Here it is, resplendent in whiteness, after more than two years of work. The Madeleine Church, designed by Napoleon I as a Greek temple in the center of Paris, has regained its facade, officially unveiled on Wednesday. A relief for the mayor of the capital, while the building had for years been surrounded by scaffolding protecting it from falling rocks.
“Twenty-five years of scaffolding, it was no longer possible, we were ashamed to see these nets,” said the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, stressing that during the Olympic Games (July 26 – August 11), “the athletes will have their home here to pray, to meditate. This place must be up to the task.”
The project costing around 10 million euros allowed for “monumental work, both meticulous and large-scale”, explained architect Thomas Gaudig during the reception ceremony of the work, listing: “More than 150 cubic meters of stone and hundreds of square meters of paving replaced”, a vast facade cleaned “while protecting from lead emissions”…
La Madeleine, central location of the Olympic Games for the Church
On July 19, La Madeleine will host an opening mass for the Olympic truce. It will offer various activities during the Games, with each day a mass dedicated to a different nation, cultural tours of the building, Christian pop, reggae, classical concerts, etc. “A 50-meter athletics track will also be installed on the right side of the church, where everyone can run for their country,” Isabelle de Chatellus, director of the “Holy Games” project set up by the Church to accompany the Olympics, told AFP.
Due to the closure of Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Madeleine “will be the central location” with in particular a “Our Lady of Sportsmen” chapel installed within the church. Beyond the Madeleine, the Church plans to get involved in the Olympics with, among other things, an interreligious event planned for August 4 on the square in front of Notre-Dame.