Basilica of Sacré Coeur

Located on the top of Montmartre hill in the 18th arrondissement, the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur, also known as the Church of the Sacred Heart, is an ideal place to admire the entire magnificent Paris. Besides being one of the famous historical sites, this place is also a resting and walking area for Parisians in their spare time.

Like the legendary Notre Dame Cathedral, the cathedral is one of the unique religious architectures of France. In Christian times, because it was the highest point in the city, people believed that it was the closest to the sky and heaven, so the top of Montmartre was once considered a place of worship for the faithful. Later, people used this area to build a cathedral and there are also temples of Mars and Mercury that were also built by the Romans on this hill.

Built between 1875 and 1914 by the architect Paul Abadie, although located in the same religious buildings of the capital, the Sacre-Coeur church does not follow the medieval Gothic style of Notre Dame. Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Turkey) and San Marco in Venice (Italy) in Romanesque-Byzantine architectural style. This is a rare creation of his because at the time it was built, it was one of the unique designs and has similarities with the Taj Mahal in India because it also has a dome, white marble and white marble. great symmetry.

The giant bell Savoyarde is one of the largest and heaviest bells in the world with a weight of 19 tons and its diameter up to 3m. In 1895, to move the bell to Sacre-Coeur, people had to mobilize 21 horses to pull to the top of Montmartre hill.

At the same period that the church was built, other churches are often named after Mary - the mother of Jesus, while Sacre-Coeur means the heart of God - "Holy Heart", representing a heart. loving, holy heart that He has given to man.

There is a strange thing that any tourist in Europe also notices when visiting the cathedral is that the white wall outside the church is always shiny and radiant even though it has been more than 100 years of construction. regardless of time, weather and dust. The reason for that longevity is the choice of architect Paul Abadie, he chose white limestone, originating from the quarry of Chateau-Landon commune in the province of Seine-et-Marne to build. The characteristics of this stone are high durability and waterproof, when it is wet or rainy, the stone layer will react with water, releasing calcite that acts as a bleach to clean the stone and keep its color.

Especially attracting tourists with more than 11.5 million visitors per year, Sacre-Coeur is one of the most visited destinations in the European tour in general as well as an important pilgrimage mecca of Vietnam. Catholics in particular. In addition to the unique architecture, the cost of entering the church is free, which is also a commendable point of the church, visitors only need to pay a small fee if they want to go deep into the catacombs, where the holy statue is or go. Go up to the dome to admire the panoramic view of the capital.

Address: 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris, France

Opening hours: Daily 06:00–22:30

Phone: +33 1 53 41 89 00

Web site source: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/