Page 146 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

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SACRÉ-COEUR

⌂ 33–35 rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre 75018 q Abbesses (then funiculaire to
steps of Sacré-Coeur), Anvers, Jules Joffrin, Pigalle @ 30, 31, 80, 85 # Basilica:
6am–10:30pm daily; dome: 9am–6pm daily; vespers 4pm Sun ∑ sacre-coeur-
EXPERIENCE Paris: Beyond the Centre highest point. It stands as a memorial to the 58,000 French
montmartre.com
Situated atop the hill of Montmartre, the spectacular white
basilica of the Sacré-Coeur watches over Paris from the city’s
soldiers killed during the Franco-Prussian War.

At the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870,
two Catholic businessmen made a private religious
vow to build a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of
Christ, should France be spared the impending Prussian
onslaught. The two men, Alexandre Legentil and Hubert
Rohault de Fleury, lived to see Paris saved from invasion
despite the war and a lengthy siege – and were able to
witness the start of work on the Sacré-Coeur basilica. The
project was taken up by Archbishop Guibert of Paris and
construction began in 1875 to Paul Abadie’s designs, which
were inspired by the Romano-Byzantine church of St-Front
in Périgueux. The basilica was completed in 1914,
but its consecration was forestalled by World
War I until 1919, when France was victorious. THE SIEGE OF PARIS
Prussia invaded France
in 1870. During the
four-month siege of
Paris, instigated by
Spiral staircase The ovoid dome the Prusso-German
statesman Otto von
Bismarck, hungry
Parisians were forced
Bell tower
to eat the city’s horses
and other animals.

Statue of
Christ

Equestrian
statues

Main
entrance
The 83-m-
(272-ft-) The crypt
high basilica
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