Sacred Destinations
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Basilique Sacré-Coeur, Paris

Sacre Coeur
The Sacré-Coeur from the Arc de Triomphe. Photo Creative Commons License Ramón Durán.

Sacre Coeur
Photo Creative Commons License Dennis S. Hurd.

Sacre Coeur with Carousel
The Sacre-Coeur and a carousel on Montmartre. Photo Creative Commons License Stephan.


Photo © Nick Leonard.


Closer look at the exterior. Photo by Grzegorz Stanecki.
The Sacre-Coeur by night. Photo Creative Commons License Pierre Metivier.


Detail of exterior. Photo Creative Commons License Thérèse-Marie.


Sacré-Coeur by night. Photo Creative Commons License Pierre Metivier.



The Basilique Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) is a Roman Catholic church and familiar landmark in Paris, located on the highest point of the city in Montmartre.

History

The site of the 19th-century basilica is traditionally associated with the beheading of the city's patron, Saint Denis, in the 3rd century. According to legend, after he was martyred, Bishop Denis picked up his severed head and carried it several miles to the north where the city of Saint Denis stands today. The hill was later home to a large Benedictine abbey, which was destroyed at the French Revolution.

After France's 1870 defeat by the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian War and its aftermath, the Commune of 1871, the basilica was planned as a guilt offering and a vote of confidence to cure France's misfortunes.

The Basilique Sacré-Coeur was designed by the architect Paul Abadie in a Romanesque-Byzantine architectural style. Its foundation stone was laid in 1875. The basilica was not completed until 1914 and not officially opened for worship until 1919, after the end of the First World War.

What to See

The basilica was paid for by national subscription, and its iconography is distinctly nationalistic. The Sacré-Coeur has much in common, both historically and architecturally, with the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourviere in Lyon.

The triple-arched portico is surmounted by two bronze equestrian statues of France's national saints, Joan of Arc and King Saint Louis IX. Even the great bell, the Savoyarde, has nationalist references: Savoy was annexed to France in 1860. Cast in Annecy in 1895, it is one of the world's heaviest bells at 19 tons.

The Sacré-Coeur Basilica is built of Château-Landon (Seine-et-Marne) stone, a frost-resistant travertine that constantly weathers out its calcite, so that it bleaches with age to a chalky whiteness.

Golden mosaics glow in the dim, echoing interior of the Sacré-Coeur. The mosaic of Christ in Majesty (1922) in the apse is one of the world's largest, and incorporates Joan of Arc as well as the Virgin Mary.

A climb to the top of the dome provides an excellent view of Paris - at 271 feet above Montmartre Hill it is the second-highest viewpoint after the Eiffel Tower - and the walk around the inside of the dome alone is worth the climb. Even the view from the front steps of the basilica is excellent. At the rear of the grounds is a contemplative garden and fountain.

Since 1885, the Blessed Sacrament has been continually on display in a monstrance above the high altar. Perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has continued uninterrupted in the Basilica since 1885. The crypt contains a relic that some believe to be Christ's Sacred Heart (Sacré-Coeur).

Quick Facts

Address: Pl. du Parvis-du-Sacré-Coeur, 18e, Paris, France
Phone: 01-53-41-89-00
Website: www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com
Métro: Anvers or Abbesses. If you don't want to hike up the hill, you can take a funicular from the Abbesses station for the price of a Métro ticket.
Bus: 30, 54, 80, 85, Montmartrobus
Hours: Basilica: daily 6am-11pm
Dome and crypt: daily 9am-6pm
Cost: Free admission to basilica; dome and crypt €5

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of the Sacré-Coeur. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Paris Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Article Sources

  1. Sacre-Coeur - official site
  2. Sacre-Coeur - Fodors.com
  3. Basilique du Sacré-Coeur - Frommer's

More Information

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