Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacré-Cœur)
After France’s defeat in the war of 1870 and the violence of the Paris Commune, two laymen made a vow to build a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as an act of penance and hope for the nation. The National Assembly approved it, and the money came from small donations from all over France.
Paul Abadie designed a church in a Romano-Byzantine style, with white domes that seem to float over the city. It was built of travertine stone from Château-Landon, which whitens in the rain. Work began in 1875 on the hill of Montmartre, where Saint Denis, first bishop of Paris, was traditionally martyred. The basilica was finished in 1914 and consecrated in 1919, after the First World War. Inside, one of the largest mosaics in the world shows Christ in glory with his Heart revealed.
Since 1885, before the church was even finished, the Blessed Sacrament has been exposed and adored without interruption, day and night. Around ten million people visit each year, and many climb the dome for the view over Paris.
- Built
- 1875–1914 (consecrated 1919)
- Style
- Romano-Byzantine
- Where
- Paris, France
- Map
- Find it on OpenStreetMap