TheBasilica of Sacré Cœur de Montmartre (English:Sacred Heart of Montmartre), commonly known asSacré-Cœur Basilica and often simplySacré-Cœur (French:Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, pronounced[sakrekœr]), is aCatholic church andminor basilica inParis dedicated to theSacred Heart of Jesus. It was formally approved as a national historic monument by the National Commission of Patrimony and Architecture on December 8, 2022.[1]
Sacré-Cœur Basilica is located at the summit of thebutte ofMontmartre. From its dome two hundred meters above the Seine, the basilica overlooks the entire city of Paris and its suburbs. It is the second most popular tourist destination in the capital after theEiffel Tower.[1]
The basilica was first proposed byFelix Fournier, the Bishop of Nantes, in 1870 after the defeat of France and the capture ofNapoleon III at theBattle of Sedan in theFranco-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 theSacred Heart of Jesus.[2] The edifice was proposed before the outbreak of theParis Commune but since it was constructed at the highest point of the city, overlooking the site of the outbreak of the Commune and the rest of the city, it has remained controversial with politicians of the French left, for whom it symbolizes the repression of the Communards.
The basilica was designed byPaul Abadie, 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.[3]
The proposal to build a new Parisian church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was first made on September 4, 1870, byFelix Fournier, theBishop of Nantes, following the defeat of France and the capture of EmperorNapoleon III by thePrussians at theBattle of Sedan in theFranco-Prussian War. Until his death in 1877, Fournier was an active builder who completed the long-delayed restoration ofNantes Cathedral. He wrote that the defeat of France in 1870 was a divine punishment for the moral decline of the country since theFrench Revolution.[4]
In January 1871, Fournier was joined by the philanthropist Alexandre Legentil, who was a follower ofFrédéric Ozanam, the founder of theSociety of Saint Vincent de Paul. 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 byItalian 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.[4]
Montmartre was selected as the site of the new basilica due to its prominent height and visibility from many parts of the city and for its association withSaint Denis of Paris. 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.[5] 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."[6] 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, was beheaded by the Romans. His tomb became the site of theBasilica of Saint Denis, the traditional resting place for the kings of France until the French Revolution.
In addition, Montmartre was the birthplace of theSociety of Jesus, one of the largest and most influential religious orders in the history of theCatholic Church. In 1534,Ignatius of Loyola and a few of his followers made their vows inSaint-Pierre de Montmartre, one of the oldest churches in Paris.[7] The church survived the Revolution although theMontmartre Abbey to which it belonged was destroyed.[8]
A competition was held for the design of the basilica and attracted seventy-seven proposals. ArchitectPaul Abadie was selected,[3] and the cornerstone finally laid on June 16, 1875.[9]
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.[10] Construction costs, estimated at 7 millionfrancs 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.[11]
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 byGeorges Clemenceau 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.[9]
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.[9]
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 afterWorld War I.
Criticism of the church by leftist journalists and politicians for its alleged connection with the destruction of theParis Commune 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 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.[12]
Shortly after the completedStatue of Liberty was transported from France to the United States, opponents of Sacré-Cœur 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.[13]
A bomb was exploded inside the church in 1976.[14]
To make their feelings about the church clear, in 2004 the socialist mayor of ParisBertrand Delanoë and the mayor of the 18th arrondissementDaniel Vaillant, also member of the Socialist Party, renamedthe square in front of and below the church in honor ofLouise Michel, the prominent anarchist and participant in the Paris Commune.
Lionel Jospin, socialist Prime Minister between 1997 and 2002 also expressed his wish that the basilica be demolished as a symbol of "obscurantism, bad taste and reactionism."[15][16]
In 2021, to avoid celebrating the church's history in the same year as the 150th anniversary of theParis Commune, leftist members of the French parliament blocked a measure to declare the church a national historic monument and postponed it until 2022.[17]
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 politicianJean-Luc Mélenchon, who called it "a glorification of the assassination of 32,000 Paris Communards shot in just 8 days".[18]
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 ofPérigueux Cathedral. 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.[19]
The overall style of the structure is a free interpretation ofRomano-Byzantine architecture. This was an unusual architectural style at the time, and was in part a reaction against the neo-Baroque of thePalais Garnier opera house by Charles Garnier, and other buildings of theNapoleon III style.[20] 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 façade, are Neo-classical, and were added by the later architects Henri-Pierre Rauline and Lucien Magne.[21]
Plan of the church, with campanile at north end, and four smaller cupolas around central dome
Sacré-Cœur seen from above
South façade, the main entrance overlooking Paris
Close-up view of Sacre-Cœur Basilica
The campanile, or bell tower, on the north front, houses the nineteen-tonSavoyarde bell (one of the world's heaviest), cast in 1895 inAnnecy. It alludes to the attachment ofSavoy to France in 1860.
Detail of the south façade
The north façade, and choir
The campanile or bell tower
The porch of the south façade, 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 façade are decorated with twoequestrian statues of French national saintsJoan of Arc (1927) andKing Saint Louis IX, both executed inbronze byHippolyte Lefèbvre.
The white stone of Sacré-Cœur istravertine limestone of a type calledChateau-Landon, quarried inSouppes-sur-Loing, inSeine-et-Marne, 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.[22]
Coupola from below. Each sculpted angel carries a symbol of the passion of Christ.
Interior of the North Dome
Thenave 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.[23]
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.[23]
The mosaic over the choir, entitledThe Triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is the largest and most important work of art in the church. It was created byLuc-Olivier Merson, 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.[23]
The central figure isJesus Christ, dressed in white, with open arms offering his heart, decorated with gold. He is joined by his mother, theVirgin Mary, and by theArchangel Michael, the protector of the church and of France. At his feet, kneeling, is SaintJoan of Arc offering him a crown. A figure ofPope Leo XIII offers a globe to Christ, symbolising the world.[24]
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 theSacred 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 afterWorld War I.[25]
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 ofByzantine art in the organization of the figures, the altered perspective, and the use of polychrome colors enhanced with silver and gold.[24]
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.
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.[23] 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) or the Attorneys
The Tribune of Commerce and Industry (end of the East transept)
Thecrypt below Sacré-Cœur is different from traditional crypts, which are usually underground. At Sacré-Cœur, 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 thePieta, 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.[26]
Decoration covers the walls, the floor, and the architecture. Much of the decoration is in a distinctlyneo-Byzantine style, with intricate patterns, and abundant color.
The basilica contains a large and very finepipe organ built byAristide Cavaillé-Coll, the most celebrated organ builder in Paris in the 19th century. His other organs included those ofSaint-Denis Basilica (1841),Sainte-Clotilde Basilica (1859),Saint-Sulpice church andNotre Dame de Paris (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).[27]
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 inSheffield'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.[28]
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.[27] Both the organ and the church itself have been recognized as national landmarks.
The belfry of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre houses five bells. The four small bells named from largest to smallest areFélicité,Louise,Nicole andElisabeth, which were the original bells of the church of Saint-Roch and moved to the basilica in 1969.
Below the four bells is a hugebourdon 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") inAnnecy-le-Vieux.
The Savoyarde itself only rings for major religious holidays, especially on the occasion of Easter, Pentecost, Ascension, Christmas, Assumption and All Saints. One exception was on the night of August 24, 1944 whenLa Nueve – 9th Company,Régiment de marche du Tchad of the French2nd Armored Division – broke into Paris and arrived at theHôtel de Ville during theLiberation of Paris fromNazi German occupation, becoming the first French Army troops to return to the city since 1940. The bell then rang whenPierre Schaeffer broadcast the news on aRadiodiffusion Nationale broadcast and then, after a playing of "La Marsellaise", asked any priests who were listening to ring their churches' bells.[29] The Savoyarde can be heard from 10 km away.
This bell is the fifth largest in Europe, ranking behind thePetersglocke of Cologne (Germany), theOlympic Bell of London,Maria Dolens ofRovereto (Italy), and thePummerin 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.
Since 1885 (before construction had been completed) theBlessed Sacrament (Christ's body, consecrated during the Mass) has been continually on display in amonstrance above the highaltar.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.
The basilica is accessible by bus ormetroline 2 atAnvers 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.[32]
A much smaller version of the basilica, Sacré-Cœur de la Balata, is located north ofFort-de-France,Martinique, on N3, the main inland road. Built for the refugees driven from their homes by the eruption ofMount Pelée, it was dedicated in 1915.[33]
^"Pourquoi veut-on la peau du Sacré-Cœur?"Liberation, February 27, 2017
^Ouest-France, "Le Sacré-Coeur à Paris classé monument historique", December 10, 2022. Recent historians put the number of Communards killed in combat or executed afterwards at between ten to fifteen thousand men, and the basilica was proposed before the Paris Commune took place.(SeeParis Commune)
^Legentil had wanted to demolish Garnier's half-built opera house and build the church on the site of that "scandalous monument of extravagance, indecency and bad taste" (Harvey"Monument and Myth" 1979, P376Archived 2020-09-24 at theWayback Machine).
^Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 184
^"architecture".www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com.Archived from the original on 2022-07-03. Retrieved2022-06-22.
^abcdDumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 184-187
^abDumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; "Églises de Paris" (2010), p. 184-187
^"The Apse Mosaic".www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com.Archived from the original on 2020-04-06. Retrieved2019-04-17.
^Jacques Benoist, "Le Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, Paris", Editions de l'Atelier, 1992, p. 482
^Raymond Anthony Jonas,France and the cult of the Sacred Heart: an epic tale for modern times, (University of California) 2000, ch. "Building the Church of the National Vow".
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" inLarousse 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.
Milza, Pierre (2009).L'année terrible: La Commune (mars–juin 1871). Paris: Perrin.ISBN978-2-262-03073-5.
David Harvey."The building of the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur", coda toParis, 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”. inMontmartre and the Making of Mass Culture. Gabriel P. Weisberg, editor. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press) 2001.
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