The Church of 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.
La Madeleine, Paris
The church in 1867
The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens (6th century BC)
The Maison Carrée from Nîmes (2 A.D.)
8th arrondissement of Paris
The 8th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, the arrondissement is colloquially referred to as le huitième.
The Champs-Élysées during the Christmas season
Former Alcatel-Lucent head office
Rue Royale, from the Place de la Madeleine to the place de la Concorde in the 8th arrondissement.
Lycée général et technologique Chaptal