Construction halted during the French Revolution until 1806 when Napoleon decided to build a temple in honor of his army. He appointed Pierre - Alexandre Vignon who razed the structure yet again and started with the construction of a temple based on the 'Maison Carree', an ancient Roman temple in the French city of Nimes.With the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, which honored the French Army, the new temple was looking for a new function.

Some of the suggestions included using the temple as a parliament, a bank or even a train station. Finally in 1842 the building was consecrated as a church, a function it still holds today. The Madeleine is built in the Neo-Classical style and was inspired by the Maison Carree at Nimes, the best-preserved of all Roman temples. Its 52 Corinthian columns, each 20 metres high, are carried around the entire exterior of the building.

The pediment is adorned with a sculptured relief of the Last Judgment by Lemaire; the church's bronze doors bear reliefs representing the Ten Commandments.Inside, the church has a single nave with three domes, lavishly gilded in a decor inspired by Renaissance artists. At the rear of the church, above the high altar, stands a statue by Charles Marochetti depicting St Mary Magdalene being carried up to heaven by two angels.