La Madeleine, Paris

Coordinates: 48°52′12″N 2°19′28″E / 48.869984299038485°N 2.324432979292807°E / 48.869984299038485; 2.324432979292807
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Church of Saint-Marie-Madeleine
Neo-Classical
Groundbreaking1807
Completed1828
Specifications
Length108 m (354 ft)
Width43 m (141 ft)
Other dimensionsColumns: 20.0 m (65 ft 7 in)
Administration
ArchdioceseParis
Laity
Organist(s)François-Henri Houbart
La Madeleine, Paris
Paris, Banks of the Seine
CriteriaCultural: i, ii, iv
Reference600
Inscription1991 (15th Session)

The Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine (

Charles Marochetti and other prominent 19th-century French artists.[5]

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.[6][7]

History

First church

The neighbourhood, then at the edge of Paris, was annexed to the city in 1722. An earlier church of Saint-Marie-Madeleine was built in the 13th century on avenue Malesherbes, but was considered too small for the growing neighbourhood. Louis XV authorised the construction of a new, larger church, with a view along Rue Royale toward the new Place Louis XV, now Place de la Concorde. In 1763 the King laid the first stone for a new church, designed by Pierre Contant d'Ivry and Guillaume-Martin Couture.[8][9][10]

The first design for the new church by

Jules Hardouin Mansart
. D'Ivry died in 1777 and was replaced by his pupil Guillaume Martin Couture. Couture abandoned the first plan, demolished much of the early work. and went to work on a simpler, more classical design, modelled after an ancient Greek or Roman temple.

Proposed monument to Napoleon's Army and railroad station, then church again

The construction of the new church was abruptly halted in 1789 by the

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's remains were moved to a new tomb in the Basilica of Saint-Denis
.

Under the Revolutionary government, a debate began on the future purpose of the building. Proposals included a library, a public ballroom, and a marketplace. The new building of the National Assembly, in the Palais Bourbon, at the other end of the former Rue Royale, was given a classical colonnade to match the already completed portico of church.[11] The new Emperor,

Napoleon Bonaparte, was crowned in 1804 and in 1806 settled the debate. In 1806 he declared that the church would become "A Temple to the Glory of the Grand Army". While on a military campaign in Poland, he personally chose the design of A new architect, Pierre-Alexandre Vignon (fr: Pierre-Alexandre Vignon), over the design that was recommended to him by the Academy of Architecture.[12] The plan of Vignon took the form of a classical temple with Corinthian columns on all four sides.[13] The work began anew, with new foundations but preserving the classical columns that had already been raised.[14]

Completion of the church (1855)

The church in 1867

After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, the new King,

Louis XVIII, resumed construction on the unfinished church, which he intended to make an Expiatory chapel for the sins of the Revolution and the execution of Louis XVI. However, this idea was dropped, and the new church was instead dedication to Mary Magdalene, or the Madeleine, a follower of Jesus who witnessed both the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ.[15]

The architect Vignon died in 1828 before completing the project and was replaced by Jacques-Marie Huvé. A new competition was set up in 1828–29 to determine the design for sculptures for the pediment. The design chosen was "The Last Judgment" , depicting Saint Mary Magdalene kneeling to pray for sinners, by Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire. The new government of the July Monarchy decided to go ahead with the church, despite financial difficulties. in 1830 they declared that it would be dedicated to national reconciliation. The vaults were finally completed in 1831.[16]

Work on the church was largely completed during the reign of

King Louis-Philippe, between 1830 and 1848. in 1837 a proposal was brought forward to convert church into the first railroad station in Paris, but this was abandoned as expensive and impractical. The church was finally inaugurated on July 24, 1842, the day of Saint Mary-Magdalene.[17]

The new church became popular with musicians. The funeral of

Mozart's Requiem
be sung. The Requiem had major parts for female voices, but the Church of the Madeleine had never permitted female singers in its choir. The church finally relented, on condition that the female singers remain behind a black velvet curtain.

During the

Archbishop of Paris and four other hostages on 24 May, during the Semaine sanglante
, as French government troops were bloodily retaking the city and executing Communard defenders.

Besides Chopin, musicians and artists whose funerals were held at the church include

Joséphine Baker, Charles Trenet, Dalida and Johnny Hallyday.[18]

Exterior

Inspiration

The design of the church by Vignon was an example of the

Maison Carrée in Nîmes in France one of the best-preserved of all Roman temples. The Madeleine is one of the rare large neo-classical buildings to imitate the whole external form of an ancient temple, rather than just the portico front. Its fifty-two Corinthian
columns, each 20 metres (66 feet) high, surround the building.

South facade and Fronton

The inscription on the frieze over the entrance reads in Latin: D⸱O⸱M⸱SVB⸱INVOCAT⸱S⸱M⸱MAGDALENAE, that is Deo Optimo Maximo sub invocatione Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae ("To God all-powerful and Very Great, under the invocation of Saint Mary Magdalen.")

The pediment sculpture of the

Last Judgement is by Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire. Lemaire's sculpture also has a prominent place on the Arc de Triomphe. In the sculpture, Christ is in the centre, presiding over the Last Judgement, flanked by two angels. On the right is the Archangel Michael, with a group of figures representing the Vices, who will be refused entry to heaven. To the left are the Virtues, escorting those admitted to heaven. Mary Magadelen is shown kneeling with those refused entrance to heaven, expressing her repentance.[19]

Bronze Doors

  • Bronze door of the South Portal, by Henri de Triqueti
    Bronze door of the South Portal, by Henri de Triqueti
  • Ten Commandments - "Thou shalt not commit Adultery"
    Ten Commandments - "Thou shalt not commit Adultery"
  • Detail of bronze doors
    Detail of bronze doors

The bronze doors of the south portal have reliefs illustrating the Ten Commandments. They measure 108 by 43 m (354 by 141 ft).

Louis-Philippe, including sculpture in Napoleon's tomb.[22]

Statues in niches of the Colonnade

  • Saint Genevieve
    Saint Genevieve
  • Saint Denis of Paris
    Saint Denis of Paris
  • Saint Luke. The statue lost its head to a German shell in World War I.
    Saint Luke. The statue lost its head to a German shell in World War I
    .
  • Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
    Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Another feature of the exterior is a series of statues of Saints, made by different sculptors, alternating women and men, arranged on the outside walls along the portico, within the colonnade. The original plan by Vignon had only bare walls on the exterior, but the new architect, Huvé, proposed a series of thirty-three statues in niches. The selection of Saints was largely made by the Orleans family of King

Saint Genevieve, the Patron Saint of Paris. Women saints alternate with men. At the north or rear end of the church, the heads of four of the statues were knocked off by the explosion of a German shell during the First World War, in 1918.[23]

Parts

  • The nave and the choir, facing north toward the altar
    The nave and the choir, facing north toward the altar
  • The choir decoration, Christmas 2022
    The choir decoration, Christmas 2022

The plan of the church was inspired more by the classical Roman architecture, particularly the baths, than by traditional church architecture. Inside, the church designed by Huvé is composed of a single long space, without a transept. It is divided into three wide arched bays, each with a dome, with circular skylights that provide limited illumination. All the walls and arches and the ceiling are covered with decoration, largely composed of colored marble in intricate geometric forms, and frequently gilded.[24]

The choir dome - "The History of Christianity"

  • "History of Christianity" and "Christianity in France"
    "History of Christianity" and "Christianity in France"
  • The choir and the altar, with "History of Christianity" above
    The choir and the altar, with "History of Christianity" above
  • "The History of Christianity" fresco by Jules-Claude Ziegler. (Choir)
    "The History of Christianity" fresco by Jules-Claude Ziegler. (Choir)

The cul-de-four or half-dome over the choir of the church is decorated with a painting by Jules-Claude Ziegler (1804-1856) which depicts major events in the history of Christianity, with an emphasis on France. At the top is the figure of Christ with

Ingres, and painted the figures with the same realism and animation. The work took four years to complete.[25]

Mosaic of Lameire - "Christianity of France" and "The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene"

Below the "History of Christianity" and above the altar is later, unusual work; a wide ceramic mosaic depicting Christ with a group of Saints who had connections with France. This was conceived between 1888 and 1893 by Father LeRebours, the curate of the church, and is in the Neo-Byxantine style, very different from the rest of the art in the choir. It painted by Charles-Joseph Lameire, and transformed into ceramic by the

Sevres Porcelain
workshops in Paris. In the dim light inside of the church, the gilded ceramic tiles catch the light, sometimes making it the most visible art work in the church.

The Christ of the Resurrection is the central figure in the mosaic, accompanied by the first disciples and missionaries who lived and preached in Gaul, including the patron saint of the church,

Saint Genevieve, patron saint of Paris; Saint Trophyme, a disciple of Saint Paul and founder of the church in Arles. The figure of Saint Front of Perigeaux, founder of the church in Rocamadour, who is given the features of the artist, Lameire); Saint Ursin, founder of the church in Bourges, who is given the features of the architect Charles Garnier, and others.[26]

Below the mosaic is a row of Corinthian columns which form a theatrical background behind the altar. and a marble stairway leading up to the altar. Behind the altar is a monumental sculpture, "The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene", by Carlo Marochetti (1805-1868), depicting Mary Magdalene, kneeling in prayer, as she is transported into heaven by three Angels.[27]

Sculpture in the Vestibule - "The Baptism of Christ"

In the vestibule at the south end of the church, is another monumental sculpture, "The Baptism of Christ" by François Rude (1784-1855). Rude was already famous for a work he made in 1836, "The Departure of the Volunteers of 1795", prominently featured on the Arc de Triomphe.[28]

Decoration

  • The pulpit in the nave
    The pulpit in the nave
  • Detail of the ceiling vaults
    Detail of the ceiling vaults
  • Baptismal font
    Baptismal font

The decoration of the interior was completed in a relatively short period, under King Louis-Philippe, and is noted for its unusual harmony.

The organs

  • The organ and its keyboard (1855)
    The organ and its keyboard (1855)
  • The grand organ in the tribune
    The grand organ in the tribune
  • François-Henri Houbart, the current organist in 2022, at the keyboard in 2011
    François-Henri Houbart, the current organist in 2022, at the keyboard in 2011
  • The choir organ, behind the altar
    The choir organ, behind the altar

The church has had a long association with music and musicians. The funeral of

Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1845. It was restored by Cavaillé-Coll's successor Charles Mutin in 1927, who also extended the manuals to 56 notes. Tonal modifications were carried out by Roethinger, Danion-Gonzalez, and Dargassies in 1957, 1971 and 1988 respectively. :.[30][31][32]
A smaller organ from the same period is located in the choir.

Organists

The foyer

In the basement of the Church (entrance on the Flower Market side) is the Foyer de la Madeleine. Typical of various foyers run by religious and civic groups throughout France, the Madeleine is the home of a restaurant in which, for a yearly subscription fee, one can dine under the vaulted ceilings on a three-course French meal served by volunteers for a nominal price. The walls of the Foyer are often decorated by local artists.[33][34]

See also

References

  1. ^ Base Mérimée: Eglise de la Madeleine, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
  2. ^ Dumoulin, "Églises de Paris", (2010), p. 144
  3. ^ "La Madeleine". aviewoncities.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  4. ^ "ÉGLISE DE LA MADELEINE". en.parisinfo.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  5. ^ Dumoulin, "Églises de Paris", (2010), p. 146–147
  6. ^ [1]. Archived 2022-10-05 at the Wayback Machine Restoration section of the church website (in French)
  7. ^ [2]. Archived 2021-08-04 at the Wayback Machine History section on the church website (in French)
  8. ^ Dumoulin, "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 145
  9. ^ "La Madeleine - Paris, France". sacred-destinations.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Vignon's The Church of La Madeleine". smarthistory.khanacademy.org. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  11. ^ Dumoulin, "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 145
  12. ^ [3] Archived 2021-08-04 at the Wayback Machine History section on the church website (in French)
  13. ^ Dumoulin, "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 145
  14. ^ Dumoulin, "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 145
  15. ^ [4] Insecula history of the Church (n French)
  16. ^ [5] Insecula history of the Church (n French)
  17. ^ [6] Archived 2021-08-04 at the Wayback Machine History section on the church website (in French)
  18. ^ [7] Theater Paris site, concert history at La Madeleine, retrieved October 2, 2022
  19. ^ [8] Archived 2021-08-04 at the Wayback Machine Description of the church on Church website (in French)
  20. ^ "MadeleineArticle Free Pass". britannica.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  21. ^ "EGLISE DE LA MADELEINE". francethisway.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  22. ^ [9] Archived 2021-08-04 at the Wayback Machine Description of the church on the Parish website (in French)
  23. ^ [10] Archived 2021-08-04 at the Wayback Machine Description of the church on the Parish website (in French)
  24. ^ Dumoulin (2010), p. 146
  25. ^ Dumoulin (2010), p. 146
  26. ^ [11] Parish website, description of church
  27. ^ Dumoulin (2010), p. 147
  28. ^ Dumoulin (2010), p. 147
  29. ^ Dumoulin (2010), p. 146
  30. ISBN 9781576470046
    . Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  31. ^ "The Cavaille-Coll organ of La Madeleine, Paris". signumrecords.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  32. ^ "Appendix J Parisian Organists - A Directory of Composers for" (PDF). rscm.u-net.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  33. ^ "ÉGLISE DE LA MADELEINE REVIEW". fodors.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  34. ^ "Place de la Madeleine". lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

Bibliography (In French)

  • Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; Églises de Paris (2010), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux,
    ISBN 978-2-7072-0683-1

External links

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