Famous Churches - Basilica Sacré-Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart), Paris, France

Montmartre, an area on a hill in the 18th arrondissement, north of downtown Paris, is known for its many artists who have been ubiquitous since 1880. The name Montmartre is said to be derived from either Mount of Martyrs or from Mount of Mars.

Sacré-Coeur Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart), Paris, France

Sacré-Coeur Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) is positioned on a hilltop at the north end of the city; it can be seen from most places in Paris. The site of the 19th-century basilica is traditionally associated with the beheading of the city's patron, Saint Denis, in the 3rd century. According to legend, after he was martyred, Bishop Denis picked up his severed head and carried it several miles to the north, where the suburb of Saint-Denis stands today. Basilica Sacré-Coeur on Montmartre was begun in the troubled period of the 1870s to celebrate the triumph of "Christian Values" over the “Socialist Aspirations” of the Paris and Lyon communes. Entirely paid for by private donations, The Sacre Coeur was built between 1875 and 1919, amidst intense controversy with secularists and radicals. Architect Paul Abadie designed the Sacre Coeur .in a Romano Byzantine style, this architectural style stands in sharp contrast with other contemporary buildings in France, which were mostly built in a Romanesque style. Five architects continued the project after his death in 1885. Sacré-Coeur Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) waselevated to the status of a basilica in 1919, after the end of the First World War.