Sainte-Clotilde, Paris

The Basilica of Saint Clotilde stands as a landmark of the nineteenth century, but its original design faced intense public scrutiny. City officials and critics labeled the project an architectural extravagance that drained the budget of the French capital during a period of economic instability. The massive neo-Gothic structure was the first of its kind in Paris, intentionally built to break away from the dominant neoclassical styles that defined the city skyline for decades.