Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Belgium
| National Basilica of the Sacred Heart Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur (French) Nationale Basiliek van het Heilig-Hart (Dutch) |
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Geographic coordinates | 50°52′00″N 4°19′02″E / 50.86667°N 4.31722°ECoordinates: 50°52′00″N 4°19′02″E / 50.86667°N 4.31722°E |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Municipality | Koekelberg |
| Year consecrated | 1935 |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | Herman Cosijns |
| Website | www.basilique.be |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Pierre Langerock, Albert Van Huffel, Paul Rome |
| Architectural type | Parish church, Minor Basilica |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Groundbreaking | 1905 |
| Completed | 1970 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | ESE |
| Capacity | 3,500 |
| Length | 164.5 metres (540 ft) |
| Width | 107.80 metres (353.7 ft) |
| Width (nave) | 25 metres (82 ft) |
| Height (max) | 89 metres (292 ft) |
| Dome dia. (outer) | 33 metres (108 ft) |
| Materials | reinforced concrete, terracotta layering, bricks, dimension stone |
The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart (French: Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur, Dutch: Nationale Basiliek van het Heilig-Hart) is a Roman Catholic Minor Basilica and parish church in Brussels, Belgium. The church was dedicated to the Sacred Heart, inspired by the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur in Paris. Symbolically King Leopold II laid the first stone of the basilica in 1905 during the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Belgian independence. The construction was halted by the two World Wars and finished only in 1969. Belonging to the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Mechelen-Brussels, it is one of the ten largest Roman Catholic churches by area in the world.
Located in the Parc Elisabeth atop the Koekelberg Hill in Brussels' Koekelberg municipality, the church is popularly known as the Koekelberg Basilica (French: Basilique de Koekelberg or Dutch: Basiliek van Koekelberg). The massive brick and concrete reinforced church features two thin towers and a green copper dome that rises 89 metres (292 ft) above the ground, dominating the northwestern skyline of Brussels.
In the mid-19th century, King Leopold I dreamed of turning the uninhabited Koekelberg hill into a royal residence area. After his death just before 1880, King Leopold II envisaged building a Belgian Panthéon dedicated to Great Belgians, inspired by the French Panthéon in Paris, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence. The King dropped this project due to the lack of enthusiasm of the Belgian population. In 1902, King Leopold II visited the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur of Paris and decided to build instead a pilgrimage church, a national sanctuary dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
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