Chapelle expiatoire Religious Site

Parisian memorial chapel built on Louis XVI burial site

Near Paris's Gare Saint-Lazare, the Chapelle expiatoire commemorates Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette with a neoclassical chapel and crypt; history-minded visitors tour its restrained interiors and garden.

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Chapelle expiatoire at a Glance#

Address: 29 Rue Pasquier, 75008 Paris, France

Website: https://chapelle-expiatoire.paris.fr/

Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-5:30pm, closed Mondays

Admission: €6-8 adults (approx.)

About Chapelle expiatoire#

The Chapelle Expiatoire is a neoclassical funerary chapel in Paris, erected in the early 19th century to commemorate King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. It was commissioned by Louis XVIII as an expiatory monument on the site of a former burial plot used during the Revolution.

The building contains a small chapel and an underground crypt, and is set within a modest landscaped enclosure featuring funerary sculpture and reliefs. It functions both as a place of remembrance and as an example of post-Napoleonic memorial architecture.

The chapel was constructed in the years following the Bourbon restoration and was completed in the 1820s. It stands in the 8th arrondissement of Paris near the Place de la Madeleine and is accessible to visitors during opening hours.

  • Memorial site: Built as a royal memorial, the chapel marks the location where the bodies of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were initially buried after their executions.

How to Get to Chapelle expiatoire#

The Chapelle Expiatoire is in the 8th arrondissement at Rue Pasquier, a short walk from Place de la Madeleine and the Parc Monceau. The nearest metro stations include Madeleine (lines 8, 12, 14) and Saint‑Augustin (line 9).

Tips for Visiting Chapelle expiatoire#

  • Visit on a weekday morning to avoid the late‑morning rush and to hear the space rather than the crowd.
  • Pay attention to the chapel's funerary plaques and the neoclassical memorials - the building's architecture is as much a message as the sculptures.
  • Combine with a walk through the Parc Monceau or the surrounding 8th‑arrondissement to see urban Paris beyond the better‑known sights.

Best Time to Visit Chapelle expiatoire#

Spring through autumn for the best surrounding urban experience; weekdays are less crowded.

Spring-Autumn
April-October · 10-22°C (50-72°F)
Pleasant weather for walking the adjacent neighborhoods and gardens.
Winter
November-March · 2-10°C (36-50°F)
Quieter museum hours; colder but atmospheric for reflective visits.

Weather & Climate near Chapelle expiatoire#

Climate

Chapelle expiatoire's climate is classified as Oceanic - Oceanic climate with mild summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 2°C to 25°C. Moderate rainfall (677 mm/year), distributed fairly evenly throughout the year.

Air Quality: AQI 51 Moderate
Best Time to Visit
AugustJuneJuly
Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
40°
Warmest Month
-12°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions
Month Comfort Temp Feels Rain Sky Humidity Wind UV Daylight
January Poor 2° - 7° 1° 54 mm overcast 92% 4.4 m/s 0.1 low 8.6h
February Poor 2° - 8° 2° 49 mm overcast 87% 4.2 m/s 0.2 low 10.0h
March Good 5° - 12° 6° 59 mm partly cloudy 82% 4.5 m/s 0.5 low 11.7h
April Good 6° - 15° 11° 57 mm partly cloudy 77% 4.3 m/s 0.9 moderate 13.5h
May Good 10° - 19° 15° 65 mm overcast 76% 3.9 m/s 1.2 high 15.0h
June Excellent 13° - 22° 18° 56 mm partly cloudy 75% 3.8 m/s 1.5 high 15.8h
July Very Good 15° - 25° 20° 62 mm partly cloudy 72% 3.5 m/s 1.5 high 15.5h
August Excellent 15° - 25° 20° 44 mm partly cloudy 72% 3.3 m/s 1.2 high 14.1h
September Very Good 12° - 21° 17° 56 mm partly cloudy 76% 3.5 m/s 0.8 moderate 12.4h
October Good 9° - 16° 12° 62 mm overcast 84% 3.7 m/s 0.4 low 10.7h
November Acceptable 5° - 11° 5° 55 mm overcast 91% 3.9 m/s 0.1 low 9.1h
December Poor 3° - 8° 3° 58 mm overcast 93% 4.3 m/s 0.1 low 8.2h

Nearby Attractions to Chapelle expiatoire#