La Madeleine, Paris
The Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine (French: L'église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine), or less formally, La Madeleine, is a Catholic parish church on Place de la Madeleine in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It was planned by Louis XV as the focal point of the new Rue Royal, leading to the new Place Louis XV, the present Place de la Concorde. It was dedicated in 1764 by Louis XV, but work halted due to the French Revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte had it redesigned in the Neoclassical style to become a monument to the glory of his armies. After his downfall in 1814 construction as a church resumed, but it was not completed until 1842. The building is surrounded on all four sides by columns in the Corinthian style. The interior is noted for its frescoes on the domed ceiling, and monumental sculptures by François Rude, Charles Marochetti and other prominent 19th-century French artists.
| Church of Saint-Marie-Madeleine | |
|---|---|
| French: L'église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine | |
| 48.869984299038485°N 2.324432979292807°E | |
| Location | 8th arrondissement of Paris |
| Country | France |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | eglise-lamadeleine.com |
| History | |
| Status | Parish Church |
| Founder(s) | Napoleon (1807) |
| Dedication | Mary Magdalene |
| Consecrated | 24 July 1842 |
| Relics held | Bone of Mary Magdalene |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Monument Historique PA00088812 |
| Designated | 1915 |
| Architect(s) | Pierre-Alexandre Vignon |
| Architectural type | Roman temple |
| Style | Neo-Classical |
| Groundbreaking | 1807 |
| Completed | 1828 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 108 m (354 ft) |
| Width | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Other dimensions | Columns: 20.0 m (65 ft 7 in) |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Paris |
| Laity | |
| Organist(s) | François-Henri Houbart |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
| Part of | Paris, Banks of the Seine |
| Criteria | Cultural: i, ii, iv |
| Reference | 600 |
| Inscription | 1991 (15th Session) |
The exterior and interior of the church are undergoing a major project of cleaning and restoration, which began in 2020 and is scheduled for completion in 2023.