Sacré Coeur
Sacré Coeur - practical information for visiting the famous basilica in the Montmartre district of Paris
Basilique du Sacré Cœur in Montmartre, what is it?
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a religious edifice located on the hill of Montmartre, historically the 'butte' of Paris. It was built at the end of the 19th centuryème century, following France's defeat in the war with Germany in 1870. The monument belongs to the Archdiocese of Paris. The building was inaugurated in 1891, but officially completed in 1923.
How high is the Basilica of Montmartre?
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is 130 m above sea level, so it can be seen from most of Paris. The building is topped by an 83m-high dome.
Sacré Cœur - Montmartre, the hill of martyrs
Montmartretakes its name from the expression "Mount of Martyrs". Indeed, in the 5th century AD, it was decided to build a chapel in honor of Saint Denis, bishop and martyr of Paris, on the Butte de Paris. The chapel was gradually abandoned before being rebuilt in the 9th century AD.
But why are we talking about martyrs? Because the hill on which the Sacred Heart stands was also the object of worship or veneration by many other Christian martyrs. This justifies the name "Mount of Martyrs". Charles VI, King of France, made a pilgrimage to the 'martyrium' of Montmartre.
During the events between the Burgundians and Armagnacs in the 15th century, pilgrimages to the hill were further strengthened.
It was also on the hilltop that Saint Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus in 1534.
Marie de Beauvilliers had the 'martyrium' restored in the 17th century. When the second abbey was built in the 17th century, a staircase leading to a crypt was discovered, revitalizing the veneration of the martyrs on the hill.
Saint Denis
Saint Denis, or Denis of Paris is a Christian saint and martyr who became the first bishop of Paris. He is the patron saint of the monastery of Saint Denis, north of Paris, where a number of French kings are buried.
After his death, Denis became the subject of legends that reinforced his veneration, aided by the efforts of the abbot of Saint-Denis, Hilduin. According to these legends, Saint Denis was originally the uncle of Saint Pancras, bishop of Rome. He is said to have built several churches in France, before being martyred on the hilltop of Paris around 250 CE. He died in the second half of the 3rdème century.
Saint Pierre de Montmartre church
Au 12ème As early as the 19th century, a church was built on the hilltop, the Eglise Saint Pierre de Montmartre. It still exists today, and was listed as a historic monument in 1923. It lies to the west of the Basilique du Sacre Coeur, not far from Place du Tertre. The old building was replaced by a Romanesque church in the 12th century by King Louis le Gros. At the same time, the Benedictine abbey was created by Queen Adelaide of Savoy. The church was damaged when the Chappe tower was built at the end of the 19th century, and was restored in the early 20th century.ème century.
Montmartre Benedictine Abbey
An abbey was founded on the Butte de Montmartre. This was destroyed by fire in 1559. A second abbey was founded by Marie de Beauvilliers below the hill.
During the French Revolution, the abbey's monastery was destroyed, and the Benedictine nuns were forced to leave. The abbess was executed on July 24, 1794.
Sacré Coeur - history of the basilica's construction
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart was built at the end of the 19th century. In 1872, Cardinal Guibert accepted a proposal to build a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, in reparation for the sins that had led to France's misfortunes (Alexandre Legentil and Hubert Rohault de Fleury were behind the proposal, following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870).
In 1973, the French National Assembly passed a law declaring the future site of the basilica to be in the public interest. This made it easier to obtain authorizations for the construction of the church.
The work will be financed entirely by donations, the majority of which were modest.
In the first half of 1874, a competition was held to select the best architectural project. Architect Paul Abadie won the competition.
Construction began in 1875, and was inaugurated on June 5, 1891, after 16 years of work.
Sacré-Coeur official website: https://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/
