Église Saint-Louis de Toulon, Catholic church in central Toulon, France

Église Saint-Louis de Toulon is a neoclassical building from the late 18th century with three naves separated by white Doric columns from Cassis. The choir is encircled by ten Corinthian columns and creates a harmonious interior with carefully proportioned spaces.

Bishop Armand de Chalucet obtained part of the Place d'Armes from Louis XIV and laid the first stone in 1709; plague halted work in 1720 with the walls barely three metres high. Resumed in 1767 and nearly finished by 1776, the building was demolished in 1780 on Louis XVI's order because it obstructed troop exercises. The replacement, built by Joseph Sigaud from 1782 to 1788 on the site of the Capuchin convent, was consecrated only on 25 January 1858.

The church is dedicated to King Louis IX of France, but it was only consecrated under that name on 25 January 1858 by Bishop Jordany of Fréjus, decades after the building was finished. Inside, a statue of Saint Sebastian is attributed to Pierre Puget, and a boat recalls Simon Peter the fisherman.

The church is accessible to visitors during its open hours and lies within easy reach of central Toulon. You can explore the interior at your own pace and view the religious artworks and the crypt at ground level.

The crypt, reopened in 2017, holds a Madonna with Goldfinch. The church's 1961 organ by Athanase Dunand, with four manuals and 55 stops, is the most important in the diocese; a choir organ by Pascal Quoirin was added in 2018.