Paray-le-Monial - Basilique du Sacré Coeur

The "Basilique du Sacré Coeur" in Paray-le-Monial. A monastry existing here since 974 became a dependency of nearby Cluny in 999. The first church "Paray I" was consecrated by Odilo of Cluny in 1004. Though enlarged later to "Paray II" by the still existing westwork and narthex, abbot Hugh of Cluny started the building of now existing church "Paray III" in 1090. As it has lots of similarities to the only little older "Cluny III", it is sometimes called "Small Cluny". Paray-Le-Monial played a role in the medieval pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Today pilgims are back. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque lived here, a nun and mystic, who had visions in 1673. She promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. So Paray-le-Monial now again is a place of pilgrimage in France. Even the patronage of the basilique changed in the 19th century from "Basilique du Notre Dame" to "Basilique du du Sacré Coeur".

I have already uploaded a lot of photos of Paray-le-Monial, I took during other visits. So I will only add some new photos, like this one.

Standing in the nave, near the crossing looking into the choir. Over years this area got renovated. There was an huge, ugly wooden wall installed in the nave. In 2010 I saw this choir the first time.

There is a yellow/red umbrella on the very right.. This is not an ordenary parasol. It is an "umbraculum" (aka "conopeum), one of the papal emblems of a "basilica minor".