Sacré-Cœur, Paris
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The Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre (Sacred Heart of Montmartre), commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur (french: Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, pronounced ), is a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...
and
minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, dedicated to the
Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...
of Jesus. It was formally approved as a national historic monument by the National Commission of Patrimony and Architecture on December 8, 2022. Sacré-Cœur Basilica is located at the summit of the
butte __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...
of
Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...
. From its dome two hundred meters above the Seine, the basilica overlooks the entire city of Paris and its suburbs. It is the most popular tourist destination in the capital after the
Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "'' ...
. The basilica was first proposed by Felix Fournier, the Bishop of Nantes, in 1870 after the defeat of France and the capture of
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
at the
Battle of Sedan The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War from 1 to 2 September 1870. Resulting in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and over a hundred thousand troops, it effectively decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, ...
in the Franco-Prussian War. He attributed the defeat of France to the moral decline of the country since the French Revolution, and proposed a new Parisian church dedicated to the
Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...
of Jesus. The basilica was designed by
Paul Abadie Paul Abadie (9 November 1812 – 3 August 1884) was a French architect and building restorer. He is considered a central representative of French historicism. He was the son of architect Paul Abadie Sr. Abadie worked on the restoration of Not ...
, whose Neo-Byzantine-Romanesque plan was selected from among seventy-seven proposals. Construction began in 1875 and continued for forty years under five different architects. Completed in 1914, the basilica was formally consecrated in 1919 after World War I. Sacré-Cœur Basilica has maintained a perpetual adoration of the
Holy Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ot ...
since 1885. The site is traditionally associated with the martrydom of Saint Denis, the patron saint of Paris."Le Sacre-Coeur - Monument Historique? Polemique en Vue." by Baudouin Eschapasse, "Le Point" magazine, October 14, 2020


History


Proposal

The plan to build a new Parisian church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was first proposed on September 4, 1870, by Felix Fournier, the Bishop of Nantes, following the defeat of France and the capture of Emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
by the Prussians at the
Battle of Sedan The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War from 1 to 2 September 1870. Resulting in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and over a hundred thousand troops, it effectively decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, ...
in the Franco-Prussian War. Until his death in 1877, Fournier was an active builder who completed the long-delayed restoration of
Nantes Cathedral Nantes Cathedral, or the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of Nantes (french: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Nantes), is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral located in Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France. Construction began in 1434, on t ...
. He wrote that the defeat of France in 1870 was a divine punishment for the moral decline of the country since the French Revolution. In January 1871, Bishop Fournier was joined by the philanthropist Alexandre Legentil, who was a follower of
Frederic Ozanam Frederic may refer to: Places United States * Frederic, Wisconsin, a village in Polk County * Frederic Township, Michigan, a township in Crawford County ** Frederic, Michigan, an unincorporated community Other uses * Frederic (band), a Japanese r ...
, the founder of the
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor. Innumerable Catholic parishes have ...
. Legentil declared that France had been justly punished for its sins by the defeat of the French Army at Sedan and the imprisonment of the Pope in Italy by Italian nationalists. He wrote, "We recognize that we were guilty and justly punished. To make honourable amends for our sins, and to obtain the infinite mercy of the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ and the pardon of our sins, as well as extraordinary aid which alone can delivery our sovereign Pontiff from captivity and reverse the misfortune of France, we promise to contribute to the erection in Paris of a sanctuary dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus." The influence of Legentil led to a successful fundraising campaign based entirely on private contributions.


Site

Montmarte was selected as the site of the new basilica due to its prominent height and visibility from many parts of the city. Since the location included land belonging to the local government as well as private owners, the French parliament assisted in securing the site by declaring that the construction of the basilica was in the national interest. In July 1873, the proposal was finally brought forward and approved in the National Assembly with the official statement that "it was necessary to efface by this work of expiation the crimes which have crowned our sorrows." The groundbreaking for the new church finally took place in 1875. Apart from its physical attributes, Montmartre or the "Hill of the Martyrs" was also chosen for its association with the early Christian church. According to tradition, it was the place where the patron saint of Paris,
Saint Denis of Paris Denis of Paris was a 3rd-century Christian martyr and saint. According to his hagiographies, he was bishop of Paris (then Lutetia) in the third century and, together with his companions Rusticus and Eleutherius, was martyred for his faith by d ...
, was beheaded by the Romans. His tomb became the site of the
Basilica of Saint Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...
, the traditional resting place for the kings of France until the French Revolution. In addition, Montmartre was the birthplace of the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
, one of the largest and most influential religious orders in the history of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. In 1534,
Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...
and a few of his followers made their vows in
Saint-Pierre de Montmartre Saint-Pierre de Montmartre () is one of the oldest surviving churches in Paris, second to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, but the lesser known of the two main churches in Montmartre, the other being the more famous 19th-century Sacré-Cœur ...
, one of the oldest churches in Paris. The church survived the Revolution although the
Montmartre Abbey Montmartre Abbey (french: Abbaye de Montmartre) was a 12th-century Benedictine monastery established in the Montmartre district of Paris within the Diocese of Paris. In 1133, King Louis VI purchased the Merovingian church of Saint Peter of Mo ...
to which it belonged was destroyed.


Construction

File:Louis-Émile Durandelle, Construction du Sacré-Cœur, 1882.jpg, Construction of Sacré-Cœur underway (1882) File:Clément Maurice Paris en plein air, BUC, 1897,161 Le Sacré-Cœur.jpg, Construction of Sacre-Coeur (1897) File:75-Paris-Funiculaire et Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre-ND.JPG, The funicular railway to Sacre Coeur (about 1905) A competition was held for the design of the basilica and attracted seventy-seven proposals. Architect
Paul Abadie Paul Abadie (9 November 1812 – 3 August 1884) was a French architect and building restorer. He is considered a central representative of French historicism. He was the son of architect Paul Abadie Sr. Abadie worked on the restoration of Not ...
was selected, The competition was commemorated in ''Souvenir du Concours de l’Église du Sacré-Cœur'' (Paris: J. Le Clere) 1874. and the cornerstone finally laid on June 16, 1875.Harve
"Monument and Myth" 1979, pp 380–81
The early construction was delayed and complicated by unstable foundations. Eighty-three wells, each thirty meters deep, had to be dug under the site and filled with rock and concrete to serve as subterranean pillars supporting the basilica. Construction costs, estimated at 7 million
franc The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (Style of the French sovereign, King of the Franks) used on early France, ...
s drawn entirely from private donors, were expended before any above-ground structure became visible. A provisional chapel was consecrated on March 3, 1876, and pilgrimage quickly brought in additional funding. Not long after the foundation was completed in 1884, Abadie died and was succeeded by five other architects who made extensive modifications:
Honoré Daumet Pierre Jérôme Honoré Daumet (23 October 1826, Paris – 12 December 1911, Paris) was a French architect. Biography Daumet was the winner of the Prix de Rome in 1855, and in 1861 conducted a treasure-hunting expedition to Macedonia at the reque ...
(1884–1886), Jean-Charles Laisné (1886–1891), Henri-Pierre-Marie Rauline (1891–1904),
Lucien Magne Lucien Magne (27 December 1849 – 25 July 1916) was a French architect specialising in religious buildings. He took a large part in the completion of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre on the death of Paul Abadie (1884). He created ...
(1904–1916), and Jean-Louis Hulot (1916–1924). During construction, opponents of the basilica were relentless in their effort to hinder its progress. In 1882, the walls of the church were barely above its foundations when the left-wing coalition led by
Georges Clemenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (, also , ; 28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A key figure of the Independent Radicals, he was a ...
won the parliamentary election. Clemenceau immediately proposed halting the work, and the parliament blocked all further funding for the project. However, faced with enormous liabilities of twelve million francs from project cancellation, the government had to allow the construction to proceed. In 1891, the interior of the basilica was completed, dedicated and opened for public worship. Still, in 1897, Clemenceau made another attempt to block its completion in the parliament, but his motion was overwhelmingly defeated since the cancellation of the project would require repaying thirty million francs to eight million people who had contributed to its construction. The dome of the church was completed in 1899, and the bell tower finished in 1912. The basilica was completed in 1914 and formally dedicated in 1919 after
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.


Controversy over the church

Criticism of the church by leftist journalists and politicians for its alleged connection with the destruction of the
Paris Commune The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...
continued from the late 19th century into the 20th and 21st centuries, even though the church had been proposed before the Paris Commune took place. In 1898,
Emile Zola Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...
wrote sarcastically, "France is guilty. It must do penitence. Penitence for what? For the Revolution, for a century of free speech and science, and emancipated reason... for that they built this gigantic landmark that Paris can see from all of its streets, and cannot be seen without feeling misunderstood and injured." Shortly after the completed
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...
was transported from France to the United States, opponents of Sacre-Coeur came up with a new strategy. They proposed installing a full-size copy of the Statue of Liberty on top of Montmartre, directly in front of the basilica, which would entirely block the view of the church. This idea was eventually dropped as expensive and impractical. A bomb was exploded inside the church in 1976. To make the government opposition to the church clear, the socialist prime minister
Lionel Jospin Lionel Robert Jospin (; born 12 July 1937) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002. Jospin was First Secretary of the Socialist Party from 1995 to 1997 and the party's candidate for President of France in ...
in 2004 renamed the square in front of and below the church for
Louise Michel Louise Michel (; 29 May 1830 – 9 January 1905) was a teacher and important figure in the Paris Commune. Following her penal transportation to New Caledonia she embraced anarchism. When returning to France she emerged as an important French a ...
, the prominent anarchist and participant in the Paris Commune. He expressed his wish that the basilica be demolished as a symbol of "obscurantism, bad taste and reactionism." In 2021, to avoid celebrating the church's history in the same year as the 150th anniversary of the
Paris Commune The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...
, leftist members of the French parliament blocked a measure to declare the church a national historic monument and postponed it until 2022. The church was finally named as a national historic monument by a unanimous vote of the National Commission of Patrimony and Architecture on December 8, 2022.This decision was immediately attacked by the leftist politician
Jean-Luc Mélenchon Jean-Luc Antoine Pierre Mélenchon (; born 19 August 1951) is a French politician who was a member of the National Assembly for the 4th constituency of Bouches-du-Rhône from 2017 to 2022. He led the ''La France Insoumise'' group in the Nation ...
, who called it "an apology for the 32,000 Paris Communards shot during eight days."


Description

The church is 85 meters long and thirty-five meters wide. It is composed of a large central rotunda, around which are placed a small nave, two transepts, and an advance-choir, which form a cross. The porch of the church has three bays, and is modelled after the porch of
Périgueux Cathedral Périgueux Cathedral is a Catholic church located in the city of Périgueux, France. A cathedral since 1669, it is dedicated to ( French: ''Cathédrale Saint-Front de Périgueux''). The cathedral's predecessor, still in operation as a church, is ...
. The dominant feature is the immense elongated ovoid cupola, 83.33 meters high, surrounded by four smaller cupolas. At the north end is the campanile, or bell tower, 84 meters high, containing the "Savoyarde", the largest bell in France. The overall style of the structure is a free interpretation of
Romano Romano may refer to: Food * Pecorino Romano, a hard, salty Italian cheese * Romano cheese, an American English and Canadian English term for a class of cheeses Places Italy Municipalities in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Latium * Arcinazzo Ro ...
-
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
architecture. This was an unusual architectural style at the time, and was in part a reaction against the neo-Baroque of the
Palais Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...
opera house by Charles Garnier, and other buildings of the
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
style. The construction was eventually handed on to a series of new architects, including Garnier himself, who was a counsellor to the architect Henri-Pierre Rauline between 1891 and 1904, Some elements of the design, particularly the elongated domes and the structural forms of the windows on the south facade, are Neo-classical, and were added by the later architects Henri-Pierre Rauline and Lucien Magne.


Exterior

File:Sacré-Cœur-de-Montmartre_plan_roofs.png, Plan of the church, with campanile at north end, and four smaller cupolas around central dome. File:Sacré Coeur - Aerial photo 1.jpg, Sacre-Coeur seen from above File:2018-02-21 10-18-36 sacré-coeur-paris.jpg, South facade, the main entrance overlooking Paris The campanile, or bell tower, on the north front, houses the nineteen-ton ''Savoyarde'' bell (one of the world's heaviest), cast in 1895 in
Annecy Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...
. It alludes to the attachment of
Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...
to France in 1860. File:Basilique Sacré Cœur Montmartre façade sud Paris 11.jpg, Detail of the south facade File:Paris Basilique Sacré-Coeur Chor 2.jpg, The north facade, and choir File:Tour du Sacré Cœur, Montmartre, Paris May 2011.jpg, The campanile or bell tower The porch of the south facade, the main entrance, is loaded with sculpture combining religious and French national themes. It is topped with a statue representing the Sacred Heart of Christ. The arches of the facade are decorated with two
equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: * Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...
statues of French national saints
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...
(1927) and King Saint Louis IX, both executed in
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
by
Hippolyte Lefèbvre Hippolyte-Jules Lefèbvre (4 February 1863, Lille - November 1935, Arcueil) was a French sculptor and medallist who received numerous official marks of recognition in his day but is now largely forgotten. His most prominent works are the monumen ...
. File:Statue Jésus Christ Basilique Sacré Cœur Montmartre Paris 7.jpg, Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, south facade File:Sacré-CœurJoan of Arc.jpg, Statue of Joan of Arc (south facade) File:04-2017. París-4.jpg, Saint Louis (
Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the d ...
) (south facade)
The white stone of Sacré-Cœur is
travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...
limestone of a type called Chateau-Landon, quarried in
Souppes-sur-Loing Souppes-sur-Loing (, literally ''Souppes on Loing'') is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department at the southern edge of the Île-de-France region in north-central France. The town of Souppes-sur-Loing has 5,390 inhabitants (2017),
, in
Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne (river), Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square ...
, France. The particular quality of this stone is that it is extremely hard with a fine grain, and exudes calcite on contact with rainwater, making it exceptionally white.


Interior

File:Paris, Sacré-Coeur, Nef et choeur.jpg, The choir and the altar File:Sacre Coeur - Coupole.jpg, Coupola from below. Each sculpted angel carries a symbol of the passion of Christ. File:The interior of the north dome, Sacre Coeur, Paris.jpg, Interior of the North Dome The
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
is dominated by the very high dome, which symbolises the celestial world, resting upon a rectangular space,symbolising the terrestrial world. The two are joined by massive columns, which represent the passage between the two worlds.Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 184-187 The plan of the interior is a Greek cross, with the altar in the center, modelled after Byzantine churches. More traditional Latin features, the choir and the disambulatory, were added around the altar. The light in interior of the church is unusually dim, due to the height of the windows above the altar, and this contributes to the mystical effect. Other Byzantine features in the interior include the designs of the tile floor and the glasswork.


"Christ in Majesty" mosaic

File:Paris Basilique Sacré-Coeur Innen Chorgemälde 5.jpg, Detail of "Christ in Majesty" - left side File:Paris Basilique Sacré-Coeur Innen Chorgemälde 1.jpg, "Christ in Majesty" - center File:Paris Basilique Sacré-Coeur Innen Chorgemälde 4.jpg, Detail of "Christ in Majesty" - right side The mosaic over the choir, entitled ''The Triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus'', is the largest and most important work of art in the church. It was created by
Luc-Olivier Merson Luc-Olivier Merson (21 May 1846 – 13 November 1920) was a French academic painter and illustrator also known for his postage stamp and currency designs. Biography Born Nicolas Luc-Olivier Merson in Paris, France, he grew up in an artist ...
, H. M. Magne and R. Martin, and was dedicated in 1923. The mosaic is composed of 25,000 enamelled and gilded pieces of ceramic, and covers 475 square meters, making it one of the largest mosaics in the world. The central figure is Christ, dressed in white, with open arms offering his heart, decorated with gold. He is joined by his mother, the Virgin Mary, and by the Archangel Michael, the protector of the church and of France. At his feet, kneeling, is Saint
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...
offering him a crown. A figure of Pope Leo XIII offers a globe to Christ, symbolising the world.Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 184-187 To the right of Christ is a scene titled "The Homage of France to the Sacred Heart;" a group of popes and cardinals present a model of the basilica to Christ. On his left is "The Homage of the Catholic Church to the Sacred Heart": where people in the costumes of the five continents pay their homage to the Sacred Heart. At the base of the mosaic is a Latin inscription, stating that the basilica is a gift from France. "To the Sacred Heart of Jesus, France fervent, penitent and grateful.” The word "grateful" was added after
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. At the top of the mosaic is another procession, called "the Saints of France and Saints of the Universal Church". In all of the mosaic, the artists adapted elements of
Byzantine art Byzantine art comprises the body of Christian Greek artistic products of the Eastern Roman Empire, as well as the nations and states that inherited culturally from the empire. Though the empire itself emerged from the decline of Rome and lasted ...
in the organization of the figures, the altered perspective, and the use of polychrome colors enhanced with silver and gold. The basilica complex also includes a garden for meditation, with a fountain. The top of the dome is open to tourists and affords a spectacular panoramic view of the city of Paris, which spreads out to the south of the basilica. The use of cameras and video recorders is forbidden inside the basilica.


Chapels

File:Intérieur Basilique Sacré Cœur Montmartre - Paris XVIII (FR75) - 2022-04-30 - 65.jpg, Altar of the Chapel of Saint Louis File:Paris Basilique Sacré-Coeur Innen Chapelle de Sainte-Marie Altar.jpg, Sculpture in inner chapel- Mary with Child File:Basilique du Sacré Cœur de Montmartre @ Paris (33387632454).jpg, The baptismal font The interior of the basilica is surrounded by a series of chapels, mostly offered by professional groups or religious orders. The chapels are decreed with sculpture, relief sculpture, and tapestries, often relating to the professions of the donors. For example, the Chapel of the Order of Notre Dame of the Sea is decorated with tapestries illustrating Christ walking on the water and the Miraculous Catch of fish. Beginning to the right of the main entrance, they are: * The Chapel of the Archangel Michael, or Chapel of the Armies * The Chapel of Saint Louis (
Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the d ...
) or the Attorneys * The Tribune of Commerce and Industry (end of the East transept) * The Chapel of Marguerite-Marie Alacoque * the Chapel of Notre Dame of the Sea The apse itself is ringed by an additional seven chapels. * The Chapel of
Saint Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a Mysticism, mystic Italian Catholic Church, Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most vener ...
* The Chapel of Saint
John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
, offered by Canada and the
Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...
* The Chapel of
Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...
* The Chapel of the Virgin Mary * The Chapel of Saint Luke the Evangelist, Comé and
Damien Damien is a given name and less frequently a surname. The name is a variation of Damian (given name), Damian which comes from the Greek ''Damianos''. This form originates from the Greek derived from the Greek word δαμάζω (damazō), "(I) con ...
, or the Doctors * The Chapel of
Ignace de Loyola Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian, ...
* Th Chapel of
Saint Ursula Saint Ursula (Latin for 'little female bear', german: link=no, Heilige Ursula) is a legendary Romano-British Christian saint who died on 21 October 383. Her feast day in the pre-1970 General Roman Calendar is 21 October. There is little infor ...
of Cologne * The Chapel of
Saint Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, Congregation of the Mission, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was a Occitan people, Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poverty, poor. In 1622 Vi ...
* The Tribune of Agriculture (at the end of the west transept) * The chapel of the Queens of France


Crypt

File:Paris - Crypte de la basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre - 5.jpg, Stained Glass and statue of Christ in the crypt File:Paris - Crypte de la basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre - 8.jpg, Display of religious garments in the crypt File:Paris - Crypte de la basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre - 7.jpg, Art with candlelight in the crypt The
crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
below Sacré-Coeur is different from traditional crypts, which are usually underground. At Sacré-Coeur, the crypt has stained glass windows, thanks to a "saut-de-loup", a trench about four meters wide around it, which allows light to enter through windows and oculi of the crypt wall. In the centre of the crypt is the chapel of the Pieta, whose central element is a monument statue of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross, at the altar. The statue was made by Jules Coutain in 1895. A series of seven chapels is placed on the east side and seven on the west side of crypt, corresponding to the chapels on the level above. The crypt contains the tombs of important figures in the creation of the basilica, including Cardinals Guibert and Richard.


Art and decoration

Decoration covers the walls, the floor, and the architecture. Much of the decoration is in a distinctly
neo-Byzantine Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine style associated with Eastern and Orth ...
style, with intricate patterns, and abundant color.


Stained glass

File:Sacre Coeur - Vitraux St Louis.jpg, Chapel Windows in Neo-Byzantine style depicting life of
Clovis I Clovis ( la, Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single kin ...
and
Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the d ...
(Saint Louis) File:Sacre Coeur - Orgue.jpg, Windows over the organ File:BasiliqueduSacre-Coeur2.jpg, A rose window depicting the Sacred Heart of Christ File:BasiliqueduSacre-Coeur3.jpg, Window depicting "Christ conquers"


Sculpture

File:Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre- Crypte - Saint Jean de Dieu soignant un malade par Léon Fagel (1851-1913).JPG, "Saint John Healing the Sick", by Léon Fagel (1851–1913) File:Intérieur Basilique Sacré Cœur Montmartre - Paris XVIII (FR75) - 2022-04-30 - 11.jpg, Christ with Child (Pieta) File:Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre- crypte - Cardinal Guibert.JPG, Cardinal Guibert, leading proponent of the basilica, holding its model File:Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre- Saint Hubert - Duchesse d'Uzés dite Manuela 1889.JPG, "Saint Hubert" by Duchesse d'Uzés (1889) File:Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre- crypte - Saints Donatien et Rogatien par P. Potet 1850.JPG, "Saints Donatien and Rogatien", by P.Potet (1850) in Crypt File:Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre- crypte - Saint Bruno par Henri Louis Noël - 1899.JPG, "Saint Bruno" by Henri Louis Noël (1899)


Grand organ

File:Paris, Sacré Coeur, Hauptorgel (2a).jpg, The Grand Organ File:Paris, Sacré-Coeur, Orgue Cavaillé-Coll-Mutin (5).jpg, The view from behind the organ down to the altar The basilica contains a large and very fine
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
built by
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (; 4 February 1811 – 13 October 1899) was a French organ builder. He has the reputation of being the most distinguished organ builder of the 19th century. He pioneered innovations in the art and science of organ buildi ...
, the most celebrated organ builder in Paris in the 19th century. His other organs included those of
Saint-Denis Basilica The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...
(1841), Sainte-Clotilde Basilica (1859),
Saint-Sulpice church , image = Paris Saint-Sulpice Fassade 4-5 A.jpg , image_size = , pushpin map = Paris , pushpin label position = , coordinates = , location = Place Saint-Sulpice 6th arrondi ...
and
Notre Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...
(1868). The organ is composed of 109 ranks and 78 speaking stops spread across four 61-note manuals and the 32-note pedalboard (unusual before the start of the 20th century; the standard of the day was 56 and 30), and has three expressive divisions (also unusual for the time, even in large organs). The organ was originally built in 1898 for the Biarritz chateau of the Baron Albert de L'Espée. It was the last instrument built by Cavaillé-Coll. The organ was ahead of its time, containing multiple expressive divisions and giving the performer considerable advantages over other even larger instruments of the day. It was almost identical (tonal characteristics, layout, and casework) to the instrument in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
's Albert Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1937. However, when installed in Paris in 1905 by Cavaillé-Coll's successor and son-in-law, Charles Mutin, a much plainer case was substituted for the original ornate case. The organ was recognised as a national landmark in 1981. It has undergone several restorations. The most recent, begun in 1985, replaced only the most severely damaged pneumatic parts, but others have deteriorated and some are no longer usable. The pipes are now covered with a thick layer of dust which impacts the pitch and timbre. Though the organ is now recognized as a national monument, the church itself is not, largely due to political opposition from leftist parties. It is expected to receive landmark status in 2022.


Bells

The belfry of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre houses five bells. The four small bells named from largest to smallest are Félicité, Louise, Nicole and Elisabeth, which were the original bells of the church of Saint-Roch and moved to the basilica in 1969. Below the four bells is a huge bourdon called "The Savoyarde", the biggest bell in France. The full name of the bourdon is “Françoise Marguerite of the Sacred Heart of Jesus". It was cast on May 13, 1891, by the Paccard foundry (Dynasty of Georges, Hippolyte-Francisque and Victor or "G & F") in
Annecy-le-Vieux Annecy-le-Vieux () is a former commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune Annecy.Petersglocke (; en, Saint Peter's bell, link=no), referred to in the Colognian dialect as or () and in common parlance as Dicker Pitter (; i.e. "Fat or Big Peter"), is the largest bell in Cologne Cathedral. It was cast in 1923 by Heinrich Ulrich in Ap ...
'' of Cologne (Germany), the
Olympic Bell The Olympic Bell was commissioned and cast for the 2012 London Olympic Games, and is the largest harmonically-tuned bell in the world. Cast in bronze bell metal, it is high with a diameter of , and weighs . The bell is now displayed in the Olymp ...
of London, ''Maria Dolens'' of
Rovereto Rovereto (; "wood of sessile oaks"; locally: ''Roveredo'') is a city and ''comune'' in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River. History Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the frontier b ...
(Italy), and the ''
Pummerin Pummerin is the name of the bell in the Stephansdom, St. Stephen's Cathedral, in Vienna. Old Pummerin ''(Josephinische Glocke)'' The Old Pummerin was originally cast in 1705 from 208 of the 300 cannons captured from the Muslim invaders in ...
'' of Vienna (Austria). It weighs 18,835 kg, measures 3,03 m of diameter for 9.60 m of outer circumference, with a base thickness of 22 cm and a leaf of 850 kg. With its accessories, its official weight reaches 19,685 kg. It was offered by the four dioceses of Savoy. It was transported to the basilica on October 16, 1895, pulled by a team of 28 horses. In the late 1990s, a crack was noticed in the bell.


Role in Catholicism

The church is dedicated to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...
, which was an increasingly popular devotion after the visions of
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM (french: Marguerite-Marie Alacoque) (22 July 1647 – 17 October 1690), was a French Catholic Visitation nun and mystic who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form. Summary She worked to pr ...
(1647–1690) in
Paray-le-Monial Paray-le-Monial is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Since 2004 is Paray-le-Monial part of the Charolais-Brionnais Country. It is nicknamed the "city of the Sacred Heart" an ...
. In response to requests from French bishops,
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
promulgated the feast of the
Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...
in 1856. The basilica itself was consecrated on 16 October 1919. Since 1885 (before construction had been completed) the
Blessed Sacrament The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of the ...
(Christ's body, consecrated during the Mass) has been continually on display in a monstrance above the high
altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
. Perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has continued uninterrupted in the basilica since 1885. Tourists and others are asked to dress appropriately when visiting the basilica and to observe silence as much as possible, so as not to disturb persons who have come from around the world to pray in this place of pilgrimage, especially since the Blessed Sacrament is displayed. Photos are not allowed to be taken in the basilica.


Access

The basilica is accessible by bus or
metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
line 2 at Anvers station. Sacré-Cœur is open from 06:00 to 22:30 every day. The dome is accessible from 09:00 to 19:00 in the summer and to 18:00 in the winter.


Copy in Martinique

A much smaller version of the basilica, Sacré-Cœur de la Balata, is located north of
Fort-de-France Fort-de-France (, , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Fodfwans) is a Communes of France, commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. It is also one of the major cities in the ...
,
Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...
, on N3, the main inland road. Built for the refugees driven from their homes by the eruption of
Mount Pelée Mount Pelée or Mont Pelée ( ; french: Montagne Pelée, ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Montann Pèlé, meaning "bald mountain" or "peeled mountain") is an active volcano at the northern end of Martinique, an island and French overseas departm ...
, it was dedicated in 1915.


See also

*
Architecture of Paris The city of Paris has notable examples of architecture of every period, from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. It was the birthplace of the Gothic style, and has important monuments of the French Renaissance, Classical revival, the Flamboyant s ...
*
List of historic churches in Paris This is a list, not yet complete, of churches in Paris classified by the French Ministry of Culture as national historic monuments, They are listed by historical periods though many have features from several different periods. Romanesque and Goth ...
* Saint
Margaret Mary Alacoque Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM (french: Marguerite-Marie Alacoque) (22 July 1647 – 17 October 1690), was a French Catholic Visitation nun and mystic who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form. Summary She worked t ...
, seer and promoter of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus * Blessed
Mary of the Divine Heart Mary of the Divine Heart (Münster, 8 September 1863 – Porto, 8 June 1899), born Maria Droste zu Vischering, was a German Uradel, noblewoman and Catholic Church, Roman Catholic religious sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the ...
, promoter of the world consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus * Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a great shrine dedicated to the worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus *
Sanctuary of Christ the King The Sanctuary of Christ the King ( pt, Santuário de Cristo Rei) is a Catholic monument and shrine dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ overlooking the city of Lisbon situated in Almada, in Portugal. It was inspired by the '' Christ the R ...
, the Portuguese national shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus * A statue to François-Jean de la Barre was erected in front of Sacré-Cœur as a counter-action to its construction. *
Valley of the Fallen The Valley of the Fallen (Spanish: Valle de los Caídos; ) is a Catholic basilica and a monumental memorial in the municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, erected at Cuelgamuros Valley in the Sierra de Guadarrama, near Madrid. Dictator Fr ...
, Catholic basilica and a monumental memorial in the municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial


References


Bibliography (in French)

* Benoist, Pere Jacques, "Le Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre de 1870 à nos jours ", Les éditions ouvrières (1992), *Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; ''Églises de Paris'' (2010), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, *"Dictionnaire Historique de Paris", Le livre de Poche, (2013), *Hillairet, Jacques; ''Connaissance du Vieux Paris''; (2017); Éditions Payot-Rivages, Paris; (in French).


Further reading

* Jacques Benoist, ''Le Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre de 1870 a nos Jours'' (Paris) 1992. A cultural history from the point of view of a former chaplain. * Yvan Crist, "Sacré-Coeur" in ''Larousse Dictionnaire de Paris'' (Paris) 1964. * David Harvey. ''Consciousness and the Urban Experience: Studies in the History and Theory of Capitalist Urbanization.'' (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press) 1985. * * David Harvey."The building of the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur", coda to ''Paris, Capital of Modernity'' (2003:311ff) Harvey made use of Hubert Rohault de Fleury. ''Historique de la Basilique du Sacré Coeur'' (1903–09), the official history of the building of the basilica, in four volumes, printed, but not published. * Raymond A. Jonas. “Sacred Tourism and Secular Pilgrimage: and the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur”. in ''Montmartre and the Making of Mass Culture.'' Gabriel P. Weisberg, editor. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press) 2001. *


External links

*
Panoramic view


{{DEFAULTSORT:Sacre Coeur, Paris 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France Basilica churches in Paris Neo-Byzantine architecture Church buildings with domes Eclectic architecture Landmarks in France Montmartre Roman Catholic churches completed in 1914 Roman Catholic churches in the 18th arrondissement of Paris Romanesque Revival church buildings in France