Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Montmartre, a tourist's view

Today we took our first hike up the hill, directly to the crest, where we found two very interesting churches: Basilica Sacre Couer and St. Pierre de Montmartre.  Let's start with the lesser known of the two.

When one asks about the origin of the name of the area, one gets at least two answers.  The first is that during the Roman occupation about the time of Christ, the Romans had a temple to their god of war, hence "Mount of Mars".  The second is that it was the scene of Roman execution of early Christians, hence "Mount of the Martyrs."  The first of those is worthy of mention.  Denis (believed to have been Dionysius of Acts 17:34 fame) was being led by the execution squadron to the temple of Mars.  The guards got bored with the hike and lopped off Denis' head a few hundred yards short of the top of the hill.  Denis, not to be deterred, picked up his head and walked on ten more kilometers and finally succumbed.  I totally get that--I ran three 10Ks in 2004, and I felt the same way each time.

The first of our two churches, St. Pierre de Montmartre, was built in 1147 on the spot believed to be where St. Denis was executed, and was the home of the Order of Jesus (Jesuits).  It's not a huge tourist attraction, but was a pleasant break from the bustle of Sacre Couer and Place Tertre.

The second, and by far the most well-known, is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and is positioned at the crest of the highest ground in the city.  It was privately funded as an atonement for the public degradation (in the eyes of its builders) of the Second Empire and the Commune that led to the humiliation of Paris by the Prussians in 1870.  The main thing to know about this church is that right now, as you read this, someone inside is praying for you.


Leaving these two places of beauty, just a few yards away is Place Tertre, home to aspiring artists and tourist shops.  For a few euros, you can get a quickie portrait, a one-minute paper-and-scissors silhouette, or any number of on-the-spot paintings in a wide variety of styles.  Since Montmartre has been home to a surprising number of now-famous artists, who can blame these guys from giving it a go?  The names that I recognize (I'm an engineer, remember, so take it easy on me) include: Van Gogh, Matisse, Renoir, Degas, Utrillo, Toulouse-Latrec, Hughes, Picasso, Modigliani, Satie (remember, music is an art), and Josephine Baker, an American ex-pat who turned Paris on its ear with her dance and song.



Tomorrow seems to be American Independence Day.   It'll be strange to miss the fireworks at our daughter's house.  But we may make up for it on the 14th.