Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Introducing the beautiful Sacré-Cœur Basilica, all white and unlike any other French church with its neo-Byzantine style and cupolas. But Montmartre was a place of worship long before 1875, the year the church was built. From Gallic druids to Roman temples and the church of Saint-Pierre, people have always been drawn to this hill to talk to their gods. The basilica, however, was born of a political and cultural need to bring religion back to the fore. Time for a quick history break. In 1870, France loses the war against Prussia. Paris is under siege and Parisians are starving. Things are tough. Parisians were forced to eat the animals from the menagerie at the Botanical Gardens! Long story short, Napoleon III laid down his arms before Bismarck, and a new government was formed. But just because your government is cowering before the enemy doesn’t mean you have to follow suit! There was an all-out uprising, with several communes in France refusing to recognize the new government, Paris being right up front. Enter the Paris Commune, which set the capital ablaze and claimed thousands of lives. The whole thing lasted 72 days, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. The important thing to remember is that some Catholics saw this as divine punishment. So, they had to build a church to atone for their sins. The archbishop wanted a basilica, like the Fourvière in Lyon, to protect the city and be seen from afar. So it was only natural that they chose the Montmartre hilltop for its construction. But how do you build a church in a time when there’s no money? Well, many hands make light work. Parisians dug deep into their pockets and bought one to three stones each. They’re made of limestone and turn white over time. So the basilica shines brighter and brighter year after year! They then wrote a national vow, just like they did for Lyon. French architect Paul Abadie oversaw the work, drawing inspiration from the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul. Construction lasted 50 years, a good part of which was spent on soil stabilization. Then came World War I, which put the whole project on hold. But we got there eventually, and that’s what matters. By the way, believe it or not, in April 1944, the basilica was hit by 13 bombs. Mind you, it was built to protect Paris. Miraculously, no one was harmed.