FR-711175 The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sacré-Cœur Basilica)

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica,  is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. This church is a popular landmark.  It is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was (and is) an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ.

The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919. 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 and King Saint Louis IX, both executed in bronze. The nineteen-ton Savoyarde bell (one of the world's heaviest), cast in 1895, alludes to the annexation of Savoy in 1860. (Source: Wikipedia)
This postcard came from Chris (15 July 2016) Postcrossing.