Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A PL
A PLACE OF PIL
CE OF PILGRIMA
GRIMAGGE
In a sense, atonement here has never stopped: a prayer 'cycle' that began in
1885 before the basilica's completion still continues around the clock, with per-
petual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament continually on display above the high
altar. The basilica's travertine stone exudes calcite, ensuring it remains white
despite weathering and pollution.
In 1944, 13 Allied bombs were dropped on Montmartre, falling just next to Sacré-
Cœur. Although the stained-glass windows all shattered from the force of the ex-
plosions, miraculously no one died and the basilica sustained no other damage.
History
It may appear to be a place of peacefulness and worship today, but in truth Sacré-Cœur's
foundations were laid amid bloodshed and controversy. Its construction began in 1875, in
the wake of France's humiliating defeat by Prussia and the subsequent chaos of the Paris
Commune. Following Napoléon III's surrender to von Bismarck in September 1870, angry
Parisians, with the help of the National Guard, continued to hold out against Prussian forces
- a harrowing siege that lasted four long winter months. By the time a ceasefire was negoti-
ated in early 1871, the split between the radical working-class Parisians (supported by the
National Guard) and the conservative national government (supported by the French army)
had become insurmountable.
Over the next several months, the rebels, known as Communards, managed to overthrow
the reactionary government and take over the city. It was a particularly chaotic and bloody
moment in Parisian history, with mass executions on both sides and a wave of rampant de-
struction that spread throughout Paris. Montmartre was a key Communard stronghold - it
was on the future site of Sacré-Cœur that the rebels won their first victory - and it was con-
sequently the first neighbourhood to be targeted when the French army returned in full force
in May 1871. Ultimately, many Communards were buried alive in the gypsum mines be-
neath the Butte.
The Basilica
In this context, the construction of an enormous basilica to expiate the city's sins seemed
like a gesture of peace and forgiveness - indeed, the seven million French francs needed to
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