Commemorative Architecture, Periclean Athens and the Polish Revolution of 1791: Auguste de Choiseul-Gouffier's Parthenon-Inspired Temple for Warsaw.

The article focuses on Auguste de Choiseul-Gouffier's late eighteenth-century design proposal for the Temple of Providence in Warsaw, which represents the earliest known European example of using the Parthenon as a model for modern commemorative architecture. This unbuilt neoclassical temple was intended to honor the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's Constitution of 3 May 1791 and symbolized Choiseul-Gouffier's admiration for ancient Greek aristocratic republicanism as a political ideal, contrasting with the radicalism of the French Revolution. The proposal reflects the political and cultural context of its time, linking classical architectural forms with contemporary reformist aspirations in Poland-Lithuania, while also illustrating early philhellenic enthusiasm and the emerging Greek Revival in European architecture. Choiseul-Gouffier's design adapted the Parthenon's form for Catholic worship and public use, emphasizing harmony, economy, and symbolic meaning tied to the peaceful constitutional reform in Poland.