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| 1269 The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur |
Posted on 05.10.2014, 13.09.2016
Located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in Paris, The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1871, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ. Architect Paul Abadie designed the basilica after winning a competition over 77 other architects, and the foundation stone was finally laid 16 June 1875.
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| 2750 The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur and the Place du Tertre |
The overall style of the structure shows a free interpretation of Romano-Byzantine features, an unusual architectural vocabulary at the time. Many design elements of the basilica symbolise nationalist themes: the portico, with its three arches, is adorned by two equestrian statues of French national saints Joan of Arc (1927) and King Saint Louis IX, both executed in bronze by Hippolyte Lefebvre; and the nineteen-ton Savoyarde bell (one of the world's heaviest), cast in 1895 in Annecy, alludes to the annexation of Savoy in 1860.
The Basilica wasn't completed until 1914, when war intervened; it was formally dedicated in 1919, after WWI. Abadie died not long after the foundation had been laid, in 1884, and five architects continued with the work: Honoré Daumet (1884-1886), Jean-Charles Laisné (1886-1891), Henri-Pierre-Marie Rauline (1891-1904), Lucien Magne (1904-1916), and Jean-Louis Hulot (1916-1924). It is built of travertine stone quarried in Château-Landon (Seine-et-Marne), which constantly exudes calcite, so the basilica remains white even with weathering and pollution. A mosaic in the apse, entitled Christ in Majesty, created by Luc-Olivier Merson, is among the largest in the world.
Only a few streets away from basilica is the Place du Tertre, the heart of the city's elevated Montmartre quarter. With its many artists setting up their easels each day for the tourists, the Place du Tertre is a reminder of the time when Montmartre was the mecca of modern art. At the beginning of the 20th century, many penniless painters including Picasso and Utrillo were living there. Le Montmartre - Place du Tertre L'Espace Salvador Dalí, a museum principally dedicated to the sculpture and drawings of Salvador Dalí, can be found a few steps from Place du Tertre.
About the stamps
On the postcard 1269
The stamp is part of the definitive series issued on July 16, 2014, about which I wrote here.
On the postcard 2750
The first stamp is part of the series Tourism, designed by Jacques Combet and issued on July 19, 1965:
• Chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut (0,40 F)
• Moustiers Sainte Marie (0,50 F)
• Aix les Bains (0,60 F) - It's on the postcard 2750
• Gorges of Tarn, Lozère (0,75 F)
• Landscape of Vende (0,95 F)
• Alignments of Carnac (1,00 F)
• Château de Joux (Doubs) (1,30 F)
The second stamp is part of the series Sites and Monuments, designed by Claude Haley, and issued on July 10, 1967:
• Saint Quentin - The City Hall (0,50 F)
• Vire - The Gate and the Clock's Tower (0,60 F) - It's on the postcard 2750
• Saint Germain en Laye - The Castle (0,70 F)
• La Baule (0,75 F)
• Boulogne sur Mer (0,95 F)
• Rodez - The Cathedrale (1,00 F)
• Morlaix (1,50 F)
The third stamp was issued on September 2, 1974, and depicts TGV 001 (Train Grande Vitesse 001), a high-speed railway train built in France.
About the fourth stamp, issued on June 6, 1966 to mark the tricentenary of the French Academy of Sciences. Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657-1757), I wrote here.
The last stamp, dedicated to the Tidal Power Plant of Rance, was issued on December 5, 1966
References
Sacré-Cœur, Paris - Wikipedia
The Place du Tertre - Wikipedia
Sender 1269: Christine / louisebethan (portcrossing)
Sent from Ezanville (Île-de-France / France), on 26.09.2014
Sender 2750: Eustache
Sent from ??? (??? / France), on 06.09.2016
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