The Sacré-Cœur Basilica (Sacré-Cœur, or “Sacred Heart” in English), which sits atop the hill of Montmartre, is one of the great symbols of Paris, alongside the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Unlike Notre-Dame, which the Parisians have always loved, and the Eiffel Tower, which they learned to love over the years, the Sacré-Cœur has faced intense scorn from the residents of Montmartre ever since construction began.
Why didn’t the neighborhood’s residents like the Sacré-Cœur? I’ll try to answer that question in this article. But before I do, let me give you all the practical information you need to visit this church, because even if the French themselves are less fond of it, there’s no reason for you to miss it, or the spectacular Parisian view it offers.
The Sacré-Cœur Church: Visitor Information
How to Get to the Sacré-Cœur
Address: 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre
There’s no metro line that reaches the top of the hill where the Sacré-Cœur stands, but even if walking is difficult for you, or you simply don’t feel like getting there on foot, there are several other ways to reach it.
The first way is to take metro line 2 and get off at Anvers. From there, walk along Rue de Steinkerque until you reach Place Louise Michel. There you’ll find a funicular that will take you up to the Sacré-Cœur (you can pay for the funicular with your metro/bus tickets).
Another option is to take one of the following bus lines: 30, 31, 80 or 85.
And if you’re adventurous, you can try the route of filmmaker Claude Lelouch (born 1937) (the video below isn’t for the faint of heart :-)).
Opening hours: Daily, 6:00–22:30
Climbing to the Roof of the Sacré-Cœur
If you’re in good shape and want to see Paris from above (or if you’re just a masochist like me who has to climb every tall structure in sight), you’ll be happy to know that you can climb up to the roof of the Sacré-Cœur.
The entrance to the climb up the tower is on the left side of the church (assuming you’re facing the main entrance), and the last entry is at 5:00 p.m. The ticket costs 7 euros (as of February 2024), and after climbing close to 300 steps, you’ll get to enjoy this view.
Now that you have all the practical information you need, let’s set off on a different kind of journey, a trip back in time to one of the darkest periods in the history of Paris, and to the famous church that grew out of it.
The Story of the Sacré-Cœur Church
L’Année terrible
The history of France has had plenty of unpleasant, even very difficult periods, but no single year (not even 1940, when Paris fell to the Nazis) earned the name L’Année terrible (the terrible year), except for 1870-1871.
That year began with political unrest, which led to the dismissal of Baron Haussmann (Georges-Eugène Haussmann, 1809-1891), the man most responsible for building the Paris we know and love today. To deal with the unrest, Napoleon III decided to declare war on Prussia, which led to the Franco-Prussian War, in which Napoleon III was defeated and taken prisoner.
As a result, the Second Empire fell and the Third Republic was declared, but the republicans didn’t have much time to celebrate, because the Prussians reached the outskirts of Paris and laid siege to the city. All of Paris’s residents joined the National Guard to defend the city against the Prussians, including the people of Montmartre, who even donated money to buy cannons.
The siege brought severe famine to the city, and after every counterattack failed, Paris was forced to surrender in January 1871. The surrender and the humiliating peace treaty, in which France lost Alsace and parts of Lorraine, led to enormous unrest among the French, especially among left-wing supporters who lived in the northern and northeastern parts of the city.
On March 18, 1871, the event that lit the match of revolt took place in Montmartre. As mentioned, the people of Paris had paid out of their own pockets for around 200 cannons meant to defend the city against the Prussians. But now that the war was over, the Republic decided to hand those cannons back to the army.
A military force under the command of Generals Clément-Thomas (Jacques Léon Clément-Thomas, 1809-1871) and Claude Lecomte (1817-1871) was sent to bring back the cannons stationed atop Montmartre, but on the way they were attacked by an angry Parisian mob, and as a result, a significant number of their own soldiers mutinied and helped take them prisoner.
After a “trial,” the two generals were taken to 6 Rue des Rosiers at the top of Montmartre (not to be confused with Rue des Rosiers in the Jewish quarter of the Marais), and there they were executed.
The execution of the generals led to the republican government being driven out of Paris and the founding of the Paris Commune. The Commune survived only a few months, and during May 1871 the Republic’s army, which had regrouped in Versailles, invaded and, at an enormous cost in blood (an estimated 30,000 people were killed, most of them Commune supporters), managed to retake Paris within a week.
The destruction left by the Commune, and the massive bloodshed required to crush it, marked France’s lowest point and left the entire nation traumatized. Quite a few people saw this terrible year as divine punishment for France’s sins, especially the sins of the Commune’s supporters, who weren’t exactly known for their love of God (to put it mildly). The backlash came not long after the last bodies had been cleared from the streets and Paris began licking its wounds.
The War Against the Sacré-Cœur
One of those who saw France’s defeat to Prussia, and everything that followed it, as divine punishment was the philanthropist Alexandre Félix Legentil (1821-1889). Back in January 1871, as Paris was about to surrender, Legentil made a vow to build a church atop Montmartre, in order to “restore the crown to its former glory.”
Since Legentil had quite a few connections among Paris’s high society, he managed to recruit many of them to the idea of building a church atop Montmartre, and the Sacré-Cœur turned from a private vision into something of a national project.
A year after the Commune was crushed, the National Assembly decided to purchase the land atop Montmartre, using money raised through donations, and build the church there. A year later, a competition was held, which drew more than 70 architects, including Charles Garnier (1825-1898), the architect of the Paris Opera.
The winner of the competition was Paul Abadie (1812-1884), who received a budget of about 7 million francs and got straight to work. But eleven years later he died and was replaced by Honoré Daumet (1826-1911), the architect responsible for renovating the Château de Chantilly.
But he too was eventually replaced, and a whole “parade” of architects followed, none of whom managed to finish the church. In the end, in 1923, about 50 years after the decision to build it, construction of the church was finally completed (the church itself was inaugurated in 1919, even though construction wasn’t fully finished yet).
What caused such a long delay in building a church that had the backing of the National Assembly and such a significant budget? The first reason was essentially engineering related. The top of Montmartre couldn’t support such a large church, because old quarries there had left behind empty cavities underground. As a result, 83 wells had to be dug into the hill and filled with mortar and stones, in order to create foundations strong enough to hold the building.
With all due respect to the engineering challenges, that wasn’t the only, or even the most significant, reason for the delay. What really held up the work was the ongoing fight waged by the residents of Montmartre, for whom this church was something of a slap in the face.
True, building a church atop Montmartre shouldn’t have been such an absurd or provocative idea. If you read the article on the history of Montmartre, you’ll discover that the site had been a religious center since the early Middle Ages.
First, this is where Saint Denis lost his head (which didn’t stop him from getting up and walking on for kilometers while preaching). Second, less than a hundred years before “the terrible year,” Montmartre was governed by an abbess, and as far back as the Middle Ages the Church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre was built there, which still stands today. And third, this is where the Jesuit order, one of the most important religious orders of the Catholic Church, was founded by Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556).
But in the eyes of Montmartre’s residents, this was a provocation by representatives of France’s Catholic bourgeoisie, who funded the church’s construction. After all, where exactly were they planning to build it? Right atop Montmartre, not far from where the two generals had been executed, and worse still, in an area where inns had once stood, where the neighborhood’s residents used to drink cheap wine. What nerve!
In order to prevent the construction of a church that had been built because of their own “sins,” the residents of Montmartre began a public campaign, and in 1882 a coalition led by Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929), a former mayor of Montmartre, won seats in the National Assembly and set out to kill the Sacré-Cœur project.
Clemenceau tried to stop the church’s construction through legislation, but ultimately failed, because doing so would have required repaying millions of francs to everyone who had donated to the project (that didn’t stop him from trying to kill the project again in 1891, and failing for the same reasons).
Since the residents of Montmartre saw that they couldn’t stop the church’s construction, they tried at least to hide it from public view, no small feat given its location. Their plan was to convince the National Assembly to build a replica of the Statue of Liberty atop Montmartre that would block the church from view. But that attempt failed too, mainly because of budget problems (don’t worry, if you’d like to see a replica of that statue, you’re welcome to stop by the Luxembourg Gardens).
The left didn’t manage to stop the church from being built, but it did manage, at least, to get in a small jab at the Church, even if it was purely symbolic.
First, notice the name of the street where the Sacré-Cœur Basilica stands. It’s named after the Chevalier de La Barre (François-Jean Lefebvre de La Barre, 1745-1766), who was executed for failing to remove his hat during a religious procession and became a secular hero after Voltaire campaigned against his conviction.
And second, in the early 21st century, the Socialist mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë (born 1950), decided to name the square at the foot of Montmartre after Louise Michel (1830-1905), an anti-clerical anarchist who was one of the leaders of the Paris Commune.
And yes, even today quite a few Parisians hate the church and see it as a kind of grotesque whipped cream cake that pollutes the Paris skyline. Call me kitschy, but I really don’t agree with the Parisians on this one (I do agree with them, on the other hand, about the need to tear down the Tour Montparnasse and the Centre Pompidou, but that’s a different story).
I find something beautiful about this white stone building with its many domes, watching over Paris. If you go inside, you won’t be disappointed either. I love the golden fresco found inside one of the church’s domes, and the blue mosaic, which depicts the triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
What about you? Do you love the Sacré-Cœur, or can’t stand it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Tips for Photographing the Sacré-Cœur Church
Its elevated position atop the hill of Montmartre means the Sacré-Cœur offers creative angles and a variety of viewpoints for photographers, selfie fans and anyone who wants to share great photos on social media. Here are a few tips to help you get the best shots during your visit to the Sacré-Cœur.
Try to Catch the Sacré-Cœur During Golden Hour
- Morning light: Arrive early in the morning to capture the soft light of sunrise lighting up the basilica. At this time of day, the light gives the white stones of the Sacré-Cœur a warmer tone.
- Sunset shots: The basilica also looks stunning at sunset, when the sky behind it can turn into a palette of pinks, purples and oranges. This is also a great time for silhouette shots against the sky.
Camera Angles
- Shooting from below: Try to capture the grandeur of the Sacré-Cœur by photographing it from the bottom of the hill, looking up. This angle emphasizes the building’s dominance over the skyline.
- Montmartre’s streets: Wander around the Montmartre neighborhood and try to photograph the basilica from its narrow, charming streets. These compositions can include the local architecture and the everyday life of Parisians, adding context to your photos.
- Gardens and vineyards: Use the gardens around the basilica as a natural frame for your photos. The nearby Montmartre vineyard can also offer a unique angle with the Sacré-Cœur in the background.
Tips for Great Selfies and Group Photos
- Use a selfie stick: Sure, it’s sometimes seen as an embarrassing accessory, but a selfie stick can help you fit both the basilica and your whole group into the frame, especially when photographing the façade or the interior.
- Find a good backdrop: The steps leading up to the Sacré-Cœur offer a fantastic vantage point for selfies with the basilica or the Paris skyline in the background.
- Ask for help: Don’t hesitate to ask someone to take your photo. A fresh perspective can often make for a great shot.
A Few More Photography Tips
- Arrive early or late: To avoid the crowds and get “clean” shots, visit the site early in the morning or later in the evening.
- Patience: Wait for moments when people step out of your frame, or use the crowds creatively to show just how popular the church is with tourists.
Want to Discover More Spots in Montmartre?
The Sacré-Cœur may be Montmartre’s most famous attraction, but it’s far from the only one. This is one of the most charming and fascinating neighborhoods in Paris, thanks to its political and artistic history, and no trip to Paris is complete without a visit here.
To help you explore the Montmartre neighborhood, I put together a Montmartre page where you’ll find historical information about the area, walking routes, details on attractions and much more. In short, everything you need to plan your visit is right there.
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