Eternal Praise
by Stephen Stookey
Title
Eternal Praise
Artist
Stephen Stookey
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre (aka Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris) stands atop butte Montmartre--the highest point in the City of Lights. Clad in travertine, quarried in Château-Landon (Seine-et-Marne), France, and capped in a series of domes, Sacré-Coeur is a dazzling sight day or night. Butte Montmartre's connections with spirituality and worship date to the earliest records of the region from Druids to Roman temples to Christian worship. The earliest records of Christian worship on the site connects to Saint Denis--a third century A.D. martyr and saint. Denis, Bishop of Paris, was decapitated by the Romans, likely during the persecutions under Emperor Decius (c.250s A.D.).
Construction of the current basilica ran from 1875 to 1914. The neo-Byzantine inspired design (by architect Paul Abadie) offers a sharp contrast the to neo-Baroque style present in much of the city.
The church interior is sublime. A massive mosaic, "Christ in Majesty," caps the altar area of the main sanctuary. Ornate side chapels ring the sanctuary, offering the devout quiet spaces for prayer and reflection away from the wrongs of tourist visiting the church.
Uploaded
July 14th, 2018
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