Basilique du Sacre Coeur was built at the end of the 19th century at the top of the Montmartre hill in Paris. Its famous white pastry like architecture is dominating the city (look at the picture below of Montmartre and the Sacre-Coeur taken from the Pompidou center).

Basilique du Sacre Coeur is a holy place and a flagship of Catholic devotion to the Holy Virgin in Paris. It attracts many pilgrims from all over the world and has a large network of affiliated churches. Basilique du Sacre Coeur has been represented many times by the Montmartre painters near-by on Place du Tertre.

After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, it was proposed to construct a church to the Sacred Heart on the butte Montmartre. Although originally the fund raising was by public subscription, in 1873, the National Assembly declared its construction to be a state undertaking. Of the 78 entries in the competition for its design, the one chosen was by the architect named Abadie. He was already well known for his restoration of the St-Front Cathedral in Périgueux.
The plans for the new basilica called for an edifice of Romano-Byzantine style, and the first stone was laid in 1875. Abadie himself died in 1884 with only the foundation having been completed.

Completed in 1914, Basilique du Sacre Coeur was not consecrated until 1919 after World War I had ended. The final cost was 40 million francs. Since 1885, there has been perpetual adoration and worship within.

The interior of the Basilique du Sacre Coeur contains one of the worlds largest mosaics, and depicts Christ with outstretched arms. The nearby bell tower contains the "Savoyarde''. Cast in Annecy in 1895, it is one of the worlds heaviest at 19 tons. From the top of the Dome, there is a panoramic view in all directions extending over 30 kilometers.
Basilique du Sacre Coeur Image : e.kth.se

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Tags: paris, travel, france, montmartre, catholic, 1914	[edit tags]

Category: Travel  - ( Travel Archive)

Date Added: 23 December '07

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