Symbolizing Paris all over the world with the same titles as Notre-Dame or the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré-Coeur is visited, outside the Covid period, by 10 million people per year.
The Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre, an emblematic building of Paris, has been listed as a historical monument, the first step towards its classification in the first half of next year, the Ministry of Culture was told on Wednesday.
The inscription of the basilica had been proposed by the regional direction of cultural affairs (DRAC) of Ile-de-France.
The regional commission for heritage and architecture (CRPA) unanimously gave a favorable opinion on October 13, receiving the explicit support of the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot.
More advantageous subsidies
The file will be sent to the National Heritage and Architecture Commission (CNPA), responsible for deciding on the classification of the site: an even more favorable status for the protection of a historic monument.
According to the heritage code, a building registered as a historic monument can receive up to 40% of state subsidies for its conservation and renovation work, while a listed building can benefit from subsidies without limit of percentages.
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The basilica, built in the 1870s on the plans of the architect Paul Abadie, as well as its surroundings, are concerned by this registration and classification procedure: this concerns in particular the Square Louise Michel, place of commemoration of the Commune.
It was partly on the Butte Montmarte that she was born 150 years ago and was repressed.
All the signals are green for a classification in the first half of 2021, it was stressed Wednesday at the ministry.
The theater of the revolt of the people of Paris
150 years after the Commune, this new statute has a symbolic meaning of reconciliation, since it protects at the same time a place of Catholic worship and the theater of the revolt of the people of Paris, we still underline from the same source.
Since 2012, the state has undertaken to extend the protection of Parisian religious buildings, and churches like the Trinity have taken advantage of this.
Symbolizing Paris all over the world with the same titles as Notre-Dame or the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré-Coeur is visited (outside the Covid period) by 10 million people per year.
The monumental basilica has long ignited the debate between clerics and anticlericals.
Its construction had responded to a wish made in October 1871 to "expiate" the defeat of France against the Prussian army.
But the first stone was not laid until 1874, that is to say after the Commune.
A total of 66 churches are protected (registered or classified) in Paris, out of 1,950 sites and buildings that are.
About 44,500 buildings are protected in France.