Paris, at Sacré Coeur

 

From the Anvers metro station, we walked a bit along the Rue de Steinkerque in the Montmartre area to the Place Saint-Pierre. Montmartre, which notably means hill of martyrs, owed its name to Saint Denis, who was beheaded on this hill in the third century on the orders of the emperor Decius. Saint Denis was Bishop of Paris at the time and is now known as the patron saint of France. 

A short walk later, we saw the white building of the Sacré-Cœur basilica perched on top of the hill of Montmartre. It is amazing that the basilica although is more than 100 years old, its white color is not polluted. Apparently this is because the walls were built from travertine limestone from Château-Landon. This stone has a very interesting characteristic: when it comes into contact with rainwater, the thin protective layer that naturally coats the stone releases a white substance that hardens in the sun. Therefore, every rain is an opportunity for this building to cleanse ! 

The Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which means the Sacred Heart Basilica, is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Christ. From the beginning until now, the faithful take turns day and night to pray here without stop. Each evening, after the doors close at 10.30pm, the prayer relay continues, with people registering for the evening service in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On the ceiling above the altar is one of the largest mosaics in the world depicting the risen Jesus Christ, clothed in white and revealing a heart of gold. This mosaic created by Luc-Olivier Merson, shows the worshipers around Jesus represented by the saints: St Joan of Arc, St Mary and St Michael. 

At the front of this basilica under the statue of Jesus Christ there are also statues of St. Louis IX and St. Joan of Arc sitting on a horse, besides being considered saints they are also respected French heroes. So this basilica also became a symbol of French nationalism. Its construction is also an effort of national reconciliation and atonement for the tragic events of the Paris Commune in 1870-71. 

The architecture of this basilica is unique compared to other major churches in Paris such as Notre Dame. Many large churches in France have gothic architecture, while architect Paul Abadie was inspired to design this church in Romano-Byzantine style after completing many restorations on a similarly designed church in southern France. The Byzantine style of the building is characterized by a high dome, the result of new techniques of the sixth century, and the interior features many mosaics.

 

THE END

 

SOURCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris