The Madeleine Church – From an Ancient Synagogue to Napoleon's Temple of Glory

The Madeleine Church (Église de la Madeleine) is undoubtedly one of the most impressive buildings in Paris And one of the favorite places for both tourists and Parisians themselves. And the truth? Quite rightly so!

It is a beautiful building, full of grandeur and grandeur, which perfectly matches the Palais Bourbon, where the National Assembly is located, even though about a hundred years passed between the construction of the church and that of the palace. Add to that the fact that fate has it that the streets around the Madeleine have become an important culinary center (perhaps even the most important in Paris) and you will definitely understand why the place appeared on the list of10 must-see churches in ParisOn the other hand, if we dig a little deeper into the history of this church, we will discover not only grandeur but also a dark secret, related to the history of the Jews of Paris.

So today, let me invite you on a historical journey inside... The Church of the Magdalene Between the beautiful and the ugly, between good and evil, and between destruction and construction.

The history of the Church of the Magdalene

The Church of the Magdalene is named after Mary Magdalene (in French, Marie Madeleine), that “working girl” (allegedly), whose love for Jesus caused her to change her ways and become the “Apostle of the Apostles.” Today, it is in8st arrondissement of Paris However, the first church in her name was built inIle de la CitaThis church has an interesting story that concerns our people and is therefore definitely worth dwelling on.

During the Middle Ages, Jews were concentrated on the Ile de la Cité and the Left Bank in the Rue Galande area (not far from there was also the Jewish Cemetery of Paris). This community enjoyed economic prosperity during the reign of Louis VII (7-1137) and towards the end of his reign almost half of the private property in the capital of the French kingdom was in Jewish hands. However, all this ended during the reign of his successor Philip II, known as “Augustus” (1180-2).

Whether this was due to the need to raise funds to build his famous wall and expand the wholesale market inLa God, and whether it was pure anti-Semitism, the Jews did not lick honey during his reign.

And so in 1180 the king imprisoned the Jews and demanded a huge ransom from them. Three years later the Jews were expelled from Paris and one of their main synagogues, which was located not far from where it stands today. Notre Dame Church, became a church by order of Bishop Maurice de Sully (1120-1196), the same man who initiated the construction of the famous church.

The first Madeleine Church was built in place of the synagogue and was one of the 20 churches built on the Ile de la Cité, of which only Notre Dame and theSainte ChapelleThe church we are talking about existed until 1793, when the land on which it stood was sold and it was demolished.

If you want to see where this church stood today, along with the other churches that have disappeared, you will have to go to the Notre Dame Square and look down. Right in front of the entrance to the church you will see a kind of map on the floor that shows which buildings stood there in the past and that is how you can find the church.

The Church of the Magdalene Version 2.0

The next incarnation of the Madeleine Church began in 1238. At that time, all the areas of today's 8th arrondissement belonged to the Bishop of Paris and therefore the area was called Ville l'Évêque (the Bishop's Town). The Bishop of Paris decided to take a small chapel, which was located where today is the beginning of Boulevard Malesherbes (number 8 to be precise), and turn it into a church named after Mary Magdalene. The altar of this church, facing east towards Jerusalem, as is customary, and over the years it underwent a long series of expansions and renovations.

We all know today the culinary complex around the Madeleine Church (Patrick Roger the chocolate sculptor, the late Fauchon, and more). It could be said that this tradition began back in the days of the church I wrote about, when the area around it was a kind of vegetable garden (in French, Culture) where they grew not only fruits and vegetables, which they sold to the residents of Paris, but also sheep and cattle, from whose milk they made cheese. Cheeses Fine.

But let's get back to the Madeleine Church. During the 17th century, the congregation that worshipped there grew and as a result the church became too small for the needs of that community. In 1659 it was decided to expand the Madeleine Church and the one who laid the cornerstone for the new church was Anne Marie Louise, daughter of the Duke of Orleans, whose tragic married life can be read about in the article on Hotel de Lausanne.

However, this church was not large enough for the growing population of Ville l'Évêque, and after the latter was annexed to Paris in 1722, plans began to be made for a larger and more magnificent church to replace the old one. With the opening of the Place Louis XV (the future Place de la ConcordeIt was decided that the new church would stand at the end of Rue Royale, rather than in its old location, so that it would correspond with the Palais Bourbon, which is located exactly at the other end of the street.7th DistrictIn order for the church's facade to face the Palais Bourbon, it was decided to move the altar from the east to the north, because in the end, aesthetics are above all else...

According to the plan of the architect Étienne-Louis Boullée (1728-1799), the new church was to be in the shape of a Greek cross and have a dome similar to that of the Pantheon. However, its construction, which had just begun, was stopped quite quickly due to a lack of funds and then due to the outbreak of the French RevolutionHowever, the building did not remain in ruins for long. Napoleon had very interesting plans for it.

The temple in honor of the Gran Arma becomes a church

In fact, it was a step away from turning the church into something else entirely. Napoleon toyed with the idea of ​​turning the building into a stock exchange (it was eventually built inSecond Quarter), to a library or even to a building operaHowever, in 1802 Napoleon decided to build:

A temple to the glory of the French army. A monument of the kind that exists in Athens but not yet in Paris.

As a result, a competition was held between a number of important architects, which was won by Pierre-Alexandre Vignon (1763-1828), one of the most important neoclassical architects of the period. Construction of the temple began in 1807, but seven years later the fall of Napoleon's empire and work was again halted.

Louis XVIII, who replaced the emperor, decided to change the purpose of the building and from a temple in honor of Napoleon's army, it was decided that the building would become a church again. However, construction continued to progress slowly because in 18 a revolution broke out again, which stopped the work. As a result, the work was only completed in 1830, about fourteen years after the architect's death. It is no wonder that by the time the construction was finished, the Madeleine looked like the ruins of a Greek temple, which gave it a romantic touch (similar to the colonnade of the columns inMonceau Park) And so the construction site became a meeting place for lovers (especially at sunset).

The first reason is the grandeur and grandeur of this church, which certainly reminds one of a magnificent Roman temple. Whether it is the beautiful bronze doors or the 52 Corinthian columns or the frescoes, everything here is impressive and powerful. Therefore, it is not surprising that Georges de Rois, the hero of Maupassant’s novel “Bel Ami”, decides to celebrate his final victory over the high society of his time here, with a magnificent wedding in the church.

The second reason why this church was so successful was due to its excellent acoustics and organ. This organ was played by some of the greatest composers of the 19th century, including Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) and Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924). The latter even conducted a performance of his Requiem here in 1887, in its unfinished version. The complete work was played here in 1924 during his funeral service. If you wish, you can hear it performed in the Madeleine Church in the following video:

And speaking of Requiem, Parisians love not only to visit the Madeleine Church and hear a concert, but also to start their funeral processions from there. Here are some of the celebrities whose funerals were held here:

Josephine Baker (1906-1975)

The American dancer and resistance fighter (if you would like to read more about her and follow her footsteps in Paris, you are welcome to visit the article Josephine Baker – A Paris City Tour Following Her FootstepsHere is one of her most famous songs:

Tino Rossi (1907-1983)

A very famous Corsican singer, who appeared in the famous cabarets of Paris and in several films. One of the most famous films in which he participated is Si Versailles m'était conté, in which she also participated Edith PiafThe film deals with some of the most famous stories that took place in the palace. Versailles And here you can see a small clip from the film starring the singer.

Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992)

A German actress with a rich and successful acting career (ranked the 9th best actress of all time). She died in Paris and the Madeleine Church was chosen as the place for her funeral before her body was flown to Berlin.

Johnny Hallyday (1943-2017 Johnny Hallyday)

The last major funeral to be held by the Madeleine (so far) took place in 2017 when rock singer Johnny Allidi died of lung cancer. You can watch the funeral procession in the video below, and if you want to get to know the famous singer better, you are invited to read Dr. Orna Lieberman’s article Johnny Alliday: A Brief History of the French Rock Idol.

Madeleine Church – Tourist Information

After we've finished telling the story of the Madeleine Church, it's time to provide a few practical details that will help you visit it and enjoy its surroundings.

The Madeleine Address

The church is located on Place de la Madeleine. It can be reached by The metro lines 8,12 and 14 (get off at Madeleine station).

Opening Hours

The church is open every day from 09:30 a.m. to 19:00 p.m.

Classical music concerts at the Magdalene Church

As you read in the article, the Madeleine Church is a perfect place for classical music concerts. If you would like to find out what concerts are taking place there while you are in Paris, and to buy tickets, please visit the article. Classical music in Paris.

Famous food shops and restaurants near the Madeleine Church

If you have already come to visit the Madeleine Church, it is highly recommended that you also visit the famous food shops, which are right next to it. If you decide to accept my offer, you will be happy to know that this is exactly why I created this article. The Church of the Magdalene – a culinary itinerary for those with a sweet tooth, which will help you not to miss a single important store or restaurant.

Is it worth living near the Madeleine?

The answer is unequivocal – yes! The Madeleine is close to Place de la Concorde, Tuileries Gardens AndParis Opera.Beyond that, both Madeleine station and Place de la Concorde have quite a few metro lines, so you can easily reach quite a few places in Paris from there. And the last reason is of course the culinary scene. Right, Fushun Closed in 2020, but there are still quite a few great food shops nearby (especially relevant if you decide to rent an apartment in the area).

If you accept my offer and decide to live in the area, I recommend that you take a look at these two articles, which contain places to stay in the Madelen area:

• Recommended hotels in the 8th arrondissement of Paris (Champs Elysées, Madeleine, Arc de Triomphe and Chabad House)
• Recommended apartments in the 8th arrondissement of Paris (Champs Elysées, Madeleine, Triumphal Arch and Chabad House)

You've finished visiting Madeleine, what else is there to do?

Since the Madeleine is at a crossroads, you can choose to visit the 1st, 8th, or 9th arrondissements after you've finished visiting there. Here are some articles that can give you some ideas on what to do next on your trip:

• Attractions in the first arrondissement of Paris | The Louvre and more
• Attractions in the 8th arrondissement in Paris | Much more than the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees
• Attractions in the 9th arrondissement of Paris | The Opera and more