madeleine Church is located at the Place de la Madeleine,
close to the Palais Garnier and the Place de la Concorde.
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