Louis-François Trouard (; 1729–1804) was a French

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Biography

Trouard was born in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

to a wealthy father who was a sculptor and supplier of marble to the king. Trouard studied with Louis-Adam Loriot at the Académie de peinture. Winner of the academy's grand prize (the predecessor to the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

) in 1753, he studied at the Académie de France à Rome from 1753 until 1757. During his stay in Italy from 1754 until 1758, he created a travelogue that described innovative trends in architecture, as well as the medieval architecture of Pisa. Upon his return to Paris, he constructed a house for his father at 9 rue du Faubourg-Montmartre. The construction employed a Greek frieze evoking the style of one of his classmates in Rome,

Pierre-Louis Moreau-Desproux Pierre-Louis Moreau-Desproux (Paris 1727 — Paris 1793) was a pioneering French Neoclassicism, neoclassical architect. Training Though he did not gain the Prix de Rome that was the dependable gateway to a prominent French career in architecture ...

. He built another house for his father in 1761 at 1 rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière (the house has since been destroyed). Under the protection of Monseigneur de Jarente, he was made the architect of the royal commissaries who were responsible for the construction of religious buildings with funds seized from fleeing Protestants. In 1764 he added the Chapel de la Providence (now the Chapelle des Catéchismes) to the church of Saint-Louis at Versailles (now

Versailles Cathedral Versailles Cathedral ( French: ''Cathédrale Saint-Louis de Versailles'') is a Roman Catholic church located in Versailles, France. It is a national monument. It is the seat of the Bishop of Versailles, created as a constitutional bishopric in 1 ...

). He then commenced construction of the church of Saint-Symphorien, the third parish of Versailles, which he built as a basilica. In 1765, he succeeded

Ange-Jacques Gabriel Ange-Jacques Gabriel (; 23 October 1698 – 4 January 1782) was the principal architect of King Louis XV of France. His major works included the Place de la Concorde, the École Militaire, and the Petit Trianon and opera theater at the Palace of ...

as the architect of

Orléans Cathedral Orléans Cathedral ( French: ''Basilique Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the city of Orléans, France. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Orléans. Built on the ruins of a Roman temple from ...

. He was a close friend of

Guillaume Thomas François Raynal Guillaume Thomas François Raynal (12 April 1713 – 6 March 1796), also known as Abbé Raynal, was a French people, French writer, former Catholic Church, Catholic priest, and man of letters during the Age of Enlightenment. Early life He was bo ...

. Trouard joined the Royal Academy of Architecture in 1769. His students

Claude Nicolas Ledoux Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (; 21 March 1736 – 18 November 1806) was one of the earliest exponents of French Neoclassical architecture. He used his knowledge of architectural theory to design not only domestic architecture but also town planning; ...

Pierre-Adrien Pâris Pierre-Adrien Pâris (1745 - 1 August 1819) was a French architect, painter and designer. Biography Pâris was born at Besançon, the son of an architect and official surveyor at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Basel. He went to Paris to st ...

and his own son, Louis Alexandre Trouard, received the grand prize in 1780. In 1773, Trouard was forced to leave Versailles and return to Paris for his reputed involvement in an embezzlement scandal. King

Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

later cleared him of the accusations.

Major works

* Maison Trouard - constructed in 1758, for his father in the fishmongers' quarter, at 9 rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, 9th district. * Chapelle de la Providence –

(1764) * Completion (tower and eastern façade) of Orleans Cathedral (1765–1773) * Church of Saint-Symphorien,

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

(1764–1771). * Salon des Aigles at the Hôtel d'Aumont, 10

place de la Concorde The Place de la Concorde (; ) is a public square in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. It was the s ...

, Paris (now the

Hôtel de Crillon Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel () is a historic luxury hotel in Paris which opened in 1909 in a building dating to 1758. Located at the foot of the Champs-Élysées, the Crillon, along with the Hôtel de la Marine, is one of two identical s ...

) * Chapel at

Meung-sur-Loire Meung-sur-Loire () is a commune in the Loiret department, north-central France. It was the site of the Battle of Meung-sur-Loire in 1429. Geography Meung-sur-Loire lies 15 km to the west of Orléans on the north bank of the river Loir ...

Descendants

* Louis Trouard is the 6 times great-grandfather of actor

Jim Parsons James Joseph Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American actor. From 2007 to 2019, Parsons played Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory''. He has received various awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstandin ...

of the television show ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for CBS. It aired from September 24, 2007, to May 16, 2019, running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes. The show originally centered on five charact ...

'', as discovered on ''

Who Do You Think You Are Who Do You Think You Are may refer to: Television series * ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (British TV series), a genealogy documentary with many adaptations: ** ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (American TV series) ** ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' ...

''.

Biography

Major works

Descendants

References

Further reading