Equestrian statue of Saint Joan of Arc by Hippolyte Lefebvre, 1926
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart), Montmartre
Quartier de Clignancourt, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2009
“The overall style of the structure shows a free interpretation of Romano-Byzantine features, an unusual architectural vocabulary at the time, which was a conscious reaction against the neo-Baroque excesses of the Palais Garnier cited in the competition. 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.” (Sacré-Cœur, Wikipedia)
