Sacré-Coeur Cathedral in Monmartre: One Day Visit
Montmartre is one of the most well-known areas of Paris. Famous artists, actors, musicians, writers lived and continue to live here. Recently we spent one full day to visit this district, as well as its main attraction, Sacré-Coeur cathedral. In this post we will share some interesting facts that we have learned about this symbol of Paris.
Sacré-Coeur
The Basilique du Sacré Cœur was built in memory of the victims of the Franco-Prussian war. At its base there is a weighty box with French medals. In the crypt of the temple there is an urn with the heart of Alexander Lezhantil, one of the noble Parisians and the initiators of the construction of the legendary church.
Montmartre Hill turned out to be too fragile as a base for the impressive basilica building. To strengthen the soil, builders had to dig more than 80 wells up to 40 meters deep. A powerful stone pylon was installed in each of them. The foundation of the giant Sacred Heart Cathedral stands on them.
The bell crowning the Sacré-Coeur cathedral is one of the largest in the world. The Savoyarde was cast by craftsmen from the town of Annecy (Upper Savoy department) in 1891. Its weight is almost 19 tons. Only the tongue weights over 850 kg.
On the top there is the famous oval dome which is the second highest point in Paris. Closer to the sky only the Eiffel Tower. And the height of the temple is almost equal to the height of the Montmartre hill.
The temple was built from rare limestone delivered to Paris from the Chateau Landon. Upon contact with water, the stone is covered with white coating, which does not absorb the urban smog and exhaust fumes. Due to this quality of the material, the church always shines with an impeccable whiteness.
A long staircase of 237 steps leads to the entrance of the Sacre Coeur. If you wish, you can check, but the main thing is not to lose count in the middle of the way.
In clear weather, a beautiful view opens up from the top of Montmartre. You can see not only the streets adjacent to the hill, but also distant noisy avenues. Great place to see Paris in all its glory and grandeur!
For the mixture of many architectural styles, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart received the nickname “national cake”.
The huge and loud pipe organ of Sacre Coeur is one of the largest and oldest in the world. Experts are doing everything possible to preserve it from destroying with age. After all, this is the part of the cultural heritage of France.
If you turn right in front of the basilica, along Aze or St. Eleater street, you will find yourself in Tertre Square – in the past a corner of sadism, where cruel and spectacular executions of criminals once happened. Today it is a very nice and pretty place, surrounded by numerous cafes and filled with artists.
That’s probably the most crowded area in Monmartr:
From here you can enjoy an excursion around the city on a vintage car:
Or record the panoramic views of the city on your camera:
Not far away you will find the famous La Maison Rose – probably, the most instagrammable place in this area:
Making photos for the Instagram don’t forget to look around and you will find some of the cutest corbers of Paris:
Including this old winery in the heart of the city:
