That was then.Prague, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia “When you approach and reach the forecourt, when you enter the interior, you cannot put up with the accumulation of meaningless structures: the glorious, disproportionate domes, the indestructible ugliness of the sculptures and mosaics and even less with the coldness of the pale material, which will never take on a patina, this robust stone from Château-Landon which, contrary to expectations, becomes whiter with increasing age.” Fleury, Erlande-Brandenburg and Babelon, 1974. Even within the travel sector! This quote was taken from an illustrated book published in 1974: Sacré-Cœur got a lot of bad press for a long time. The basilica stands at 83 metres tall, with the dome accounting for 55 metres of that height. But Sacré-Cœur is more of a cross-in-square church with its compact square floor plan spanning 85 x 35 metres. Traditionally, a basilica is an elongated building with a high roof at its centre and lower chambers on either side. Sacré-Cœur breaks the basilica mould a little. The architectural style features arches, vaults and domes with moulding and mosaics as decorative elements. But what does that mean exactly? Paul Abadies, the architect who died in 1884, before the construction work was completed, took inspiration from the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The architecture is described as being neo-byzantine in its style. Officially called the Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre (Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre), the basilica was built between 18. You should be able to spot the Pompidou Centre, Notre-Dame, the Tour Montparnasse and the Eiffel Tower! You can gaze up to 40 km into the distance on a nice day. Once you’ve reached the top, a panoramic view across Paris awaits. You can access the steps up to the dome outside the basilica. There are plenty of statues of saints on the inside and gargoyles on the outside. Spanning an impressive 475 m², this mosaic is one of the largest in the world. The religious figures depicted are joined by Joan of Arc, who is seen offering her crown at Jesus Christ’s feet. The mosaic in the chancel is another sight to behold. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, providing another opportunity to touch his right foot… The church itself is home to many relics, including a replica of the statue of Saint Peter found in St. Plus, to get to Sacré-Cœur you have to walk through the beautiful Montmartre district, which is never a bad thing. It just has so much to offer!Ī lovely little basilica boasting no end of sculptures and icons, a small park to stroll around, usually to the tune of the buskers’ music, and a spectacular view.
If you ask me, Sacré-Cœur is one of the city’s little gems.
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