Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre

Visit description

Welcome to the highest point of the French capital, where the Sacré-Cœur Basilica rises in its instantly recognisable white silhouette. Consecrated in 1919, this Romano-Byzantine church offers a distinctive Greek-cross plan crowned by a massive dome—an architectural choice that stands apart from the Neo-Gothic taste of its era.

Born from a “National Vow” made in the 19th century in a context of military defeat and social unrest, the basilica embodies a collective spiritual gesture of reconciliation. This tour will take you into that complex story, from the self-cleaning stone of Château-Landon to the monumental mosaics inside.

Visit plan

Step 1: The choir mosaic

Contemplate the immense 475 m² mosaic depicting Christ in Majesty with a golden heart, surrounded by protective saints.

Step 2: The Queens’ Chapel

Visit this radiant chapel dedicated to holy royal figures, commemorating the vow of Louis XIII.

Step 3: Architecture and light

From the Chapel of Sainte-Ursule, observe the whiteness of Château-Landon stone, which brightens on contact with rain.

Step 4: The Saint Ignatius Chapel

Discover the place recalling the founding of the Jesuit order by Ignatius of Loyola on this very hill in 1534.

Step 5: The Chapel of the Virgin

Enter this “nave within the nave” at the back of the basilica, adorned with a statue of Our Lady of Peace.

Step 6: The Sainte Marguerite-Marie Chapel

Understand the origins of devotion to the Sacred Heart through stained glass evoking the apparitions at Paray-le-Monial.

Step 7: The National Vow

Read the plaque engraved in the ambulatory, explaining the political and spiritual origins of the building’s construction.

Step 8: The façade and the panorama

Step out onto the forecourt to admire the equestrian statues of Saint Louis and Joan of Arc, and enjoy the exceptional view over Paris.