It's Sunday morning and we leave at 8:30 AM to our first destination - the Parisian suburb of Montmartre which, according to Wikipedia, is primarily known for its artistic history, for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur on its summit, and as a nightclub district.
We board from the Metro station of Quatre-Septembre, named for the date of 4 September 1870, the date Napoleon III fell and the Third French Republic was proclaimed. The station is deserted, as expected, for a early Sunday morning trip.
Montmartre is a 130m high hill and the walk towards Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur gets steeper as we get closer. Finally there is a long flight of steps leading to the church. We get a panoramic view of Paris from the top.
Behind us rise the domes of the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur.
The plan to build a new Parisian church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was first proposed on September 4, 1870, following the defeat of France and the capture of Emperor Napoleon III by the Prussians at the Battle of Sedan in the Franco-Prussian War.Felix Fournier, the Bishop of Nantes, who proposed the construction of this church, wrote that the defeat of France in 1870 was a divine punishment for the moral decline of the country since the French Revolution. He was joined by the philanthropist Alexandre Legentil who wrote: We recognize that we were guilty and justly punished. To make honourable amends for our sins, and to obtain the infinite mercy of the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ and the pardon of our sins, as well as extraordinary aid which alone can delivery our sovereign Pontiff from captivity and reverse the misfortune of France, we promise to contribute to the erection in Paris of a sanctuary dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Construction began in 1875 and continued for forty years under five different architects. Completed in 1914, the basilica was formally consecrated in 1919 after World War I.
The fences surrounding the church are packed with lovelocks.
Couples try to immortalize their love by by locking padlocks on fences and railings and and throwing away the key afterwards in order to symbolize and fix their love.
However, all the love in the world could not avoid the laws of physics. According to news reports, in 2014, nearly 3 meters of the Pont des Arts bridge fell into the Seine, following which the city took down the love locks in 2015. After enumerating that there were over 1 million locks, weighing around 45 tons, Paris began a ‘No Love Locks Paris’ campaign to spread awareness for the damage caused by this tradition
The Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur is the second most popular tourist destination in Paris after the Eiffel Tower, attracting even more visitors than the Louvre. We decide to take a walk around the church before entering it.
The cobbled streets and the stone-clad buildings which surround the church make it seem like we have stepped back a few centuries.
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Gargoyles stand watch on the ramparts of the church, seemingly breathing out clouds of steam.
We walk into the church and see the Triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus mosaic and light streaming in from the cupola. |
The mosaic, with 25,000 enamelled and gilded pieces of ceramic covering 475 square meters, is one of the largest mosaics in the world. The Latin inscription at the base says "To the Sacred Heart of Jesus, France fervent, penitent and grateful."
From the other sides of the church the morning sunlight streams in through the stained glass windows and the cupola.
A basket near one of the chapels has an assortment of prayers - in different languages - dropped by visiting pilgrims and tourists.
The chapel of the Blessed Virgin. The Sacred Heart - a statue in solid silver. |
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| A closer look at the altar and the mosaic above it |
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| The Cupola |
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| The exterior roof of the Basilica |
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| Devotees light candles in offering and prayer before departing the Basilica |
Montmartre is also the birthplace of the Society of Jesus. In 1534, Ignatius of Loyola and a few of his followers made their vows in Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, one of the oldest churches in Paris. However, we are not able to enter it since church services are in progress on Sunday morning.
We exit the church and walk towards the square. It's like we've stepped into a different universe.
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The square is packed with artists selling their works to tourists who want to carry souvenir of their Parisian sojourn.
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There are caricaraturists at work bargaining with their subjects.
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| There are artists contemplating what to start next |
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| Their pastel shows what's gone into their prior works and what's likely to come next. |
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| There are artists putting finishing touches to their works. |
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| There are subjects sitting anxiously waiting for the artist to finish their work. |
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| while some subjects are bored and waiting for the artist to finish. |
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| There are artists waiting for customers for their works |
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| and restaurateurs waiting for hungry customers who might be interested in the plats du jour. |
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| Silhouette artists ply their art, surrounded by an admiring bystander. |
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| Restaurants advertise home made food and air-conditioning |
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| We turn back for a final look at the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur before heading away from the turmoil of the square. |
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| We're heading towards the small Dali museum. |
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| As we walk towards it, we get a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower amidst the trees. |
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| We haven't purchased tickets and don't have the time, so take a photo of the artist from outside and continue on our tour of Montmartre. |
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| The cobbled streets with a canopy of trees and the play of light and shadow on the walls makes it a lovely walk. |
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| There are lovely brick houses covered with creepers. |
As we turn around the corner, we see the La Maison Rose restaurant, famous for its association with Pablo Picasso.
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| The lunch menu is coming up at La Maison Rose |
Montmartre, at one time had over 30 windmills and as we walk further, we run into one of them, at Moulin de la Galette.
This windmill has been was built in 1622, but the place is more famous for the being the location where Renoir's famous Impressionist painting -
Ball at Le moulin de la Galette - is set which we saw in the
Musée d'Orsay yesterday. In the late 19th century, working-class Parisians would dress up and spend time there dancing, drinking, and eating galettes into the evening.
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We're now heading towards the downtown area of Montmartre where artists like van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec lived and where the cabarets and cancan dancers drew their audience.
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| We pause for a minute in front of the building where van Gogh lived for two years. |
Our last halt is the famed Moulin Rouge, the cabaret where the cancan dance originated and inspiration for many artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
As expected, the place is deserted on a Sunday morning and we leave after a glance at some of the skteches inside.
How we did it
Entry to the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur is free, but access to the dome which provides a panoramic view of Paris is ticketed. Since this is the second most popular tourist attraction in Paris, crowds build up fast and it's best seen early in the morning where things are quieter.
There are many cafes around the Montmartre square to grab a breakfast or coffee and watch artists at work.
Our European Travelog
D3E1: The church, the artists and the cabarets of Montmartre
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