Many visitors to Paris will have seen the Sacré-Coeur Basilica on the butte of Montmartre. Some will have traveled there and walked up the steps to see the city stretch out below them. Some will even have entered the church but many do not know the history the building which has eared a place in almost every guidebook to Paris. I have just written a piece on the RTÉ Brainstorm website on the history of the basilica. Read it here.
As I mention in the article, controversy has surrounded the building from the beginning. For some it has come to be seen as a "key monument of modern French Catholicism" and for others, it is a symbol of the influence of the Catholic Church in state affairs.
According to Martin Evans and Emmanuel Godin, the "Sacré-Coeur served the symbolic purpose of asking for forgiveness for the sins of the atheist Commune. However, for Republicans it came to stand for the worst excesses of clerical domination". [France Since 1815, (London: Routledge, p. 65)].
On a recent visit to Paris, I was able to see the crypt, which is not normally open to all visitors. It was amazing to see the size of the crypt with its windows, high ceilings and many altars. Architecturally, the Sacré-Coeur is a stunning example of a craftsmanship. Engineering-wise, it is an example of what can be done in a challenging location. Below is a photograph of the crypt.
Have you ever visited the Sacré-Coeur basilica?
