Chapelle Expiatoire: the hidden monument on rue Pasquier

What is the history of the Chapelle Expiatoire?

During the Revolution, the former Madeleine cemetery received the bodies of some 500 people executed on Place de la Révolution (today's Place de la Concorde), including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, as well as Philippe d'Orléans, the Comtesse du Barry and Girondin deputies. According to the Centre des monuments nationaux, the royal couple's remains were moved to the Basilica of Saint-Denis on 21 January 1815; the chapel's first stone was laid the same day.

Commissioned by Louis XVIII and completed in 1826 under Charles X, the chapel is the work of the architect Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, who had previously served Napoleon.

What is there to see?

• The garden lined with cenotaphs honouring the Swiss Guards killed at the Tuileries on 10 August 1792.
• The antique-style portico and the neoclassical chapel, with sculpted groups of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
• The crypt, beneath the chapel.

Allow 45 minutes to an hour. The public Square Louis-XVI around the chapel is a pleasant spot for a break.

When should you go?

According to the official website, the chapel opens Tuesday to Saturday from April to September, and Wednesday to Saturday from October to March, 10 am – 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm – 5 pm (last entry 30 minutes before closing). It is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Prices and concessions are on the Chapelle Expiatoire website.

How do you get there from the Concortel?

It is the closest visit to the hotel: the chapel is on the same street, about 2 minutes on foot (estimate). Ideal on a strike day or a rainy day, or to start a walk towards the Madeleine and the grands boulevards. For this week's outings, see This week in Paris.