La Madeleine, Paris

A Roman temple from the outside, a church within

Area 8th arrondissement
Type Church
Time needed 40m

La Madeleine, Paris — Photograph: Callaway Kosine - de Suzannet / CC BY 3.0

The Église de la Madeleine is a church built as a Roman temple: a rectangle ringed by 52 Corinthian columns, with no tower, no visible dome and no cross on the outside. Begun in 1763, it was recast by Napoleon as a temple to his armies and only consecrated as a church in 1842. It closes the north end of rue Royale, facing the Assemblée Nationale across the Place de la Concorde, and entry is free.

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Getting there

Metro 8, 12 and 14 all stop at Madeleine, directly beneath the church; from Châtelet, line 14 takes about five minutes. Metro 9 to Havre-Caumartin or line 1 to Concorde are each a seven-minute walk. Buses 24, 42, 52, 84 and 94 pass the square. The entrance is up the broad flight of steps at the south end, under the pediment.

What you see

Climb the steps for the sculpture in the pediment, a Last Judgement, and the bronze doors with their relief panels of the Ten Commandments. Inside, there are no windows in the walls: light comes from three shallow domes overhead, so the interior is dark, gilded and theatrical, closer to a Roman bath than a nave. A single aisle runs the length of the building between side chapels, past the marble group of the Marriage of the Virgin by Pradier near the entrance. At the east end is Marochetti's sculpted group of the Assumption of Mary Magdalene above the high altar, under a half-dome fresco of the history of Christianity which includes Napoleon among its figures. The organ in the west gallery is a famous instrument and the church has a strong musical tradition; Fauré and Saint-Saëns were both organists here.

What to pair it with

Place de la Concorde and the Jardin des Tuileries are a ten-minute walk south, the Palais Garnier about eight minutes north-east, and Place Vendôme five minutes east.

When to go

Any weekday is fine; it never crowds like the big cathedrals. Late afternoon is best inside because the overhead light is softer and the gilding warms. Concerts and organ recitals are held regularly and are worth checking for, as the acoustic suits the building better than the gloom suits the eye. The steps are a pleasant place to sit outside except in high summer sun.

What is hard about it

Many visitors find the inside disappointing: it is dark, heavy and more monumental than devotional, and the lack of windows means little of the colour or detail reads well. There is nothing medieval here and nothing famous enough to justify a long detour. The flight of steps at the entrance is the main access and can be awkward with a pushchair or limited mobility, though there is a side route. Restoration work on the stonework and interior has run in stages for years, so part of the exterior or a chapel may be hoarded off. The surrounding streets are expensive luxury retail with little else.

Common questions

How long do you need at La Madeleine?

Forty minutes covers the exterior sculpture and the full interior. Twenty minutes is enough if you only want a look inside.

Is it free to enter?

Yes, free as a working parish church. Concerts held inside are usually ticketed separately.

Can you go up or onto the roof?

No. There is no tower or public roof access; the building is a single storey behind its colonnade.