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A Not-So-Hidden Village — Magical Montmartre

A Not-So-Hidden Village — Magical Montmartre

BY GNAGB . 19 Oct, 2022

Once a quiet rural village where the hills were thick with vineyards, quarries and windmills, it is sometimes hard to believe that in the 19th century the now well-to-do Quartier Montmartre, or Mountain of Martyrs was once a working class neighbourhood.

These days, Montmartre is the heart of Bohemian Paris and a creative artistic hub which has managed to retain a friendly, laid back ambience. Musicians stroll the Place du Terte, the central square, artists sketch portraits and caricatures, and paint Parisian street scenes, and racy cabarets like the legendary Moulin Rouge and Lapin Agile, where Picasso paid for his meal with a drawing, stay open into the wee hours. Detached houses, grand mansions, apartment blocks and flowery garden villas rub shoulders with artist’s studios and cheerful hole in the wall cafes. An eclectic selection of shops line the winding, cobbled lanes and cosy, authentic pavement restaurants are perfect for people watching. At the heart of all this worldliness stands the imposing Benedictine Basilica of the Sacred Heart, a glorious landmark with sensational views over the city, (even better from the Dome), and the country’s second most visited religious monument after the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

Montmartre is the site of the martyrdom of St Denis, the first Bishop of Paris, who was tortured by the Romans and beheaded here (c. 258 AD), for spreading Christianity. Many centuries later (12th century),Queen Adelaide de Savoie founded a prestigious abbey, the Abbaye des Dames de Montmartre, on the site where it was believed St Denis had lost his head. A church and a small chapel (Martyrium) were also erected. The queen is buried in the church. The abbey was destroyed during the French Revolution, and in 1794 the Abbess of the Benedictines of Montmartre suffered the same fate as St Denis, when she was guillotined by French revolutionaries. The little church stands behind the majestic, white domed Basilique de Sacre-Coeur, and is open every day.

And while hordes of tourists flock to Montmartre, you can escape the chaos, take advantage of a morepeaceful environment, and enjoy religious hospitality at the Benedictine Sisters guesthouse, adjacent to the Basilica. Guests are always welcome to join the sisters in religious services at the Sacre-Coeur, including 24 hour Eucharistic adoration.

Maison d’Accueil EPHREM
33, Ruedu Chevalier-de-la-Barre,
75018 PARISwww.sacre-coeur-montmartre.fr

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