Sacré-Coeur
The
Basilica of
Sacré-Coeur is probably the second most
popular tourist church of Paris after Nôtre-Dame Cathedral. It's far
less important historically (or in terms of architecture) than either the
cathedral or the former royal chapel of
Sainte-Chapelle, but if you're visiting Montmartre--as you should do--it would
be a mistake not to wander through the basilica and enjoy the views from its
steps.
ABOVE: Tourists and local teenagers hang out
on the steps below the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre. INSET BELOW: A
side view of the Basilica and its Campanile, or bell tower, which was added in
1904.
 By Parisian standards, Sacré-Coeur isn't very old: It was begun
in 1875 and consecrated in 1919, following a long struggle with unstable subsoil
and problems caused by Montmartre's underground gypsum quarries. The mock
Roman-Byzantine church is made of a stone from outside Paris that whitens and
hardens upon exposure to air. It still engenders resentment among Parisians who
regard Sacré-Coeur as a whitehead on the face of Paris and a slap at the
Communards who were buried alive in Montmartre's gypsum mines during the
uprising of 1871. (See Wikipedia's
article
for more on the basilica's history.)
If you're devoted to the
cult of the Sacred Heart,
a visit to Sacré-Coeur will be a moving experience;
if you don't, you may feel that the church is a monument to your
great-grandmother's brand of Catholicism and an over-the-top expression of
religious theme-park architecture. Still, it's too big and visible to ignore,
and the views from the platform in front of Sacré-Coeur
and the base of its dome are hard to beat.
Next page:
Planning your visit
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