Église de la Madeleine, Paris

L'église de la Madeleine, or L'église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine (or simply "La Madeleine"), is a church in the 8th arrondissement of Paris that was designed as a temple to the glory of Napoleon's army. Église de la Madeleine, Paris By ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Église de la Madeleine, Paris By ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. ... The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ...

History

Two false starts were made on building a church on this site. The first design, commissioned in 1757 with construction begun in 1764, was by Pierre Contant d'Ivry, and was based on Mansart's Late Baroque church of Les Invalides, with a dome surmounting a Latin cross. In 1777 d'Ivry died and he was replaced by Guillaume-Martin Couture, who decided to start anew, razing the incomplete construction and basing his new design on the Roman Pantheon. At the start of the Revolution, however, only the foundations had been finished and work was discontinued, while debate simmered as to what purpose the building might serve in Revolutionary France: a library, a ballroom  (http://wiktionary.org/wiki/Ballroom), and a marketplace were all suggested. Events March 14 - On-board the HMS Monarch, Admiral John Byng is executed by firing squad for neglecting his duty. ... Events January 19 - John Wilkes is expelled from the House of Commons for seditious libel February 15 - The American city of St. ... Jules Hardouin-Mansart, marble bust by Jean-Louis Lemoyne: a full-dress Baroque portrait bust demonstrates that the Kings architect is no mere craftsman Jules Hardouin-Mansart (Paris, April 16, 1646 – Marly, France, May 11, 1708) was a French architect whose work is generally considered to be the apex... The church at the Invalides, with its dome Les Invalides in Paris, France consists of a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement, now containing museums and monuments, all relating to Frances military history, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the buildings... The traditional form of the Christian cross, known as the Latin cross The Christian cross is a familiar religious symbol of most Christianity. ... Events The Cornish language died out 2nd edition of Encyclopædia Britannica published January 3 - American general George Washington defeats British general Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton. ... The Pantheon, Rome The Pantheon is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of the Roman state religion, but has been a Christian church since the 7th century AD. It is the only building from the Greco-Roman world which is completely... The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ... Alternative meanings: Library (computer science), Library (biology) Modern-style library In its traditional sense, a library is a collection of books and periodicals. ... A marketplace is the space, actual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. ...

In 1806 Napoleon made his decision, commissioning Pierre-Alexandre Barthélémy Vignon (1763-1828) to build a Temple de la Gloire de la Grande Armée (Temple to the Glory of the Great Army), with Vignon basing his design on an antique temple. The then-existing foundations were razed and work begun anew. With completion of the Arc de Triomphe in 1808, the original commemorative role for the temple was blunted. After the fall of Napoleon, with the Catholic reaction during the Restoration, King Louis XVIII determined that the structure would be used as a church. Vignon died in 1828 before completing the project and was replaced by Jacques-Marie Huvé. In 1837 it was briefly suggested that the building might best be utilized as a train station, but the building was finally consecrated as a church in 1842. Events January 8 - Cape Colony becomes a British colony January 10 - Dutch in Cape Town surrender to the British January 19 - The United Kingdom occupies the Cape of Good Hope February 6 - Royal Navy victory off Santo Domingo - see:Action of 6 February 1806 March 23 - After traveling through the... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Events February 10 - French and Indian War: The 1763 Treaty of Paris ends the war and France cedes Great Britain. ... Events January 4 - The Vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Comte de Villèle as Prime Minister of France. ... Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris that stands in the centre of the Place de lÉtoile, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. ... Following the ouster of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1814, the Allies restored the Bourbon Dynasty to the French throne. ... Louis XVIII (November 17, 1755 - September 16, 1824) was King of France from 1814 (although he declared that he considered his reign to have begun in 1795) until his death in 1824. ... Events January 4 - The Vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Comte de Villèle as Prime Minister of France. ... Events January 10 - DePauw University founded in Greencastle, Indiana January 26 - Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state February 8 - Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate February 11 - American Physiological Society organizes in Boston February 13 - Rowland... Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street Station in 1865. ... This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. ... Events February 21 - John J. Greenough patents the sewing machine. ...

Architecture

Interior of the Église de la Madeleine, Paris

The Madeleine is built in the Neo-Classical style and was inspired by the Maison Carrée at Nimes, the best-preserved of all Roman temples. Its 52 Corinthian columns, each 20 metres high, are carried around the entire exterior of the building. The pediment is adorned by a sculpture of the Last Judgement by Lemaire, and the church's bronze doors bear reliefs representing the Ten Commandments. Interior of the Église de la Madeleine, Paris Image by ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Interior of the Église de la Madeleine, Paris Image by ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ... The Maison Carrée at Nimes, France, is one of the best preserved temples to be found anywhere in the territory of the former Roman Empire. ... Nîmes is a city and commune of southern France, préfecture (capital) of the Gard département. ... The numbers and architecture of Roman temples reflect the citys receptivity to all the religions of the world. ... The Corinthian order as used for the portico of the Pantheon, Rome provided a prominent model for Renaissance and later architects, through the medium of engravings. ... This article or section should be merged with End times and Last Judgment According to Christian belief, at the last judgment, God the creator will judge all living and dead souls and send those evils ones and sinners to the everlasting fire that never dies and those faithful and Christians... This article is about the list of religious and moral imperatives. ...

Inside, the church has a single nave with three domes, lavishly gilded in a decor inspired by Renaissance artists. At the rear of the church, above the high altar, stands a statue by Charles Marochetti depicting St Mary Magdalene being carried up to heaven by two angels. The half-dome above the altar is covered with a fresco by Jules-Claude Ziegler, entitled The History of Christianity, showing the key figures in the Christian religion with - perhaps inevitably - Napoleon occupying centre stage. Mary Magdalene, which probably means Mary of Magdala, a town on the western shore of the Lake of Tiberias, is described in the New Testament as a follower of Jesus both in the canon and in the apocrypha. ...

Today

The Madeleine is affiliated with a Benedictine abbey, and masses and the most fashionable weddings in Paris are still celebrated here. The longest lasting of the western Catholic monastic orders, the Order of Saint Benedict traces its origins to the adoption of the monastic life by St. ...

The church has a celebrated pipe organ, built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811-1899), which is widely regarded as one of the best in Paris. The composers Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré were both organists at the Madeleine, and the funerals of Frédéric Chopin and Fauré were held there. This article or section should be merged with Organ (music) The Casavant pipe organ at Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, Montreal. ... Aristide Cavaill -Coll (February 4, 1811–October 13, 1899) was a French pipe organ builder. ... 1811 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Charles Camille Saint-Saëns ( IPA: [ʃaʁl. ... Portrait with oils of Gabriel Fauré by John Singer Sargent, about 1889 (in the Paris Museum of Music) Gabriel Urbain Fauré ( May 12, 1845 – November 4, 1924) was a French composer. ... Frédéric-François Chopin ( March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849) is widely seen as the greatest of Polish composers and among the very greatest of composers for the piano, the instrument for which he wrote almost exclusively. ...

To its south lies the Place de la Concorde, and to the east is the Place Vendôme. Place de la Concorde in 1885 Located at the foot of the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, the Place de la Concorde was designed by Jacques Ange Gabriel in 1755 as a moat-skirted octagon between the Champs-Élysées to the west and the Tuileries Gardens to the... Place Vendôme is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madeleine. ...