Chapelle Expiatoire is nestled in Paris's 8th arrondissement, in the heart of Square Louis XVI. This location is no coincidence, as it was here that the Madeleine cemetery was located. It was here that the bodies of Louis XVI, the last King of France under the Ancien Régime, and Queen Marie-Antoinette were laid to rest.
Guillotined in 1793 on the Place de la Concorde, then known as the Place de la Révolution, their remains have since been transferred to the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the final resting place of the kings of France.
Commissioned in 1815 by Louis XVIII, the brother of Louis XVI, construction of this chapel in memory of the royal couple was completed in 1826. It stands on the very spot where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were buried before their transfer to the Basilique Saint-Denis in 1815. In 1914, the chapel was listed as a Monument Historique.
Inside, two sculptures stand out: one depicting an angel showing Louis XVI the sky, the other showing Marie-Antoinette kneeling before Religion. Louis XVI's will and the last letter written by Marie-Antoinette to Madame Elisabeth, the king's sister, can also be read here.
Opening hours:
April 1 to September 30 10:00 - 12:30 and 13:30 - 18:30 Closed Sunday and Monday
October 1 to March 31 10:00 - 12:30 and 13:30 - 17:00 Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
Last access to the monument, 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25.
Admission:
6€ Full price
Free for under-18s, 18-25 year-olds with European citizenship, disabled persons, jobseekers and holders of the Education Pass.
Access:
Metro lines 3,12,13,14: Saint-Lazare and line 9: Saint-Augustin
Bus lines 32,43,49,84 and 9
Location
Chapelle Expiatoire
29 Rue Pasquier
75008 Paris 8
Prices
Plein Tarif: €6
Official website
www.chapelle-expiatoire-paris.fr
More information
Free for under-18s and 18-25 European Union citizens
