A little history of Madeleine church in Paris
And also
The tops
Suburbs of Ville-l'Evêque owned since the 13th century a church dedicated to Mary-Magdalene, was raised on the current boulevard Malesherbes.
In the 17th century, the district population extended continually: people needed a new church, a bigger one!
The new church would be raised in the perspective of the rue Royale. King Louis XV laid the first stone down in 1764.
Plans were designed by Pierre Contant-d'Ivry. Guillaume Couture then replaced him: he decided to change the Latin cross plan with a Greek cross plan.
But during the Revolution, the building was transformed into a National assembly, a stock exchange, a library...
Napoleon decided to transform it into a temple dedicated to Glory: he asked architect Pierre Alexandre to finish it. The church was completed in 1845.
The current building, with Corinthian columns, is 108 metres long, 43 metres wide, 30 metres high.