Page 228 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

226  P ARIS AREA B Y AREA

1 Sacré-Coeur

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
the start of work on the Sacré-Coeur basilica. The
project was taken up by Archbishop Guibert of
Paris. Work began in 1875 to Paul Abadie’s
designs. They were inspired by the Romano-
Byzantine church of St-Front in Périgueux. The Principal Façade
The basilica was completed in 1914, but its The best view of the domed
consecration was forestalled by World War I and turreted Sacré-Coeur is
until 1919, when France was victorious. from the gardens below.

. Great Mosaic of Christ
The colossal mosaic
(1912–22) dominating the
chancel vault was designed
by Luc Olivier Merson and
Marcel Magne.

Virgin Mary
and Child (1896)
This Renaissance-style
silver statue is one of
two in the ambulatory
by P Brunet.

KEY
1 The bell tower (1895) is 83 m
(252 ft) high and contains one of the
heaviest bells in the world. The bell
itself weighs 18.5 tonnes and the
clapper 850 kg (1,900 lb).
2 Spiral staircase
3 The inner structure supporting
the dome is made from stone.
4 The stained-glass gallery
affords a view of the whole of . Crypt Vaults
the interior. A chapel in the basilica’s
crypt contains Legentil’s
heart in a stone urn.

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2)
Date 3rd September 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm