Sacré-Cœur

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris stands at the top of the hill of Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement, the highest point in the city. The idea for the church was put forward in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War, and in July 1873 the National Assembly approved the project.

The architect Paul Abadie won the design competition, and the foundation stone was laid in 1875. Building on the unstable, quarried hill required deep foundations. Abadie died not long after the foundations were completed in 1884, and several architects followed him. The church was completed in 1914, but the First World War delayed its consecration until 1919. Since 1885, people have prayed before the exposed Blessed Sacrament day and night without interruption.

The basilica is in a Romano-Byzantine style, with a central dome and smaller domes. It is built of travertine stone from Château-Landon, which releases calcite when it rains and stays white. Inside, the apse mosaic, The Triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dedicated in 1923, is one of the largest mosaics in the world. The bell tower holds the Savoyarde, one of the heaviest bells in France. Visitors can climb a long, narrow stairway to the dome for a wide view over Paris. In front of the church, steps and terraces lead down to Square Louise-Michel.

Entry to the basilica is free, and it opens daily from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm; the dome and crypt are paid. The church is an active place of worship, and photography is not allowed inside. The nearest metro stations are Anvers on line 2 and Abbesses on line 12.

The 83-metre dome gallery and its long spiral stairway

The main dome rises to about 83 metres, and its gallery is the highest viewpoint in Paris after the Eiffel Tower. It opens from 9:00 to 19:00 in summer and until 18:00 in winter, with a separate ticket. The stairway is long, narrow and spiralled, with no lift, so it is not suitable for anyone with heart or mobility problems.

The basilica itself is open daily from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm, according to the basilica's own site, and stays open until midnight on the first Thursday of each month.

The mosaic, the bell and the crypt

The apse mosaic covers 475 square metres and is made of about 25,000 enamelled and gilded ceramic pieces. The Savoyarde bell weighs 18,835 kg on its own and close to 19,700 kg with its fittings. Below the church, the crypt is lit through windows along a trench about 4 metres wide. It holds a Pietà chapel with an 1895 statue by Jules Coutain and the tombs of Cardinals Guibert and Richard.

Why the church stayed politically divisive until 2022

Sacré-Cœur was designated a monument historique on 8 December 2022, after the decision was delayed from 2021. The delay reflects a long political quarrel. The church stands over the area where the Paris Commune began in 1871, and many on the left still see it as a symbol of the repression that followed. Georges Clemenceau tried to stop construction in 1882 and again in 1897.

Despite the history, it is the second most visited site in Paris after the Eiffel Tower. Pickpockets and bracelet sellers work the steps below the church, so keep bags closed.