Legend has it that in the fifth century Saint Denis was beheaded on Montmartre hill, along with two of his companions, for not having renounced his belief  in Christianity. After his head was cut off, he allegedly carried it to a nearby spring to wash himself, before climbing back up the hill. For a time, the hill was called St. Denis. Then it become Mount of Martyrs, and finally, Montmartre.

Long a sacred spot for Christianity, the church Saint Pierre de Montmartre was built there in the XIIth century. This church was consecrated by Pope Eugene III on Easter Monday, 1147. It is among the oldest churches in Paris.

The Sacré-Coeur cathedral was built from 1876 to 1919. It was commissioned by the National Assembly in order to mobilize public fervor. Gifts and offerings came in from all over France for its construction. The architect P. Abadie chose to use only the white limestone from the Loiret valley, to the exclusion of any wooden or metal supports.

It has become one of the major symbols of Paris.