La Madeleine in Paris.
L’eglise Sainte-Marie-Madeleineor the Church of Saint Mary Magdaleneis a landmark of the French capital.
Finished in the 19th century, it boasts magnificent columns and is full of marble sculptures and gilt decorations.
La Madeleine in Paris. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
It once hosted the composer Chopin’s funeral and eventually came to represent the glory of 19th century Paris.
Interior view of La Madeleine, Paris.
This region has possessed a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene since at least the 13th century.
Interior view of La Madeleine, Paris. (Photo: Joe deSousa viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY 2.0)
The urban center of Paris steadily expanded throughout the early modern period.
By the 18th century, the 8th arrondissement was a busy, official part of the city.
Plans for a new and larger Catholic Church were in the works.
Design by Etienne-Louis Boullée for “une l’église de la Madeleine” which was never realized. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
France during theAncien Regimewas run by powerful, absolute kings.
The first design for the new church was by the architect Pierre Contant d’Ivry.
He imagined a Latin cross with a large dome.
“La Madeleine,” by Phillippe Benoist, between 1845 and 1860. (Photo:Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)
Constant d’Ivry died in 1777 with only the preliminary building complete.
Guillaume Couture then took over the supervision of the project.
The king and queen lost their heads, as did (eventually) the man who guillotined them.
“Sortant de la Madeleine, Paris,” by Jean Béraud (1849–1936). (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
In the power vacuum created by turmoil, themilitary leader Napoleon Bonapartestaged his own successful coup in 1799.
By 1804, he was the self-crowned Emperor of France.
He would later commence a campaign across Europe in a quest for territorial expansion.
The altar featuring a statue of Mary Magdalene flanked by angels. (Photo: MARGARITAGLOTOVA/DepositPhotos)
Napoleon’s military focusinspired a new usefor the building site of La Madeleine.
First, a stock exchange was considered.
Then, Napoleon decided on a temple to the glory of the French army.
Pediment of La Madeleine, with a sculpted “The Last Judgement” by Henry Lemaire (1833). (Photo:Wikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 3.0)
Lead by Pierre Vignon, the beginnings of the church were removed and new construction began once more.
However, Napoleon’s empire was short-lived.
With a restored monarch and a renewed Catholic Church, building commenced once more.
Yet French politics rarely ran smooth.
Vignon remained in charge, but his death in 1828 caused another delay.
However, despite the climate of the nation, building continued.
The church was finished and officially opened for worship in 1842.
EnormousCorinthian columnssurround the rectangular structure including a deep portico (porch) entrance.
Above the doors is a lofty triangular pediment carrying a frieze of theLast Judgementby Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire.
In the sculpture, Mary Magdalene asks for mercy upon sinners.
Frescoes and gold gilding decorate the interior (including a depiction of Napoleon).
A monumental organ created by Aristide Cavaille-Coll fills the church with song.
La Madeleine began as a royal project which took on an imperial edge.
This empire lasted until 1870.
Under the rule of Napoleon III, Paris was thrust into modernity by the renovations ofGeorges-Eugene Haussmann.
Among these boulevards were monuments, squares, and gardens.
20th Century to Today
The altar featuring a statue of Mary Magdalene flanked by angels.
(Photo: MARGARITAGLOTOVA/DepositPhotos)
On the outside,La Madeleinelooks much as it did in the 19th century.
Inside, the organ is still used and worship is still held.
Tourists flock to the building, much as celebrants once did at the end of the Great War.
Run by the Archdiocese of Paris, the church also hosts countless classical concerts.
A visit to La Madeleine is not complete without wandering the neighborhood full of luxury shopping and 18th-century chateaus.
From La Madeleine, historic Paris is within reach.
Pediment of La Madeleine, with a sculpted The Last Judgement by Henry Lemaire (1833).
