Sacré Cœur
Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point of the city. The Sacred Heart is both a political and cultural monument, national penance for the supposed excesses of the Commune de Paris of 1871, and also representation of the conservative moral order.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart was designed by Paul Abadie. The construction lasted from 1875 to 1914, the building was officially completed in 1923. It eclectic and architectural style has been inspired by the Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, but also by the Saint-Front de Périgueux Cathedral. The basilica has a form of a Greek cross, adorned with four domes. Its central dome, 83 meters high, is topped by a skylight formed by a colonnade. The ceiling of the apse, designed by Luc-Olivier Merson, is decorated with the largest mosaic in France, covering an area of ​​473.78 sqm. It represents the Sacred Heart of Jesus glorified by the Catholic Church and France. You can read the Latin phrase: "In the most holy Heart of Jesus, fervent France, penitent and grateful." The largest bell in France, called la Savoyarde, is inside the Basilica and is measuring 3 meters in diameter and weighing 18,835 kg.