There are very few decorative elements, although there is a nice statue of Joan of Arc.

The bronze door reliefs represent the 10 commandments. On the pediment, there’s a sculpture of the last judgment. It’s based on a Greco-Roman temple design, with 52 massive Corinthian columns. He sought to build a “Temple to the Glory of the Great Army.”Īs a result, Madeleine has a military feel and is different than other churches you’ll see in Paris. The church you see today dates from 1806. Like many grand churches, it has been through many incarnations. The Eglise Madeleine is one of Paris’ best churches and one of the best things to see in the Opera district. Eglise Madeleine: Napoleon’s Military Church Not included in Paris Museum PassĮglise Madeleine 4. Entry fee: 14 euros for a self guided tour.Hours: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, Guide tours in English are at 11:00 am and 2:30 pm.Address: 8 Rue de Scribe, Place de l’Opera 75009 Paris.The highlights are the Grand Staircase, the Grand Foyer, and the luminous 1964 Chagall ceiling mural.Ĭlick here to book a skip the line ticket.

It’s almost a crescendo effect.Įach room exceeds the next in grandeur. The interior was designed in four segments: the entrance, the auditorium, the stage, and the administrative offices. The facade is crowned by two gilded figures, Harmony and Poetry, and topped by Apollo proudly brandishing a golden lyre.

Between the facade’s grand columns are niched busts of accomplished composers. The opera house is designed in what Garnier dubbed the “Napoleon Style” with eclectic Neo-Baroque elements. The Grand Foyer, similar to the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles Grand Staircase sculptures in the opera house sculptures on the facade

Tours of the paris opera house