Taxi transfer to the Chapel atoning in Paris

History and visit the Chapel atoning in  Paris

The Chapel is a chapel atoning Saint -Lazare area . It is located at 29 rue Pasquier in the 8th arrondissement of Paris . Placed near the department stores on Boulevard Haussmann, it is not easy to see , because it is surrounded by the greenery of Louis XVI Square. Neoclassical style, atoning chapel was built between 1815 and 1826 according to plans by the architect Pierre- François-Léonard Fontaine. It stands on the site of a former revolutionary cemetery where were buried the remains of Louis XVI and Marie- Antoinette , Olympe de Gouges or Charlotte Corday . In addition to the Basilica of Saint- Denis , the expiatory chapel is a memorial of the French monarchy. Since July 22, 1914 , the chapel is ranked among the historical monuments. It is only open three days a week , on Thursdays , Fridays and Saturdays from 13 am to 17 pm . Guided tours are taught in French , English and Spanish. Group visits ( minimum 20 persons) must be booked in advance. This site is served by bus lines 32, 43, 49 , 84 and 94, the Auber RER line A and the metro station Saint -Lazare.

The creation of an expiatory monument in honor of the two rulers , King Louis XVI and Queen Marie- Antoinette , was an idea of ​​the aide of the future Charles X , Sosthenes de La Rochefoucauld – Doudeauville in 1815. Louis XVIII appealed to the architect Pierre -François- Léonard Fontaine to build a memorial chapel at the site of the ancient cemetery of La Madeleine , which housed the tomb of some Swiss guards killed during the taking of the Tuileries Palace in 1792 . Fontaine was known for building the Arc du Carrousel placed in the gardens of the Palais du Louvre. Aided by his disciple Louis -Hippolyte Lebas , Fontaine was able to finish the building in 1826. In 1862, the aisle that led to the chapel was replaced by the construction of a park, which is the current Louis XVI Square. Park development demanded the removal of cypress trees surrounding the chapel. During the reign of Louis -Philippe , the Commune and the Third Republic, the Chapel Expiatoire was threatened with demolition. Although she was not destroyed, it was closed for some time. The memorial Mass for the repose of the two sovereigns , held annually on January 21 , in the chapel , allowed the legitimist obtain the reopening of the chapel.

In architectural terms , the expiatory chapel is quite inspired Convent of the Queen at Versailles. Viewed from the outside, it is an enclosure with portal offering a glimpse at an elevated plaza , flanked by two galleries of the cloister. Basically, the chapel is accessible by a portico with pediment tetrastyle Doric . As for the interior aspect, the central coffered dome is buttressed by three arches ass oven, also boxes and illuminated in their upper part by an oculus . The oculi vaults offer a beautiful natural lighting. Fashioned in black and white marble, the altar in the crypt means the exact spot where Louis XVI was buried . Two statues adorn the interior of the chapel, ” Louis XVI , which shows an angel heaven” , designed by François Joseph Bosio and work of Jean -Pierre Cortot ” supported by the Religion Marie Antoinette .” For its originality , the expiatory chapel attracts many newlyweds for their wedding photographs.