Basilica of Sacre Coeur in Paris in the steeple of the Basilica of Sacre Coeur is the biggest bell in France, weighing about eighteen tons.


At the top of the Hill of Montmartre (Montmartre) in the north of Paris, about 129 meters high above the Seine, is the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur, or Sacred Heart.
Montmartre means “mountain of martyrs”, where according to beliefs was the place of martyrdom of Saint Denis, first bishop of Paris, and his followers. Other saints went through this hill, including St. Joan of Arc, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Ignatius Loyola and St. Francis Xavier, who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1534.There on the hill a great Benedictine abbey during the French Revolution was destroyed and the priests guillotined. From that building survived until today only one of the oldest churches in Paris: Saint Pierre de Montmartre.

In 1870 war broke out between France and Germany. French troops left to support the pope, a prisoner in the Vatican itself, and in 1871 France was defeated. In this context and as an expiation of guilt (considered the situation in France was a political rather than spiritual problem) was that they decided to build a church.

In 1873 the National Assembly decreed the implementation of a basilica and thought of the Montmartre hill as the site. The winner was Paul Abadie, who at his death in 1884 was followed by another 5 architects. Inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, or perhaps in the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, for its Roman-Byzantine style contrasts with other medieval churches, like Notre Dame.

The work was developed between 1875 and 1919. The basilica, all white, rests on a large crypt is one of the sights to visit. Rather square base, the ship, prolonged by a choir, is adorned by a dome and surrounded by seven chapels, the central dome rises 80 meters, ie, more than 200 meters above the city, which offers a view on clear days of 50 km radius. A massive square tower contains the bell tower, where the biggest bell in France. Dubbed the “Savoyard” (was a gift from the Diocese of Savoie), is 3 meters in diameter and weighs just over 18 tons! Inside, the ceiling of the Basilica is adorned by a huge 475 m2 mosaic depicting the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The entrance is flanked by two statues of St. Joan of Arc and St. Louis.

To reach the basilica you climb the charming streets of Montmartre and then stretching staircases. You can also use the funicular, which is now part of the landscape of the neighborhood and runs the 108 meters in 1.30 minutes of ascent.