Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre

The foundation stone of the Basilique Sacré-Coeur was laid in 1875. It was consecrated in 1891, fully completed in 1914, and elevated to the status of a basilica in 1919, after the end of the First World War.

Designed by Paul Abadie in a Romanesque-Byzantine architectural style, the Sacré-Coeur was inspired by St-Front in Perigueux, a multi-domed Romanesque church that the architect had recently restored.

The great bell, the Savoyarde, has nationalist references: Savoy was annexed to France in 1860. Cast in Annecy in 1895, it is one of the world's heaviest bells at 19 tons. The Sacré-Coeur Basilica is built of Château-Landon stones, a frost-resistant travertine that bleaches with age to a gleaming white. The main portal has grand bronze doors with foliage designs. At the top of the dome we have an excellent view of Paris