Before entering the Church of the Madeleine, you can admire its front façade adorned with a sculpture of the Last Judgement, by Lemaire (1833), which was restored in the years 1991-93, as well as the bronze door’s reliefs of the Ten Commandments. The church’s interior, in its single nave, vestibule and semicircular choir, displays three domes gilded in the décor of Renaissance artists. Between the arches there are reliefs of the twelve Apostles. Among the numerous statues there are; François Rude’s sculpture of the Baptism of Christ, and above the church’s high alter, a statue, sculpted by Charles Marochetti in 1837, of St Mary Magdalene being carried to heaven by two angels. Above the altar, a huge fresco depicts Constantine the Great, Joan of Arc, St Louis, Frederick Barbarossa, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, Cardinal Richelieu, Napoleon and other figures. The church also houses one of the most beautiful pipe organs in Paris, built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811-1899), used by the famous composers and organists: Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré. Frédéric Chopin, Fauré and Saint-Saëns' funerals were held in the church.

Today, affiliated with a Benedictine abbey, the Madeleine, is popular for weddings, funerals, daily masses and concerts. On the east side of the church, a flower market exists, but it is only open from Tuesday to Friday. In this area, you will also find some examples of Art Nouveau, which brought a lot of decorative innovation to jewellery, furniture, architecture of Paris, and is discernible in the ironwork of the new Paris Metro stations. At Place de la Madeleine nearby, there is the famous Fauchon delicatessen shop which offers exquisite wines, chocolates and other luxury foods. You will also find similar delicacies to the west, in Hediard's, also offering spirits, truffles and caviar.