Built as a temple to honour the glory of Napoleon's Army: La Madeleine is a church dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, but when it was built, it was intended as a temple to honour the glory of Napoleon's army.   Its style is Neo-Classical and it was inspired by the Maison Carrée in Nimes, but  had it not been for a couple of twists in the course of history, La Madeleine might well have been quite a different monument today. When Pierre Contant d'Ivry was first commissioned to build … [Read more...]