Chapel of Expiation in Paris, France

Seldom used today, the word “expiation” refers to the act of atoning for a sin. In the case of this elegant chapel, the sin in question was regicide. 

The Chapel of Expiation is built on top of the old Madeleine Cemetery, which became an egalitarian dumping ground for rich and poor alike during the French Revolution. This included King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette, who were hastily buried with little fanfare on the days of their executions. (Ironically enough, the cemetery also held the remains of many who perished during a stampede caused by the king and queen’s wedding celebrations.)

When the Bourbon dynasty was restored, the new Louis XVIII set about turning his brother and sister-in-law into martyrs. While the king and queen were quickly dug up and reburied in the royal Basilica of Saint Denis, it was soon decided that a grand monument would be erected to their memory, covering the entire square footage of the old cemetery.

It’s a peaceful spot to visit today, with a courtyard garden surrounded by symbolic tombs leading up to the central chapel. Inside, marble sculptures of the king and queen kneel at the feet of an angel and an allegory of religion, piously awaiting their executions. On a lower level, an altar marks the exact spot where the king’s body was exhumed.

After future revolutions ended the monarchy for good, the chapel became an ambiguous and uncomfortable symbol of the old order. Restorationists continued to attend its services as a political statement, anti-monarchists campaigned for its demolition, and the short-lived Paris Commune of 1871 even passed legislation to do so.

The chapel was eventually deconsecrated and listed as a historic monument. Nevertheless, a mass continues to be held there once a year to commemorate the king’s execution, and it remains a popular destination for the small minority of French conservatives who hold out hope for a return of the monarchy.