Basilique Sacré-Coeur, Paris

The Sacré-Coeur seen from the Arc de Triomphe. Photo: Ramón Durán.

Sacre Coeur

Photo by Dennis S. Hurd.

Sacre Coeur with Carousel

The Sacre-Coeur and a carousel on Montmartre. Photo by Stephan.

Photo © Nick Leonard.

Closer look at the exterior. Photo by Grzegorz Stanecki.
The Sacre-Coeur by night. Photo by Pierre Metivier.

Detail of exterior. Photo by Thérèse-Marie.

The Basilique Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) is a Roman Catholic church and familiar landmark on Montmarte, Paris.

The site of the 19th-century basilica is traditionally associated with the beheading of the city's patron, Saint Denis, in the 3rd century. According to legend, after he was martyred, the bishop Denis picked up his severed head and carried it several miles to the north where the city of Saint Denis stands today.

After France's 1870 defeat by the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian War and its aftermath, the Commune of 1871, the basilica was planned as a guilt offering and a vote of confidence to cure France's misfortunes.

The Basilique Sacré-Coeur was designed by the architect Paul Abadie in a Romanesque-Byzantine architectural style. Its foundation stone was laid in 1875. The basilica was not completed until 1914 and not officially opened for worship until 1919, after the end of the First World War. This was seen ironically by many French people as revenge for Prussia's defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War.

What to See

The basilica was paid for by national subscription, and its iconography is distinctly nationalistic. The Sacré-Coeur has much in common, both historically and architecturally, with the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourviere in Lyon.

The triple-arched portico is surmounted by two bronze equestrian statues of France's national saints, Joan of Arc and King Saint Louis IX. Even the great bell, the Savoyarde, has a nationalist program, with Savoy having been attached to France as recently as 1860. Cast in Annecy in 1895, it is one of the world's heaviest bells, at 19 tons.

The Sacré-Cœur is built of Château-Landon (Seine-et-Marne) stone, a frost-resistant travertine that constantly weathers out its calcite, so that it bleaches with age to a chalky whiteness.

Golden mosaics glow in the dim, echoing interior of the Sacré-Coeur. A climb to the top of the dome gives a great view of Paris, and the walk around the inside of the dome is worth the climb in itself. The mosaic of Christ in Majesty in the apse is one of the world's largest and there is a striking mural of Christ's Passion at the back of the altar. At the rear of the grounds is a contemplative garden and water feature.

Since 1885, the Blessed Sacrament has been continually on display in a monstrance above the high altar. Perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has continued uninterrupted in the Basilica since 1885. The crypt contains a relic that some believe to be Christ's Sacred Heart, which gives the basilica its name.

Quick Facts

Address:	Pl. du Parvis-du-Sacré-Coeur, 18e, Paris, France
Phone:	01-53-41-89-00
Website:	http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Sacre.Coeur
Métro:	Anvers or Abbesses. If you don't want to hike up the hill, you can take a funicular from the Abbesses station for the price of a Métro ticket.
Bus:	30, 54, 80, 85, Montmartrobus
Hours:	Basilica open daily 6am-11pm; dome and crypt daily 9am-6pm
Cost:	Free admission; dome £4.50.

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of the Sacré-Coeur. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Paris Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Paris Travel Resources

More Information

Sacre-Coeur - official site
Sacre-Coeur - TripAdvisor traveler reviews
Sacre-Coeur - Fodors.com
Basilique du Sacré-Coeur - Frommer's
Sacré-Coeur - Economist.com
Sacré Coeur - A View On Cities
Basilique du Sacré Coeur - AAA
Paris Hotels - HotelTravel.com