Church of Notre-Dame

Description

The Church of Notre-Dame in Versailles was built at the command of Louis XIV by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in the Neo-Classical style and was consecrated on 30 October 1686. The parish of Notre-Dame included the Palace of Versailles and thus registered the baptisms, marriages and burials of the French royal family.

In 1791 it was declared a cathedral but converted to a Temple of Reason in 1793. After the Revolution the bishop of Versailles chose the Church of Saint-Louis as his seat instead (the present Versailles Cathedral).

Between 1858 and 1873, a new chapel was added by the architect Le Poittevin, who also built the market-halls of the Marché Notre-Dame.

The church contains sculptures by Pierre Mazzeline and Noël Jouvenet.