The beautiful travertine Basilica of Sacre Coeur sits atop the hill of Montmartre. The stone exudes a calcite so it stays white despite age, weather and pollution. It was finally completed in 1914, taking 39 years to construct. A competition was launched to find an architect who could design the most imposing basilica. The winner was Paul Abadie but he died 8 years into the construction and the next architect added an 83 metre clock tower. There was a church service in progress whilst we were wandering the aisles with the choir singing and dozens of candles flickering. A poignant experience.
In the block behind the church there is a total change of pace where a frenetically busy and touristic 'village' of cafes and artists stalls has evolved. Sketches, etchings, cartoons, silhouettes, watercolours - every art form is found here, something for everyone if you have room in your luggage.
It looks particularly imposing in your first picture! It's hard to imagine people building something like this without all the modern tools and machinery.
Posted by: Kelly James | 08/01/2015 at 12:37 PM