 During the French Revolution, the revolutionaries wanted to tear down the church, but the Benedictine Verdier-Latour managed to persuade them that it would be an excellent gathering place for the people.Only the rood screen, choir stalls, altar, statues and furniture (with the exception of an Easter chandelier by Philippe Caffieri) were destroyed, though three transept towers were razed.La Bayette owed its survival only to its practical usefulness, for it gave the time.