Basilica of the Sacré Coeur was designed by architect Paul Abadie after the Franco-Prussian war ended in 1871 with the defeat of France. It was intended as a penitence for the crimes commited during the war and the Paris Commune period. The construction work began in 1875 but it was completed only in 1914 and consecrated in 1919 after the end of World War I.

The Romano-Byzantine architectural monument dominates Paris from the top of Montmartre with its white-chalk silhouette and offers an extraordinary view of the city at its feet. The white color is due to the stone it was carved out of which bleaches in time.

Inside, one of the largest mosaics in the world, Christ in Majesty designed by architect Luc Merson, can be found and also beautiful stained-glass windows. The 276-feet high bell tower houses one of the world's heaviest bells, the Savoyarde, which weighs about 19 tons. Fierce-looking gargoyles guard the basilica and look down on the people who climb the steep stairs to reach its doors.

The Basilica is open every day from 6am to 11pm; every Sunday at 11am the Solemn Mass is held.

35 rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris
Tel: (01) 5341 8900
Fax: (01) 5341 8919
E-mail: basilique@sacre-coeur-montmartre.com
http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com