The Sacred Heart Basilica Montmartre is a popular tourist attraction known for its breathtaking architecture and panoramic views.
The hill is an important place of worship. According to ancient beliefs, the name Mont-Mars derives from a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to the gods Mercury and Mars. Christian worship after the martyrdom of Bishop Denis, who was beheaded for his faith.
Napoleon III launched a war with Prussia in July 1870. After two months of war, the Prussians defeated him and imprisoned him in Sedan on 02 September 1870. The following day, the news spread to Paris and sparked unrest. On 4 September 1870, the Republicans proclaimed the Third Republic, putting an end to the Second Empire.
After the victory at Sedan, the Prussian army and its allies laid siege to Paris but chose not to advance their troops into battle. They were counting on fatigue and hunger to win the day. Cut off from the rest of the country, with exceptional temperatures of -12°C, the Parisians starved and fed on animals. Deprived of wood for heating, the mortality rate doubled, but there was no real epidemic.
It’s God’s divine punishment, says the Church! The Archbishop of Paris, Monsieur Guibert, is said to have had a divine vision during a visit to Butte Montmartre. He organized huge processions of faith and sent a letter to the Minister for Religious Affairs asking him to erect a church to the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A law declaring the construction of the church to be in the public interest was passed on 24 July 1873 after a heated debate in the National Assembly.
Paul Abadie, the architect, was inspired by the Great Mosque of Istanbul, Sainte-Sophie. Construction of the Sacred Heart Basilica Montmartre began in 1875 and was officially completed in 1923.