Sacré-Cœur Basilica - Cities Free Day
The Sacré-Cœur Basilica is a Roman Catholic church that is found in Paris. When we were in Paris, which feels like a lifetime ago, a group of us had the chance to go visit this beautiful church. Sacré-Cœur was built in 1875 and is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The church is at the top of a hill, so as you trek up many stairs to reach it, you see it coming into view in the distance. The exterior of the Sacré-Cœur is traverstine limestone which is a durable stone, meaning that it has stayed very white throughout the years. When you walk into the church, you immediately see a large mosaic of Christ with the virgin Mary and the archangel Michael. This mosaic is done in mainly rich blue and gold, and is a stunning masterpiece. The rest of the church is filled with Latin and Byzantine features, such as the choir and the tile floor. Another lovely thing about the Sacré-Cœur is that people lock heart locks on the gate surrounding it! There are thousands of locks with different initials and descriptions.
The Sacré-Cœur basilica is important historically because it is a symbol of Paris' resilience and almost an atonement for their sins. This church was built in response to the devastation caused by France's defeat in the war against Prussia and the capture of Napolean. This defeat caused many Parisians to feel that they were being punished for their sins, so their response was to build this beautiful church dedicated to Christ. This is why the grand mosaic that I mentioned earlier is of Christ with open arms. Culturally, this church has become an iconic institution in Paris. From the church you can look out over the entire skyline of Paris, making it the perfect spot to take in the culture.
Sacré-Cœur is very much an integral part of Paris' rich culture and history that has survived and continued to add to the cultural landscape found in this city. It has wonderful architecture that showcases what Paris has to offer and it is a testament to Paris' ability to come back from defeat and reconcile themselves with their spirituality and culture. It is a place where people can come to worship and reconnect with themselves and God. Paris has so many beautiful chapels and places of worship, and this is one is a beautiful example of how these churches contribute to a cultural capital.
Information from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris
Love the free day blog post Lilly! This church looks incredible! I love all the history you talked about. History is so important in making a city a cultural capital. The reason why this church was built adds a great historical layer on to this great church. I also love how you talk about architecture. Cities that have their own signature architecture mixed in with a few pieces that stand out make for a really great look. I think this totally adds to their cultural capital.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful church, post, and picture of you and Marie! I loved that this was a symbol to the Parisians of realizing the problematic parts of the napoleon era and almost repenting by building this church like you said. It captures the feelings of the time through architecture and color and historically holds a story. This keeps their regret alive and that is huge to creating a cultural capital!
ReplyDeleteLilly, I really liked reading your free day post. I think you painted a perfect picture of the Sacre-Cœur Basilica in Paris. I loved your description of how the church is placed on the hill with the amazing view. I felt like I was there, reading this. I think the basilica is a great example of how Paris values its complicated history, culture and perseverance.
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