La Basilique du Sacré Coeur

Origin

Montmartre has always been a place of cult:

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In a first time the place of the Basilica was taken up by Gallic druids.

During the roman occupation, instead of the basilica, there were temples dedicated to gods Mars and Mercury. Then the first Christians set up in Montmartre. A royal Abbey was built by king Louis the VI; the church saint Peter just next to the Basilica was a part of it.

During the French revolution, nuns were beheaded and the abbey destroyed.

So the basilica of the Sacré-Coeur you can admire is the last monument settle on the hill. It was built in the 19^th century

Why the hill is called Montmartre?

Actually in French “Mont” is a sort of little mountain (a sort of hill) and “martre” comes from the word martyr. In French we called Montmartre “le mont des martyres”: the mount of martyrs.

This name comes from a tradition. According to this tradition the bishop Denis and his friends were martyred on this hill. Moreover after that a lot of saints came to Montmartre, such as saint Clotilda (Clovis’s wife), Saint Joan of Arc: you can see her statue on top of the buttress. Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Francis Xavier also came here and they founded the company of Jesus called Jesuits in the 16^th century.

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The vow

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Why the basilica was built at this place?

To understand it you have to know the context.

During the II Empire in 1870 a war began between France and Germany. This year was called “the terrible year”. The French army surrendered and let the region of Alsace and Lorraine to Prussians. Moreover Prussians surrounded Paris.

In the same time the Italian army annexed the city of Rome. As, the French army did not protect the Pope anymore, he considered him as a prisoner in the Vatican.

For French people the country and the church collapsed in the same time.

Because of those troubles, people wondered if all those misfortunes could be the consequence of sins made during the century, actually this century was a period of splendour and euphoria (II Empire).

Believers of Paris begged to the Sacré-coeur (holy heart) to give them the national redemption and to forgive sins (like the sacrilege attack in Vatican).

Hoping this pray realise, Alexandre Legentil, made the promise, called a vow, to built a church in the square of the opera of Paris. The opera is the symbol of the decline of the century.

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The project

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This project got a national dimension.

In 1873 the cardinal Guibert, archbishop of Paris obtained law from the French national assembly. This law stated the construction of the basilica as a public usefulness. This law allows Alexandre Legentil to get a land for the construction. Finally the hill of Montmartre without any building was elected.

The financing of works for the Basilica was very special. A national subscription allowed people to give what they could afford. The financing was possible thanks to donations. People who gave money could have their name engraved on stone. You will see inside of the basilica engraved names in Saint Michel chapel on the right when you get in. 

At the beginning, the architect of the project was Paul Abadie. After his death, 6 architects succeeded him to achieve the monument. 

Works began in 1875.44 years were necessary to finish the basilica. At the beginning of works, wells of 33 meters deep were dug to allow the church not to sink into the floor (which looks like mud). Wells were filled to become pillars on witch rest on the church.

In 1916 the consecration occurred.

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Architecture

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The porch is composed of 3 bays. At the top, in the fronton, Jesus shows his hurted heart and blesses the city. Saint Louis with a halo of thorns in his hand and Saint Joan of Arc are sculpted on buttresses of the porch. 

The facade: on the main tympanum, the pierced heart of Jesus during the crucifixion expresses the endless love of god for humankind.

The left tympanum evokes an episode in the bible witch announces the coming of Jesus as a messiah: Moses is making the water gush from the roc.

Sculpted doors in Bronze illustrate the charity of Christ:

-Main door: multiplication of breads and the last supper.

-Left door: the recovery of the paralytic.

Inside you will see a huge mosaic in the quarter of sphere of the choir.

Consecration

Why the Sacré-Coeur is called Basilica ?

Actually it’s place of pilgrimage; that’s why inside you will see an ambulatory which allows to walk around the choir. The basilica is not a parish but a sanctuary dedicated to the Sacré-Coeur of Christ.

The heart of Christ is adored in the mystery of the Eucharist (lord’s supper). The pray of adoration is a preparation but also a continuation of the Eucharistic mystery .In Montmartre this adoration is raised day and night without interruption (people took turns praying day and night); it’s called a perpetual adoration. On top of the altar a monstrance,with  the Body of Christ(Corpus Christi), has been there since the consecration of the basilica.

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Lexique:

Gallic : Gaulois

Surrendered : “to surrender” Se rendre, capituler

Surrounded : “to surround” Encercler

Splendours : Faste

Vow : Voeu

Wells : Puits

Ambulatory : Deambulatoire

Messiah : Messie

Moses : Moise

Monstrance : Ostensoir