Temple de l'Amour, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Historical monument on Île de la Jatte in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
The Temple of Love is a round pavilion with a delicate dome supported by slender columns in the neoclassical style, standing on the Seine's riverbank. The structure rests on masonry and shapes the landscape of Île de la Jatte with its refined form.
The temple was designed in 1785 for a French nobleman and originally bore a military name. In the early 19th century it was moved to this island and later repositioned several times.
The name changed from Temple of Mars to Temple of Love when Louis-Philippe had it moved to his "réserve du roi" on the Île de la Jatte shortly before 1830. The building came from the Folie de Chartres, the garden of follies laid out in 1785 by Carmontelle for Philippe d'Orléans, with architecture by Bernard Poyet. Louis-Philippe held celebrated parties in this English-style garden.
The temple is visible from the island's banks and can be visited year-round. The best time to visit is during good weather when you can see the structure and surroundings clearly.
The temple was moved a second time in 1930 and set on a masonry base; it now shelters a stucco nymph. The white seated figure visible between two columns at the rear is the companion of Achilles placed there when the building became the Temple of Love.
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